Paper Weights, Stocks & Print Finishes Guide

If you read one paragraph

For business cards, 16pt with a matte or soft-touch laminate is the safe premium default. For flyers, 100lb gloss text. For postcards, 14–16pt with a UV coating so they survive the mail. For anything that gets written on, go uncoated. Everything below is why, and when to break those rules.

01 — WEIGHT

Paper weights, decoded

The single most confusing thing in print is that paper uses two different scales. Text weights (measured in lb) are paper. Cover weights (lb or pt) are card. 100lb text is a substantial flyer; 100lb cover is a flimsy business card. They are not comparable numbers, which is why we mostly talk in points for card.

Stock	Feels like	Use it for
60–70lb text	Copy paper	Letterhead, NCR forms, inserts, low-cost flyers
80lb text	Nice flyer	Flyers, brochure interiors, booklet pages
100lb text	Magazine page	The flyer and brochure default — holds ink well, folds clean
80–100lb cover	Postcard, thin	Rack cards, menus, light postcards, table tent panels
14pt	Standard business card	Business cards, postcards, door hangers — the everyday default
16pt	Sturdy, confident	The upgrade most people should take. Cards, postcards, table tents
18–20pt	Noticeably thick	Premium cards, hang tags, invitations
32pt	Rigid, like a chip	Painted-edge and duplexed cards — a statement piece

Rule of thumb: going from 14pt to 16pt costs very little and is the cheapest perceived-quality upgrade in print.

02 — COATING

Coatings and laminates

Finish	Look & feel	Writable	Best for
Uncoated	Natural, matte, soft print	Yes	Letterhead, forms, anything written on, understated brands
Matte coating	Flat, low glare, easy to read	Mostly	Text-heavy pieces, menus, brochures
Gloss / UV coating	Shiny, punchy colour	No	Photography, postcards, anything going through the mail
Matte laminate	Smooth, sealed, premium	No	Business cards that need to survive a wallet
Soft-touch laminate	Velvety, deep blacks	No	The one people comment on. Premium cards and covers
Spot UV	Gloss on selected areas only	No	Logos and patterns over matte — texture without colour
Raised foil	Metallic, raised, catches light	No	Premium cards, invitations, packaging accents
Painted edge	Colour stripe on the card edge	—	32pt statement cards

Laminates seal the sheet; coatings sit in it. That is why a laminated card resists water and a UV-coated one only mostly does.

03 — SIZES

Standard sizes worth knowing

Piece	Standard size	Notes
Business card	3.5 × 2″	Square (2.5″) and slim (3.5 × 1.5″) also run
Postcard	4×6, 5×7, 6×9, 6×11″	4×6 and 6×9 are the cheapest to mail
Rack card	4 × 9″	Fits standard literature racks
Flyer	8.5 × 11″	Half (5.5×8.5) and quarter sheets cost proportionally less
Brochure	8.5×11 or 11×17 folded	Tri-fold, z-fold, half-fold, gate-fold
Table tent	4 × 6″ folded	Scored, folded, tab-locked or glued base
Presentation folder	9 × 12″	Standard pocket die; business card slits optional
Door hanger	4.25 × 11″	Die-cut hole; 250 minimum because of the die
EDDM postcard	6.25×9 or 6.5×12″	Must meet USPS EDDM dimensions or it is rejected

Non-standard sizes are fine, and occasionally cheaper — a size that nests efficiently on the parent sheet beats one that wastes a third of it. Ask before you commit to an odd trim.

04 — FOLDS & BINDERY

Folds, scores and binding

Score before folding anything heavy. Above ~100lb text, an unscored fold cracks and the crack shows white. We score by default.
Panels are not equal on a tri-fold. The inside-folding panel must be about 1⁄16″ narrower or the fold bulges. We handle this; just do not hand us three identical panels and expect them to sit flat.
Saddle-stitch needs page counts in multiples of four. 8, 12, 16, 20. Plan the content around it or you pay for blank pages.
Perfect binding starts around 40 pages. Below that the spine cannot hold glue reliably; saddle-stitch instead.
Perforation, numbering and drilling are all standard for tickets, forms and coupon pieces — say so up front so the layout leaves room.

05 — CHOOSING

What we would spec, by job

The job	What we would spec
Business card that has to feel good	16pt, soft-touch laminate, optional spot UV on the mark
Business card people write on	16pt uncoated — takes pen, feels honest
Restaurant menu, reused nightly	14pt with matte laminate, or 100lb cover if it is replaced often
Table tent for a bar or taproom	16pt, gloss or matte, scored and folded — minimum 25
Direct-mail postcard	14–16pt with UV coating; size to USPS EDDM spec
Event flyer, high quantity	100lb gloss text — the price-to-quality sweet spot
Sell sheet for a sales team	100lb gloss cover, matte laminate if it is handled repeatedly
Letterhead & envelopes	70lb uncoated text, matched envelope stock, 250 minimum
Statement card for a design studio	32pt duplexed with painted edge. It costs more; it also does not get thrown away

06 — FAQ

Paper & finishing FAQ

What paper weight should I use for business cards?

14pt is the everyday standard and feels like a normal business card. 16pt is noticeably sturdier and is what most people mean by 'good stock'. 18pt and 32pt read as premium the moment someone takes one. Above 16pt you are buying the feel in someone's hand more than the print, which is exactly the point of a business card.

What is the difference between cover stock and text stock?

Text stock is what you would call paper — letterhead, flyers, the inside pages of a booklet. Cover stock is card. The confusing part is that they use different scales: 100lb text is a thick flyer, while 100lb cover is a thin business card. When in doubt talk in points (pt) for card and pounds (lb) for paper, and we will translate.

Gloss, matte, or uncoated?

Gloss reflects light and makes photographs and saturated colour pop, but it shows fingerprints and you cannot write on it. Matte is flat, easy to read and writable. Uncoated has no coating at all — it feels natural, takes pen beautifully, and prints slightly softer because the ink soaks in. There is no better; there is only what the piece has to do.

What is soft-touch lamination?

A laminate with a velvety, almost suede feel. It is the finish people physically comment on, it deepens dark colours, and it is more durable than plain matte. It is also the one that makes a card feel expensive without any printing tricks at all.

What is spot UV?

A clear gloss varnish applied to specific areas only — a logo, a pattern, a line of type — usually over a matte laminate so the contrast between flat and shiny does the work. It adds no colour; it adds texture and light. Best on dark, simple designs.

What is painted edge?

A colour painted onto the cut edge of a thick card, usually 32pt. You see a stripe of colour when the card is held on edge. It is the most expensive standard business card finish and the most memorable.

Do I need to score before folding?

On anything heavier than about 100lb text, yes — and we score by default rather than asking. Folding heavy stock without a score cracks the fibres along the fold and the crack shows white through the ink. On digital print with heavy toner coverage it is even more visible.

Can you print on recycled or kraft stock?

Yes, including recycled, kraft and FSC-certified stocks. Be aware that colour reads differently on them — recycled and uncoated papers absorb more ink and print softer and slightly duller, and kraft's brown base shifts everything warm. We proof these rather than let you be surprised.

Not sure what to spec? Describe the piece and how it will be used — we will recommend a stock and a finish, and tell you honestly when the cheaper option is the right one.

Paper, stocks and finishes, explained.