How to Print on Cardstock at Home: Weight, Tray and Settings

Knowing how to print on cardstock at home saves both card and frustration. Invitations, place cards, recipe cards, game boards and greeting cards all look better on thick paper, but card is stiffer than ordinary paper, and many home printers have limits on what they can feed. This guide shows how to check what your printer accepts, how to read cardstock weights, which tray and settings to use, and how to avoid the usual problems: jams, smudges, scuff marks and cracked folds.

Step 1: check what your printer accepts

Every printer’s specification lists the paper weights it supports, and the limit is often different for each tray. Look in the user manual, on the maker’s specification page, or in the “media” or “paper handling” section of the spec sheet. You will usually see something like a range in g/m², sometimes with the equivalent in pounds.

A few points to look for:

• Different trays, different limits. A front cassette may accept only plain-paper weights, while a rear feed or manual slot accepts heavier media.
• Branded vs other papers. Some makers list higher weights for their own card or photo paper than for “non-branded” paper.
• Laser printers often list heavy media for a specific tray. HP’s knowledge base, for example, describes one model whose Tray 1 is designed for card between 163 and 200 g/m².

If your card is heavier than the maximum listed for any tray, use a lighter card or ask a print shop. Forcing thick card through can damage the rollers.

Step 2: understand cardstock weights

Cardstock weight is one of the most confusing parts of buying paper. In the US, card is usually sold by cover weight in pounds, which is measured differently from the text or bond weight used for ordinary printer paper. That is why 65 lb cardstock is much thicker than 24 lb copy paper. Outside the US, weights are given in grams per square metre (g/m² or gsm), which is simpler to compare.

Common US cover weights and their approximate metric equivalents:

US cover weight	Approximate g/m²	How it feels
65 lb cover	about 176	Light card, bends easily
80 lb cover	about 216	Medium card, typical for cards and invitations
100 lb cover	about 270	Heavy card
110 lb cover	about 298	Very stiff card

Compare the g/m² of the card with the g/m² limit in your printer’s specification. Our guide to the best paper for your home printer explains weights and finishes in more depth.

Step 3: choose the right tray

The shape of the paper path matters. Card bends badly. Printers that pull paper from a front cassette and turn it through a tight curve can curl or mark thick card, and may not pick it up at all. A rear or top feed slot, or a manual feed tray, usually gives a straighter path. The Paper Mill Store’s printing guide makes the same point: rear-feed and top-loading printers are generally better for card, and hand-feeding one sheet at a time helps with thicker stock.

When loading:

• Load one sheet at a time at first, even if the tray holds more.
• Set the paper guides so they touch the edges without bending the sheet.
• Follow the orientation icon on the tray for which side faces up and which edge goes in first.
• Fan the sheets gently before loading if you use a small stack, so they do not stick together.

Step 4: set the driver correctly

The paper type setting tells the printer how to handle the sheet. On an inkjet it changes how much ink is laid down and how fast; on a laser it can change fuser temperature and speed. In the print dialog, open the printer’s properties or preferences and set:

• Paper size to match your card exactly.
• Paper type to the closest match: HP lists options such as Cardstock, Heavy or Extra Heavy; other brands may call it Matte Photo Paper, Thick Paper or Heavyweight.
• Paper source to the rear or manual tray, if you are using one.
• Quality to Normal or Best for artwork. HP suggests a lower resolution on some models if heavy ink coverage causes smudges or curl.

If the card is coated or glossy, choose the matching photo paper type; if it is uncoated, a plain or matte setting usually works better than glossy. For documents that must print at exact size, such as place cards or templates, check that scaling is off; see fit to page vs actual size.

Step 5: test, print and dry

Print a test page on plain paper first to check layout, then one sheet of card. Look at the back for roller marks and at the front for smudges before printing the rest.

• Inkjet prints need time to dry, especially on coated card. Lay them flat and do not stack them straight away.
• Laser prints come out warm and dry, but can curl slightly; let them cool flat.
• Two-sided printing: print one side, let it dry, then turn the sheet and feed it again by hand. HP advises turning off automatic duplex printing for heavy card, because the duplex path bends the sheet. Our guide to printing double-sided shows how to work out which way to turn the sheet.

Folding without cracks

Thick card cracks along the fold, particularly where the print covers the fold line with dark ink or toner. Score it first: lay a ruler along the fold line and press a line with a bone folder, an empty ballpoint pen or the back of a butter knife, then fold along the scored line. Fold with the print on the outside of the fold. For folded card layouts, see print greeting cards at home.

Common problems and fixes

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Printer will not pick up the card	Too heavy or stiff for that tray	Use the rear or manual feed, one sheet at a time, or a lighter card
Card jams halfway	Paper path bends too much, or duplex is on	Use a straighter feed path and print one side at a time
Smudged ink	Wrong paper type, too much ink, not dry	Select the matching paper type, lower quality, let it dry flat
Roller marks on the print	Card too thick or rollers dirty	Use a lighter card and clean the rollers as the manual describes
Toner rubs off (laser)	Paper type set to plain	Set Heavy or Cardstock so the fuser runs hotter or slower
Print is off-centre	Guides loose, or scaling on	Adjust guides and print at actual size

Inkjet or laser for cardstock?

Both can work within their specifications. Inkjets handle a wide range of coated and matte card and give rich colour, which suits invitations and photo cards. Lasers produce quick, dry, smudge-proof prints on uncoated card, but heavy card must be within the fuser’s range. If you are choosing a printer with card in mind, check the maximum media weight and whether it has a rear or manual feed; our laser vs inkjet printer for home comparison covers the other differences.

For sticky-backed projects, the same paper-path advice applies; see how to print stickers at home.