Choosing the Right Business Card Paper

Types of business card paper

There are several choices you have when choosing the right business card paper for your own printing needs. If you are using a printing company it is easy to simply tell them what you want and they will handle everything for you. But if you plan on printing your own cards you need some basic knowledge on choosing the right paper for your printing.

There are many kinds of paper for business cards, but the most common are business card glossy paper Matte, Regular and Textured. Matte is the type that does not “shine” and has a dull finish, whereas the glossy type has a smooth, shiny finish. Glossy paper is generally good for printing photo quality images. If you have a photo background image or any other photos on the card this is a good paper to choose, although it costs more. Textured paper, as the name suggests, has some kind of pattern or imprint on the paper. It is a good choice if you want a unique look to your cards.

The choice of manufacturers for card paper is very wide and includes brands such as APLI, Avery, NEATO, Formtec, Herma, MAACO and NEATO to mention a few. If you use business card design and printing software you need to be sure what kind of paper it works with as not all programs are compatible with all paper brands.

Xerox manufactures its own brand of Xerox business card paper.

See the guide on business card programs for a comprehensive review of business card design and printing software and more information on paper brands that different programs work with.

Magnetic paper paper is a special type of paper that is magnetic and good for printing promotional material.

Printer type and business card paper choice

Glossy paper prints well on inkjet printers and so does textured paper. Avoid glossy paper and textured paper on laser printers as they smudge the ink or miss portions of print on these printers. Matte and regular paper are best for laser printers.

Precut business card paper

There are two main ways that business card paper is precut for easy separation after printing without the need to use scissors or a guillotine. There are perforated cards and cards with smooth edges. Perforated cards will have a slightly rough look on the edges when separated, no mater how small the manufacturer says the perforations are.

Smooth-edge or Clean Edge cards are precut and then stuck on a thin base paper or held together by sticky tape at the back. Once separated, the edges of the cards are perfectly smooth. This gives them a more professional look than the perforated cards. Perforated cards may sometimes look like postage stamps on the edges so if you want a very polished and professional image avoid them.

The advantage perforated cards have over smooth-edged cards is their cost. They are significantly cheaper than the smooth edged cards. Both types will usually come as 8 or 10 cards per sheet. The 8 cards per sheet paper will have spaces between the cards, allowing you to bleed your background images well if you need to. Both types are precut to 3.5” by 2” size which is the standard business card size.

Pre-printed cards

These are available and come with a pre-printed background image. If you find a background that suits your business they can save you time in designing your card.

Business card stock

There is various paper stock to choose from a whole range of manufacturers. You can get more information on business card stock here as well as a useful guide on the pros and cons of choosing the right paper stock for your needs. You can also read more about Avery business card stock which is one of the most commonly used.

Magnetic Business Card Paper
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