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For a versatile folded greeting card, start with cardstock around 80 lb (about 216 gsm). Choose heavier stock for a sturdier base or heavy embellishments, and lighter stock for delicate layers and detailed cuts. The right choice also depends on paper grade, surface finish, folding needs and whether the sheet suits your printer or cutting method.
What cardstock weight is best for card making?
Cricut recommends 80 lb cardstock for most card bodies and 100–110 lb for sturdier or heavy-duty bases. These are Cricut’s recommendations, not the result of a universal comparison test. Its guide also describes 80 lb, or about 216 gsm, as a popular cardmaking weight and suggests choosing lighter stock for layers, medium stock for versatile projects and heavyweight stock for embellished bases. Cricut’s cardstock guide
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Use those figures as starting points rather than guarantees. In the US, a pound-weight label depends on the paper grade and the size of the basis sheet used to calculate it, so pound figures are not directly comparable across every kind of paper. GSM (grams per square metre) gives a common mass-per-area comparison, but you should still check the product’s stated grade and specifications. Cardstock Warehouse’s weight explanation
Match the weight to the part of the card
- Card body: Around 80 lb / 216 gsm is a practical place to begin for a general folded greeting card.
- Sturdy base or heavy embellishments: Consider heavier stock; Cricut’s guidance is 100–110 lb for heavy-duty bases.
- Layers and detailed cuts: Lighter stock can be easier to use for small pieces or layered designs.
How finish and folding affect the choice
Smooth or textured surface
Smooth cardstock suits stamping and clean ink blending, according to Cricut’s guide. Textured stock gives a card a more tactile surface and can add visual character. Consider the technique as well as the look: a finish that suits a layered background may not be the one you want for crisp stamped impressions. Cricut’s cardmaking guide
#1 Best Overall
40 Sheets Cream Cardstock Paper 8.5 x 11, Ivory Cardstock Printer Paper
- [Premium Cardstock Paper]: This pack includes 40 sheets of cream cardstock paper 8.5 x 11, perfect for a variety of creative projects. The ivory color enhances colors and designs, making it ideal for custom invitations, greeting cards, and photo frames. 8.5 x 11 cardstock, smooth finish guarantees a professional look for all your creations. Note: Color differences may occur under different lighting conditions. The colors shown in the pictures are based on the effect under natural light
- [Durable & Double-Sided Design]: Featuring a double-sided, blank layout, this 200 GSM card stock paper 8.5 x 11, offers excellent durability. Thick cardstock paper 8.5 x 11 prevents ink bleed-through, making it suitable for both writing and artwork. Perfect for multi-layered crafts and heavy-duty projects, this heavy cardstock ensures reliable support for your creative endeavors
- [Versatile for Crafts & Projects]: Ideal for wedding invitations, holiday cards, or scrapbooking, this construction paper 8.5 x 11 handles all your crafting needs. Ivory cardstock paper's smooth surface allows easy cutting, folding, and stamping, making it an excellent choice for DIY projects. Crafters and artists alike will appreciate craft paper consistency and texture
- [Printer-Friendly]: This cardstock printer paper 8.5 x 11, is compatible with both inkjet and laser printers, producing vibrant, high-quality prints. Whether for photos, artwork, or text, printable cardstock ensures sharp, well-defined designs. This thick printer paper is perfect for creating custom stationery, business cards, and other printed materials
- [Suitable for Various Creative Environments]: Perfect for schools, offices, and home projects, this off white cardstock paper 8.5 x 11, is versatile for a wide range of applications. From educational materials to office presentations and crafting, this high-quality construction paper provides flexibility for all your creative ideas
Score heavier stock before folding
Cricut advises scoring heavier cardstock before folding and folding with the grain to help reduce cracking. This is particularly useful to keep in mind for a thick card base or a design with a prominent crease. Cricut’s cardmaking guide
Cardstock options for different projects
The following products are examples with specifications published by their manufacturers or suppliers. They are not ranked by comparative testing, and a stated craft use does not establish compatibility with every printer or cutting machine.
