What is Card Stock?

what is cardstock

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To put it simply, Cardstock is a thicker and extra sturdy sort of paper. It is more adaptable and thinner than paperboard and cardboard, making it ideal for arts and crafts.

However, it is also used in the packaging industry to manufacture various customized boxes. Also, it is best for adding extra embellishment and finishing to the inside and outside of a package. Its smooth surface can be shiny, metallic, or distinctive.

Since it is more challenging than standard or regular paper, it is the best choice for paper crafting and card production. Due to its longevity, this paper is generally used for many purposes. It often has a shiny coating on one or both sides and is explicitly utilized in calling cards and publication covers.

Manufacturing and Structure of Cardstock

Before the industrialization of paper production, recycled fibers from made use of textiles, also referred to as dust cloths, were one of the most typical fiber resources. These rags were generally from hemp, bed linen, and cotton. 

With the introduction of wood pulp in 1843, paper manufacturing became independent from ragpickers and other recycled products. Throughout the years, the papermaking process has developed. Wood pulp is produced either via chemical pulping or mechanical pulping. On the other hand, recycled paper is generated by blending chemically or mechanically created pulp with water and using mechanical activity.

Cardstock (card supply) is a kind of paper that is thicker, more significant, and also more robust than usual or ordinary paper. The earliest recognized writing history was mapped back to China, in 105 CE, by the Han court eunuch Cai Lun.

As mentioned previously, Cardstock is best suited to consist of things presented in-store or packaged inside a corrugated cardboard box. Its thickness varies from 14pt, 18 pt, to 24 pt.

Card supply, in some cases, means “cardstock,” which is thicker and much more long-lasting than standard printer paper. However, it’s thinner as well as much more adaptable than cardboard. This equilibrium between toughness and versatility makes Cardstock suitable for various crafting and design applications.

At first, paper production began with essential fiber resources such as recycled fibers from utilized textiles called cloths. Then, the introduction of building paper referred to as sugar paper, brought about the development of cardstock paper.

Because it is mainly wood pulp, the paper’s surface is somewhat rough and also incomplete. Nevertheless, this has been among the first craft papers for different jobs.

Use of Cardstock in Paper Crafting and Packaging

Even in the modern age, paper crafting is a flourishing industry worldwide. According to Statistica, the total investment in paper craft products in the United state from 2010 to 2016 was $4.57 billion.

In the past, there were fewer cardstock shades and cardstock sizes for paper crafters to choose from. Today, however, a vast array of shades, structures, and weights are offered for any paper crafting project.

Cardstock paper has been a staple in modern paper crafting because it lends itself to many methods such as folding, curving, bending, reducing, gluing, molding, sewing, or layering. However, with regular paper, using too much fluid or applying hefty decorations will certainly create it to warp or tear.

Various Types of Cardstock

Various sorts of Cardstock are on sale either in arts and crafts stores or online. Look into the different kinds of paper cardstock based on size, textures, weight, coatings, and cardstock shades.

Paper cardstock dimensions are usually determined in inches, while its weight varies from 65 lbs. to 110 lbs. The actual weight is 80 lbs. An item of card stock’s weight is determined by the weight of 500 sheets of paper 20 x 26 inches. Other popular types of size are as follows:

  • 6 x 6 inches.
  • 8 x 8 inches.
  • 8 1/2 x 11 inches.
  • 12 x 12 inches (common scrapbook web page size).

The same stands true for the texture and finish. So here are the most usual kinds of paper cardstock based on structure and completeness.

  • Glossy Cardstock has a polished or lustrous finish.
  • Matte Cardstock has a dull or lusterless covering.
  • Skin Cardstock is an excellent parchment paper. It can vary from practically transparent to nearly nontransparent.
  • Distinctive Cardstock is composed of a different fiber or other packaging materials that offer a one-of-a-kind texture. Criterion appearances consist of linen, canvas, wood, etc.
  • Rainbowlike Cardstock – This set’s finish displays a spectrum of colors that sparkle and change as the onlooker’s placement adjustments.
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