Looking for ways to brighten up your loved one’s day?
Well, worry not! Print a greeting card and spark a light of joy. Even in today’s age, where communication has become so common, greeting cards still remain popular.
However, to make the perfect cards, you need to choose the finest papers. Because the print standard will vary depending on what you buy. Therefore, we have reviewed the best paper for printing greeting cards to help you choose the right ones.
6 Best Paper for Printing Greeting Cards
Now let’s take a look at a few of the top papers for printing greeting cards available on the market. The list below has the best types of paper that will hopefully meet all the requirements you are looking for in a paper.
1. Heavyweight White Blank Cards with White Envelopes 5″x 7″
Our very first product is an amazing quality heavyweight blank white paper. This paper is blank from both the inside and the outside and is suitable to be customized any way you want.
You will be able to paint, draw, print on them according to your preferences, and it will give you amazing results every single time.
The papers are also uncoated, so you will not have to worry about coats on the paper interfering with your work.
Office stationeries, invitations, greeting cards — this paper can be used for all these and for many other purposes. You may also craft and do your artwork with this product.
Watercolors, markers, and printer inks are all compatible with this paper. Since it is nothing less than a blank canvas, you can paint and mold this paper to your imagination.
The white paper is made with thick and heavy cardstock, so you can tell that it is superior. It is compatible with most printers, so you will be able to print on this paper easily at home.
These blank cards come in 5 by 7″ dimensions, and each of them will come with an envelope. That is a bonus as you will not have to buy envelopes separately for your cards and will be able to save that money. You will get 40 amazing papers in the pack that are of great quality and super affordable.
Pros
- Multi-use
- Heavyweight
- Superior Quality
- Customizable
- Compatible with printers
Cons
- May not fold properly
- Edges of the paper needs to be trimmed often
2. White Thick Paper Cardstock – for Brochure, Invitations, Stationery Printing
Premium quality papers at an affordable price are a hard find; therefore, we have included such a paper on our list. This white cardstock paper is one of the best of its kind, with a whopping 216 gsm and 80 pounds cover weight.
It is heavyweight paper and is the perfect choice for any sort of project and card making.
Office supplies, school supplies, art paper, poster paper— this paper can be used as any of these things and more. It can also be used as your go-to paper for personal use and office use.
The papers work well with printers and produce fine-quality images and prints. It will deliver vibrant and sharp colors, and the ink will not smear at all.
So overall you will get very clean results. The paper has a smooth finish on both sides and is made from SFI wood fibers.
You will receive 50 papers in a pack, so you will be able to use them for a long time. The papers will not expire over time and are completely acid-free. So the papers will not turn yellow or look muddy over time.
Therefore, you will be able to use it whenever you want to. It also restores any work you have printed on this paper by not turning brittle or discoloration over time.
So if you are looking to create high-quality cards for commercial or personal use, you’ve found the best paper for you!
Pros
- Premium paper
- Does not deteriorate
- Vibrant photo prints
- Sturdy
- Double-sided smooth finish
Cons
- A little difficult to fold
- Not for all printers
3. 80lb White Half Fold Greeting Cards
Home, office, or school – we have a cardstock paper for you to cover all these. Be it card making, scrapbooking, or crafting; these cardstock papers can do it all.
Weighing a good 80 pounds and having a GSM of 216, these papers come as one of the best heavyweight papers in the market. The dimensions of this paper are also near perfect for making cards. It comes in 5.5 by 8.5 inches.
Additionally, these papers are great for printing. The smooth finish of this paper makes it so. When printed on this paper, the prints turn out very crisp and vibrant as the paper has good inc retention. Inkjet, Copier, and laser printers — the paper is compatible with any of these printers, so printing will be of no hassle.
Furthermore, if you want to craft using this paper and if that procedure involves folding and scoring the paper, then we have some good news for you.
It folds and scores very easily, so your work will feel effortless while using this paper. Since it is white, you can paint using colors and markers on the paper too.
These greeting cards have a matte finish, so you will not have to worry about inks and colors smearing on them. It will definitely give you great results and help you make the best cards.
Pros
- Has pre-score line
- Matte finish
- Works great with printers
- Folds easily
- Thick
Cons
- Papers are a little slippery
- Crease lines not uniform
4. Avery Half-Fold Greeting Cards
Our very next product will help you make store-bought standard cards right in the comforts of your home. This cardstock paper by Avery is the ideal paper to make various kinds of things.
It is completely multipurpose and will allow you to expand your creativity. You can make birthday cards, invitations, graduation announcement cards, and any other sort of paper cards using this paper.
This paper comes in a beautiful white color with a coated finish and has 8.5 by 11-inch dimensions. The great quality paper is not only a heavyweight cardstock but is also a paper with two-sided coatings.
Therefore, colors will be extra vibrant on it and will be intensified as much as possible. You can easily print anything you want on these papers as the photos printed on these come out extremely vivid.
Furthermore, this paper is not just good for printing but is also great for crafting. It has sore lines incorporated with it, allowing you to score and cut super easily.
As for cutting the edges of the paper, try to cut it in a clean and tidy way. It comes in a box of thirty, so one pack will last you quite some time. You will also be getting envelopes with each card which is a bonus!
Pros
- Easy to use
- Score lines are incorporated
- Clean cuts
- Multipurpose
- High print quality
Cons
- Ink retention is low
- Could be thicker
5. Blank Half Fold Greeting Cards -Heavyweight White Card Stock Paper
If you are looking for a standard-sized paper that will deliver both quality and ease of work, then you have found your product. This cardstock measures 5.5 by 8.5 inches and weighs 80 pounds.
This beautiful white cardstock comes in a unique textured surface that gives the paper a supreme feel. So if you are looking forward to making a premium card, this will be a great option.
