Finding The Best Card Stock Type & Finish
To meet all of your creative needs, LCI offers an extensive collection of card stock in all types, colors, finishes, and textures galore. Whatever your design, whatever your style, we have a card stock for you.
Learn about the paper types we offer, how they get their unique appearances, and what each type is best known for, and most commonly used for.
Metallic Card Stock
What Does it Look Like?
Metallic card stock is characterized by a pearlescent, or light reflecting, finish. Metallic card stock often has an iridescent appearance, changing slightly in color when light bounces off of it. In direct light, especially sun light, metallic stocks often take on a subtle sparkle, but are not quite "glittery" in the traditional sense.
What is Responsible for this Fantastic Finish?
The eye-catching sheen found on metallic papers comes from a coating that is applied to the sheet after it is made. In the case of many well-known metallic sheets, this coating is infused with the mineral mica - a mineral you are probably already familiar with, as it is responsible for the subtle sparkle in common items such as eye-shadow and vehicle paint.
What Can I Use Metallic Card Stock For?
Thanks to its modern, eye-catching coating, shimmering metallic card stock is most often chosen for the creation of chic, statement-making pieces - elegant, whimsical, and professional alike. LCI offers metallic paper in four different brands, and in over 60 different colors, so finding one to complement your design is never an issue.
If you plan to print on metallic card stock at home read our article What’s the best printer to print Metallic Cardstock Paper?
Colorful Vellum Finish Card Stock
How do I Recognize It?
At a quick glance, and to the untrained eye, card stock with a vellum finish appears to have a smooth, matte finish; but under closer observation, and in the right light, it can be noticed that vellum finish card stock features a toothy, or slightly roughened texture, similar to that of an eggshell.
Note: Card stock with a vellum finish is not that same thing as translucent vellum paper.
How is this Finish Achieved?
The slightly roughened, highly absorbent vellum finish is achieved by treating the card stock with a fine tooth texture during the manufacturing process. Typically, a finely textured roller press is guided over the sheet before it is dry; most comparable to passing a subtly textured paint roller over a wall.
What is Vellum Finish Card Stock Good For?
Vellum finish a very common, very popular card stock finish. Mostly smooth to the eye and touch, yet roughened and highly absorbent, this surface is ideal for applications and mediums of all sorts, and is especially great for high speed printing. Adding to its diverse creative appeal, vellum finish cardstock is offered in a rainbow of colors and in multiple weights.
Embossed Texture Card Stock
What Does it Look (and Feel) Like?
Embossed texture card stock is prominent to both the eye and touch, featuring a raised design or texture. Embossing can be heavy, yielding a defined texture, or light, yielding a more subtle texture. Embossing can be present on one side of a sheet or both.
How Does the Texture Come About?
Embossed textures are achieved by pressing or hammering a design into sheet after it is finished.
What are These Intriguing Textures Best Used For?
Because embossed stocks have a look that is irresistible to the eye and touch, they are ideal for any project that needs that "wow" effect. Use these distinguished stocks for impression making invitations, promotional pieces, greeting cards, art work, and more. Choose from a wide assortment of colors and several rich textures including life-like wood grains, contemporary linear patterns, and character filled Japanese linens.
Linen Finish Card Stock
How Does it Look?
Linen stock features the subtle linear pattern of a woven cloth; yes, it truly looks like a bed sheet! Linen finish card stock is just slightly textured.
Where Does this Cloth Look Come From?
Light embossing is responsible for linen card stock. As explained above, after completion, card stock is treated with a cloth-like press of sorts, creating that lovely linen finish you are seeing.
What is Linen Stock Commonly Used For?
Clean, classic, and always tasteful in design, linen is appropriate for any design that requires a touch of traditional, understated elegance. Linen card stock is available in a neutral color pattern, in multiple weights, and even in a metallic finish (for a splash of pizazz, should you want it).
Note: Japanese Linen is a heavily embossed stock with a modern pattern unlike that of traditional cloth-like linen (pictured above in Turquoise).
