Choosing paper for homemade business cards

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The paper you pick changes how professional a card feels more than almost any design choice.

Weight

Plain office paper (about 20 lb) feels flimsy as a card. Look for card stock, often sold as "cover" weight, in the range of roughly 65 to 110 lb cover. Heavier stock feels more substantial, but check your printer's manual: many home printers cannot feed very thick sheets and may jam.

Finish

• Matte: easy to read, accepts pen notes, and shows less glare. A safe default.
• Gloss: makes photos and color pop but can smudge and is hard to write on.
• Textured or linen: adds character; fine text can lose sharpness, so use a larger type size.

Inkjet or laser

Use paper labelled for your printer type. Inkjet needs paper that absorbs ink well, and laser needs stock that can handle heat from the fuser.

Pre-cut sheets

Pre-scored or micro-perforated business card sheets with 10 cards per page can be torn apart cleanly with no trimming. Match the 3.5 x 2 inch size and 2-column by 5-row layout. Remember that perforations may not line up exactly with the printed cut guides, so run a test on plain paper first.

Quick recommendation

Start with a matte card stock that your printer can handle, print one test sheet on plain paper, then print on the card stock.