Due to its special texture, this card produces some fine-quality prints that are rich and vibrant in color. It also has a two-sided smooth surface finish that helps to set printer colors to the maximum when used in inkjet and laser printers.
You will definitely be able to make high-quality cards and showcase high-quality presentations using this paper. This not only provides high quality service, but is very convenient to use.
Furthermore, you can express your creativity on this paper as much as you like because you will be provided with a blank space inside the card. So you can write, paint, print, do anything you want with that space.
The paper is also very easy to fold and score, so you can very easily make personalized cards according to your preferences.
This card comes in a pack of 100 in a half-fold manner and has a brightness rating of 96, giving you bright and vivid images.
Overall, it is a great paper for making your personalized printed cards.
Pros
- High brightness rating
- Half-folded
- Easy to use
- Special textured paper
- Supreme quality
Cons
- Does not work with few printers
- Some may not like the texture
6. PPD Inkjet Large Gloss Printable Greeting Cards
This final product on our list is quite different than the rest of the papers discussed above. The papers we discussed above are all matte or plain finish; however, this paper is of a glossy finish.
This paper is a glossy heavyweight cardstock that you can use to make your own beautiful cards. So if you are looking for a great paper to make some extraordinary cards, this is a very good option.
Furthermore, it is absolutely printer-friendly and works with all kinds of inkjet printers. The paper has two finishes; it is glossy on the outside and matte on the inside.
So you can print great quality photos on the top and write your messages on the inside of the paper using pens and markers.
The glossy finish also makes the print look vibrant, so you can make professional-looking cards using this paper.
Moreover, working with this paper will also be very easy for you. The paper has pre-scored lines that will make the process of folding the papers into cards very easy and fast.
It is blank paper without any marks, so you will be able to customize it any way you want.
Additionally, this paper has a quick-dry feature, so the ink will quickly dry on the paper, reducing smearing chances. Thus, you will be able to make clean, good-looking cards with it.
Pros
- Suitable for all inkjet printers
- Glossy finish
- Vivid photo prints
- Paper dries ink quickly
- Has pre-scored lines
Cons
- Has tooling marks
- Edges are bluntly cut
Things to Consider Before Buying Paper for Printing Greeting Cards
It may seem like you can buy any paper for printing your greeting cards. But that is definitely not the case. You will have to consider a few things before buying these papers, and we have discussed all those factors down below.
- Quality
The first thing that you should check while buying paper for printing is its quality. It is a given fact that the superiority of your print will vary a lot because of the condition of your paper.
If the quality is low, then the print will not be precise and will not look good. You can tell a lot about the standard of the paper just by touching it, a good grade paper will feel premium when you touch it.
- Weight
Consider the weight of the paper, which is also known as the cover weight. You will find cards in different weights, most cardstocks are heavyweight, but the ideal card stock weighs between 100 to 110 pounds.
This weight will make the paper feel premium and will also make it easy for you to cut and print. If the card is any thicker, it may break your printer; if it’s lighter, then the print quality may not be as good.
- Type
The last thing that you need to consider while buying paper for printing cards is the type of paper. It completely depends on your preference and the sort of design you want on your card.
If you have a generalized design, it will go on any kind, but you may have to pick a certain variety of paper if you have a specific design.
There are mainly 4 categories of paper with four different textures. They are:
- Smooth Matte Texture
This is the most basic type of card stock and can be found very easily. It usually comes in 8.5 by 11” dimensions and weighs 100 pounds.
However, it is not the best for printing as the colors may get muted on it. Also, the texture does not feel very luxurious at hand. Therefore, quality is comparatively low.
- Felt Texture
The paper is literally how its name suggests it to be. This has a felt-like texture, a lot like cold-pressed watercolor papers.
It can be used for printing, but due to its rough texture printing, multiple pages can get difficult as it catches friction.
However, the color comes out great, and its texture makes it feel premium; it has the ideal weight of 110 pounds.
- Linen Texture
This is the type of paper that has one of the best textures and has one of the most premium feels. It weighs 100 pounds and is not too thick or thin. The paper is perfect for printing, cutting, and scoring.
When you print using this paper, the color turns out vivid and bright, making your cards look beautiful.
- Cotton Texture
This type is the lightest of all the types. The paper only weighs 92 pounds and is fibrous to the touch. It will definitely remind you of art prints when you touch the paper.
The paper feels superior and is of the best quality. You can make great cards out of this paper; the cards turn out so great that you will almost feel like not giving it away.
But that will only be the case if you are making those cards by hand because you won’t be able to print that well on this paper due to its texture.
How Do You Make a Greeting Card Out of Paper?
We have talked a lot about the paper for making greeting cards. But do you know how to make a greeting card out of paper? Well, let us tell you how.
Step 1: Organize
The first thing you will have to do is organize the things you need to make your card. Bring all your arts and crafts supplies, including a pen, pencil, color, paper, scissors, and glue together.
Step 2: Decide on the Type
Now that you have all your things together, think about the type of card you want to make. Do you want to make a complete handmaid card, or do you want to make a printed card?
If you want to make a printed card read step 3 after this; if you want to make a handmade card directly, go to step 4.
Step 3: Select Design
As you want to make a printed card, select the design you want on your computer and print using the paper you have.
After printing, fold the paper into two parts and write your message inside the card. The card is now ready, and you can put it in an envelope if you want.
Step 4: Final Touch
Since you want to make a handmade card, fold the piece of paper you have. Draw and design the things you want to design on the cover of the card using a pen, pencils, and colors.
After that, add text inside the card, and your card will be ready. You can also add other decorations and finally put them into an envelope if you want.
Conclusion
Now that you know more or less everything about the best paper for printing greeting cards, get all your resources ready to make some fabulous cards for your friends and family. Don’t forget to add all your best wishes too!