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Ftumertly 40 Sheets Colored Cardstock, 20 Assorted Colors 180gsm/65lb Card Stock Paper 8.5 x 11 Card Stock Colored, Colorful Cardstock Paper for Crafting, Christmas DIY Card Making, Scrapbooking
- Vibrant Assorted Colors: Includes 40 sheets of premium colored cardstock in 20 vibrant colors (2 sheets per color), providing a variety of bold, eye-catching shades to elevate any craft or project.
- Thick & Durable Quality: Crafted from thick 180gsm paper, this high-quality cardstock is durable and fade-resistant, ensuring your creations remain vibrant and long-lasting. Perfect for all your crafting and printing needs.
- Printer-Friendly: Suitable for most inkjet and laser printers, this 8.5x11 assorted cardstock ensures professional-grade prints with vibrant colors and sharp details. Note Thickness: 180gsm/65lb.
- No White Core: Fully dyed paper with no white core, our cardstock paper ensuring clean, seamless edges when folded, cut, or torn for a polished finish on all your crafting projects.
- Versatile Applications: Perfect for a variety of DIY projects, including card making, scrapbooking, gift wrapping, photo frames, and party decorations. A must-have for crafters, teachers, and anyone looking to add a splash of color to their creations.
Rank #4
TUXIYA 50 Sheets 8.5" X 11" Colored Cardstock, 50 Colors Card Stock
- 【Colorful Cardstock】：Our construction paper assorted colors 50 Sheets contains 50 beautiful and popular colors to meet your handmade needs. You'll get 1 sheets of each color, including:Pink, Light Yellow, Bright Red, Light Green, Light Blue, Lavender, Golden, Lake Blue, Light Olive, Light Gray, Black, Crimson, Wine Red, Forest Green, Royal Blue, Lemon Yellow, Parrot Green, Hot Pink, White, Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Yellow, Hot Pink, Silver Gray, Wine Red, Scarlet, Fluorescent Orange, Lilac, Orange, Light Green, Fluorescent Vermilion, Lake Blue, and so on.
- 【Premium Quality】 – This paper 8.5 x 11 inch colored cardstock features a sturdy 180 gsm weight, ensuring compatibility with most laser and inkjet printers. Crafted from high-grade virgin wood pulp, it is acid-free and long-lasting, delivering vivid colors while reducing ink consumption—especially for full-background printing. The thick, durable paper resists fading and tearing, while its smooth, refined finish offers an exceptional printing and handling experience.
- 【Full Core Dyed Cardboard】：Our premium cardstock is dyed all the way through with no white core, so folds, tears, punches, and cuts always reveal rich, consistent color—never white edges. Perfect for flawless, professional-quality crafts every time.
- 【Versatile Crafting Paper】：Perfect for creating card toppers, cake decor, invitations, gift tags, party bunting, origami, scrapbooking, banners, and rolled paper flowers. Its adaptability unlocks endless creative projects—from festive decorations to personalized gifts.
- 【Wide Applications】：Our colored cardstock is perfect for teachers' school supplies and parents' home activities. The vibrant colors help children with color recognition, stimulate imagination, and develop practical skills. It's great for educational games, crafts, and as gifts for students, adults, and art lovers. Additionally, colored construction paper can be used for decorations at weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, parties, and holidays like Easter, Valentine's Day, Halloween, and Christmas.
Rank #3
Sale
Amazon Basics Cardstock Paper, 8.5" x 11", 65 lb/176 gsm, 96 Bright White, 250 Sheets
- CARD SIZE: 8.5" x 11" letter-size cardstock sheets measuring 11.0 inches long & 8.5 inches wide provide ample space for booklets, report covers & brochures
- SHEET COUNT: 250 sheets of white cardstock per pack deliver a generous supply for extended use across multiple printing projects & creative applications
- PAPER WEIGHT: 65 lb / 176 gsm heavyweight cardstock provides sturdy construction & durability for projects requiring a sturdier stock than standard copy paper
- BRIGHTNESS LEVEL: 96 bright smooth white cardstock delivers crisp print resolution & vibrant contrast for sharp text & high-quality graphic reproduction
- VERSATILE MATERIAL: Amazon Basics card stock paper suitable for creating & printing booklets, report covers, brochures & other professional printed materials
Rank #2
Blank Cards and Envelopes 4x6, 30 Pack White Invitation Cardstock with 30 Pack Envelopes, Thank you Blank Greeting Cards, for All Occasions DIY, Print custom
- Professional quality: The Blank cards and envelopes are made of double adhesive paper, completely blank white 4*6 Blank Card paper, and A4 envelope, Blank cards and envelopes, have a total of 60 accessories, including 30 pcs envelopes and 30 pcs cards. A4 envelope size: 4.25 x 6.25 inches, folding card size: 4 x 6 inches. Our envelopes are perfectly fit for paper jams.
