Sometimes when yous come up across the perfect inspiration for your next cardmaking projection you'll notice yourself wondering which cardstock or newspaper to utilize.  Which carte and paper is the all-time for cardmaking? Which card is the all-time for making gift boxes? Which cardstock should I use for die-cutting?

We've put together a guide to paper and cardstock to help you sympathize the properties and qualities you lot should expect for when deciding on which cardstock or paper to use in your next craft project.

If you're looking for even more great advice and cardmaking tips head over to our online arts and crafts community world wide web.craftworld.com where you can observe endless inspiration and advice including the very best cardmaking tips and tricks on the net!

Carte du jour or Cardstock - is there a difference?

In the Great britain nosotros tend to talk most 'card' when looking for what to make our handmade cards and crafts with. Nonetheless, the word card means so many things, credit carte du jour, finished greetings card and of form sheets of carte du jour, then we use the term cardstock to make it clear we're talking nigh the aforementioned thing. In the US you lot'll observe they always refer to cardstock.

Paper or Cardstock Size

Nosotros employ a standard range of sizes. About people are familiar with A4, it tin exist quite handy when ownership cardstock to know the verbal size. Why not pin this image to 1 of your boards or relieve and print information technology off so you'll always know what every size measures exactly.

cardstock or paper sizes in mm and inches

Understanding Paper and Cardstock Weights

"GSM stands for Grams per Square Metre"

Bill of fare and paper comes in diverse weights, normally measured in gsm. GSM stands for Grams per Square Metre and is how we measure the weight of cardstock in the UK. The higher the number, the heavier the card or paper weight.

70-100gsm - this is copier paper weight, the kind used in your office printer or that you will find most business organization letters are written on. 90gsm is a standard weight for stationery. Yous can still get it with a nice luxury terminate if you lot had inserts for wedding invitations for case, so don't presume it's always cheap.

100-170gsm - anything above 100gsm moves from being chosen paper to being a lite card. You lot will find uses for low-cal card like this for layering and matting. Lots of people like this weight for easy dice-cutting and also for printing backing papers.

170-220gsm - equally to a higher place, this weight of card is ideal for layering and matting, die-cutting and press.  Yous may detect they work well on single layer cards, however if you add together layers and embellishments this cardstock weight may buckle and non await great when displayed.

220 - 280gsm - This is perhaps the virtually common weight used in cardmaking. Low-cal plenty to easily go through a printer and die-cutting machine, but sturdy enough for embossing.

280gsm - 350gsm - Getting thicker! This kind of weight is not bad for a more luxury upshot and a far sturdier base.  280gsm is a very pop weight for cardstock used in cardmaking. Many people would use thicker card, 300gsm and above for 3d projects like making card boxes or gift boxes.  Luxury wedding invitations should also use either one thick piece of cardstock, or be layered up to create a heavyweight, more expensive and high-quality experience.

Cardstock Finishes

Not just does cardstock come up in diverse weights and sizes it also comes with lots of lovely different finishes. Information technology'due south well worth trying unlike cardstock textures and finishes to achieve lots of creative effects with your cardmaking. Embossing and dice-cutting can take on an entirely new look when using dissimilar kinds of cardstock.

Manifestly Cardstock
As the name suggests you lot tin can buy cardstock which has a smooth untextured and uncoated surface in a multitude of colours.  Possibly the most ordinarily used in cardmaking as it'due south a blank canvass! many people buy lots of white plainly cardstock for bases and cardblanks. Await out for whether the colour is on both sides and how it folds. Some card has color all the way through, while other cardstock will testify unsightly cracks when folded.

Hunkydory Adoreable Scoreable range prides itself on not bully even with deep scoring.

Super Smoothen Cardstock
Super smooth cardstock is great for colouring and embossing, it won't bleed and gives a great cease for press. Some very smooth cardstock volition be coated with

mirri card

Mirror Card / Mirri Cardstock
This is a shiny card with a highly reflective metallic finish, simply as y'all'd look from the proper name. Information technology looks peachy when die-cut to add together piddling sparkly elements to your bill of fare and is of grade a must have when it comes to Christmas cardmaking. Some mirri cards have an almost holographic result, creating lilliputian rainbows as they take hold of the light.

Glitter Cardstock
Glitter cardstock is coated on one side with lots of glitter! Employ every bit a background or for die-cutting to add little sparkly details to your work. The amount of glitter various from a subtle sparkle through to a fully loaded glitterfest of carte!

pearlescent card

Pearlescent Cardstock
You lot would describe pearlescent card every bit having a lustre rather than being shiny, call back of 'Female parent of Pearl' it comes in many dissimilar colours and is very pop as a cardtock and paperweight.  Especially pop for wedding stationery where a trivial subtle sheen will take hold of the calorie-free and add another layer of interest.

Metallic Card
Golden, silver, copper, bronze, rose gilded - you can discover metal looking cardstock perfect for your arts and crafts or cardmaking project. Crafter's Companion Centura range has some beautiful heavyweight 310gsm metallic card that we'd thoroughly recommend with lots of 5 star reviews on our website.

Embossed & Textured Menu

Embossed and textured cardstock features a beautiful embossed cease, popular embossed finishes are linen embossed (woven texture), hemp embossed (like quondam hemp / hessian sacks) or a hammered cardstock finish (looks just like information technology's had petty hammers bashing it).

Most embossed card is made by passing the card through a large (usually industrial size) mangle, where the top whorl has the pattern engraved, the paper is put nether extreme pressure to accomplish a cute and consistent finish. All of these finishes add those actress special details and brand not bad bill of fare bases and nuptials stationery. Take a await at our Craft UK range for a corking option of embossed card.

Patterned Cardstock or Paper

Patterned paper and cardstock gives you lot a great starting bespeak for your cardmaking and crafts.  Oftentimes used in scrapbooking, you tin sheets or pads in size 12 x 12 or A4 pads. the great thing most patterned paper pads is that they coordinate with each other, non the same but they're designed to a theme which can really help with creating themed scrapbook pages or craft projects where all the diverse items, envelope, cardbox and card for example friction match each other.

Foiled Cardstock

Foiled cardstock is a patterned cardstock but usually has a patently base colour then is foil embossed with a blueprint. Adds a very luxurious feel to your work, ideal for hymeneals stationery and dramatic cards.

Kraft Cardstock

A really popular colour and texture cardstock or paper for rustic craft projects, cards and stationery. With a rough finish, Kraft menu is fabricated from recycled paper and so is a smashing environmentally friendly option, ideal for gift tags.

vellum butterfly

Parchment & Vellum

Vellum and parchment are thin transluscent papers that can add a wonderfully luxurious finish to your piece of work.  in that location's something very traditional nigh vellum that reminds y'all of antiquated books, still y'all can die-cutting and colour vellum with bang-up mod effects. Butterfly wings look stunning die-cut from vellum.

Tissue, Collage & Decoupage Newspaper

You'll all know what tissue paper is! Nosotros love all the gorgeous paper flowers you can find on Pinterest made with tissue.  This very lightweight paper tin tin can likewise exist used for decouping and calculation to collages, pinted tissue newspaper is great for multimedia cardmaking or craft projects. Y'all can also use tissue for adding inside gift boxes or wrapping up little handmade gifts.

Looking for the all-time gum for cardstock ? Find a complete guide over at CraftWorld - All-time Gum for Cardstock

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