Overlay 5x7 Vellum Clear

Do you need a card cut to a size that is not already offered on our site? We offer a custom cutting service to assist you with your project. Watch our video to learn how the service works.

The word vellum can be used to refer to paper type, or paper finish, often leading to confusion. Although the names sound similar, translucent vellum paper is very different from paper with a vellum finish.

Translucent Vellum Paper

In translucent vellum paper, the word vellum is used to refer to the type of paper. Translucent vellum paper is thin, see-through paper with a non-absorbent, non-porous finish. The light weight, transparent nature of this paper makes it great for decorative overlay purposes, as well as for printable layers of invitations, cards, scrapbook pages, or other creative projects.

Translucent vellum is not described as having a vellum finish, but rather as being a vellum paper, or commonly know as, just vellum.

Paper with a Vellum Finish

As the name implies, in paper with a vellum finish,vellum refers to the finish of the paper. Unlike translucent vellum paper, paper with a vellum finish is non-translucent and highly absorbent, which makes it great for high speed printing. Vellum finish paper feels and looks smooth to the eye, but a slight reflection of light will reveal a subtle, sightly rough texture similar to that of an eggshell. A vellum finish is very common in matte paper stocks.

Popular Papers With a Vellum Finish

• Poptone By French Paper
• Color System By Gmund Paper

After conducting printing research on all of our vellum papers, we have determined they will work with most inkjet and laser printers. We also have noted this information on the product page of each paper. However, even using the recommended printer type, some people still have trouble printing on vellum, where some do not. So why is this the case? In a nutshell, the variations in printing success are due to the fact that not all vellum, and we are referring to vellum paper and not vellum finish and not all printers, are created equally. All vellum is non porous and non absorbent, but not all vellum is identical in finish and weight. Similarly, although all laser printers and all inkjet printers are designed to work essentially the same way, they vary in speed, quality, and overall design. Where one brand of vellum may work with your laser printer, it may not work with another laser printer. Likewise, you may find that although one stock of vellum works with your inkjet, another does not. The solution? Simply recognize that vellum may be a tricky surface to print in. Regardless of what type of vellum or printer you are using, your print will take longer to dry, and thus has a greater chance of smearing than it would on a standard piece of paper. The best way to determine whether your printer will work with a particular stock of vellum is to order a sample and test it out. Additional Tips for Printing on Vellum

• Ink and toner takes a longer time to dry on the non absorbent surface of vellum, so be sure to allow your print adequate time to dry before touching it.
• The less ink or toner you use on vellum, the faster it will dry, and the less likely to smudge throughout the printing process. Consider printing in draftor economy mode when printing on vellum. This setting is designed to conserve ink and toner, thus placing less on your vellum, and aiding in drying.
• Consider using fonts with thinner lines. Fonts with heavier lines use more ink, take longer to dry, and are more likely to smudge.

Invitation curling will sometimes happen on printers with paper paths that are not straight through. Many of the printer manufacturers have such models. If curling does occur, one suggestion is to take a stack of the curled invitations, and gently bend the stack back and forth. Generally speaking, this will take the curl out of the cards. If you do have access to a straight path printer, such as Canon, Epson, or Lexmark, I suggest that you use them as a first choice.

With the huge number of available printer models from various manufacturers and the legacy devices in use in homes, this can be complicated question. Here are three ways to judge if a particular weight of paper is suitable for your particular printer

1. Pay attention to our printing recommendations

Based on our testing and data received directly from the mills, we offer printing recommendations for every paper variety that we sell, right on that particular items product page. If a paper is better suited to laser printing as opposed to inkjet printing or vice versa, that will be reflected in our recommendation. If a paper is too thick for most home printers, then we will not recommend inkjet or laser printing. Keep in mind that our results cannot guarantee your results with your particular printer. However, our recommendations offer an educated first consideration.

2. Consult your printers specifications

Compare our papers listed weights with the recommendations found with your particular printer model specifications. If you have misplaced or discarded your printers specifications documents, you may be able to find them online. Search for your printer manufacturer and model followed by the word specifications. Once you have located the document, find the paper specifications section. You can look for keywords like thickness, paper weight, media types, etc. Try to find a range of recommended paper weights that the printer is manufactured to print. You may see two sets of units, pounds and grams. You can then compare that range with our listed paper weights. If you are unfamiliar with either the North American paper weight system or European grams per square meter system, you can learn about it in our article and video, Text Weight Paper,Card Stock Paper and Paper Density Explained.

If your printers documentation does not include a range of recommended paper weights, then you may be able to find out by contacting the manufacturer.

3. Test a sample sheet

Once you have read our printing recommendations and compared the paper weight with your printers range of recommended weights, you can feel confident that you have done your homework. Printing a sample sheet is the final stop toward gaining the confidence that you printer can or cannot handle a particular paper. We offer single samples of all of our papers in home printable sizes for customer testing.

Unless you are experienced with the exact paper brand and line you want to print, before placing your full order, it is always best to first order a sample and test it in your printer.