- Envelope seal: This is a very time-saving envelope, Each envelope has a separate tape, just remove the guard strip, press, and seal. Easy to seal peel and seal and close operations, this type of adhesive is ideal for commercial applications, wedding announcements, and mailings.
- Strong and thick: Our Cardstock with Envelopes is made of heavy-weight paper, 200g heavy cardboard, and 100g heavy envelope. When using, without the worry of perspective, protect your information. Cardstock with Envelopes are uncoated on the outside and inside, and you can use them to make with markers and watercolors.
- Print custom: These white Blank Card inside and out. These envelopes are suitable for printing. You can solve these problems with a laser or an inkjet printer. Blank cards and envelopes can be printed on digital and offset commercial printers. There is no need to worry about smudging or paper jamming, as these Blank cards and envelopes are compatible with most printer models.
- Multi-purpose: Cardstock with Envelopes can be made into office stationery, holiday cards, birthday cards, wedding cards, party cards, gift cards, thank you cards, Christmas cards, invitations, etc., Blank cards, and envelopes are suitable for all scenarios. Many children like to DIY their own favorite cards and envelopes. Children love to make and receive such emotional cards.
| Option | Published specifications | Consider it for |
|---|---|---|
| American Crafts 12 × 12-inch cardstock value pack | 60 loose textured sheets; 216 gsm / 80 lb. The manufacturer lists cardmaking, die cutting and embossing among its uses. | A general-purpose textured craft cardstock at the 80 lb starting point. American Crafts product page |
| Stampin’ Up! Brights cardstock | 20 sheets in 8.5 × 11-inch format across 10 colors; described as heavyweight, acid-free, lignin-free, dyed through and ultrasmooth. | Colorful projects where smooth stock for stamping or documented acid-free and lignin-free characteristics are useful. The longevity claims apply to this product, not to cardstock generally. Stampin’ Up! product page |
| Daler-Rowney Canford card | The product-family page specifies 300 gsm card, describes it as acid-free and lists cardmaking as a use. It also lists 150 gsm paper, which is a separate, lighter product specification. | A heavier card option; check the specific Canford item and format, rather than treating the 150 gsm paper specification as the card weight. Daler-Rowney Canford range |
| Archival Methods 14 pt white cardstock | 290 gsm; listed as acid-free, lignin-free and buffered, with no optical brighteners listed. The supplier says it passed the Photographic Activity Test. | A specialty option for archival-style support or inserts when the listed material characteristics matter. Its specifications do not establish that it is the best base for every greeting card. Archival Methods product page |
How to choose paper for your card
- Decide the sheet’s job. Choose separately for the base, an insert, decorative layers or intricate cut pieces; they need not all use the same weight.
- Compare specifications, not just pound labels. Check GSM, paper grade and product dimensions. Treat a pound rating as meaningful only alongside the grade and product details.
- Choose a surface for your technique. Favor smooth stock for stamping and ink blending; choose texture when tactile character is part of the design.
- Check the equipment requirements. Verify the exact sheet’s compatibility with your printer or cutting machine and the intended method. A general claim that a paper is suitable for cardmaking, die cutting or embossing does not mean it works with every device.
- For keepsakes, verify the specific paper’s claims. Look for stated acid-free or lignin-free properties when relevant, and distinguish a claim for one product from a guarantee about an entire brand or category.
- Plan the fold. For heavier stock, consider scoring before folding and orienting the fold with the paper grain.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
