Business cards come in various shapes, sizes and dimensions. But it’s not just the shape and size that makes the difference. These handy business tools are made to be passed from one person to another, and so how they feel matters a lot. This is why the right paper can make a world of difference to your business and business card. It can create great first impressions and pay long term dividends. In case you are unsure about the kind of paper that you need, here are the four paper basics that will guide you in this step.
- Weight
Weight of the paper basically refers to the thickness and stiffness of the card used for your designs. The higher the weight number, the thicker and stiffer the paper will be. For business cards, this is usually 215 gsm (grams per square meter)
The most common kinds of paper used to print business cards are 10-point cardstock (thin), 14-point cardstock (thick) and 16-point cardstock (thicker), each with their own sets of benefits and disadvantages. For example, a thinner stock will get damaged more easily, while a thicker card stock will last longer but will be more expensive. Keep in mind these factors before deciding on the stock. If they’re going to be placed in a card holder on the front desk of your building, you can consider having a thinner card stock. But if you’re going to hand them out to hundreds of people at networking events, it is advisable to go for a thicker card stock as it will last longer and help your cards stand out against others.
It is also important to consider the design you want to display on the card. Thinner stocks don’t hold ink for as long as a thicker stock. So if you have a colourful design with lots of graphics, you should go for a thicker weight to make sure that the prints and graphics do not bleed off.
- Texture
Texture refers to the visual and tactile smoothness of the paper. The texture can be smooth or crinkly. It can also be coated or uncoated, with glossy, dull, or matte finish. While coated and smooth paper is best for high-quality images, uncoated and textured paper is suited for softer image. Even though the best inkjet printers in the market are known for providing perfect print finish, highly textured paper may not be able to keep the print plus design clear for very long.
- Brightness
Brightness refers to the ability of the paper to reflect light. The same printed image can appear vibrant on a paper with high brightness and dull on a paper with low brightness. For commercial use, the brightness level of 80 is lowest and 100 highest. Higher the number, the better is the quality of paper and its brightness.
- Opacity
Closely linked with brightness is the opacity factor of the printing paper. Opacity determines the amount of light that can pass through the paper. It can have low, medium or high opacity. Higher the opacity, the less translucent the paper and better the visibility of what’s printed on it.
Having the ability to choose the right printing paper for your project guarantees optimum utilisation of resources and the best output quality. Therefore, it is important to know which paper to choose for everyday use, for special occasions and for business cards especially. Once you’ve got your printing paper and print design sorted, it’s time for the final step which is printing the cards.
There are two ways to go about this: printing at home or availing the services of a professional business card solution. In either case, what is more important above all is choosing the best quality printer, like for instance, the highly proficient Canon laser printer machines, which assures that the stock and finish of your business cards will be of the higher standard, giving them the much desired look for creating favourable first impressions.