Card Stock; Weight - Lexmark 25C0010 - X 500n Color Laser Manual

Card stock

Card stock is a rigid, stiff material that can have a wide variety of constructions. Orientation of paper fibers (grain
direction), moisture content, thickness, texture, and other properties can significantly impact printing, as can
preprinting, perforation, creasing, and other features common to forms. For example, preprinting introduces
semi-liquid, volatile components that must withstand the high temperatures used in laser printing. Perforation and
creasing may cause nesting, or interlocking, which can cause paper jams and double-sheet feeds.
The following sections describe some of the basic characteristics of card stock. In general, we recommend a single-ply
construction of 100% chemically-pulped wood with a vellum finish. Before purchasing large quantities of card stock,
make sure you test samples of the print material in your printer.

Weight

The weight of card stock plays a significant role in the print quality and feed reliability of the stock. Confusion often
arises when specifying the basis weight of a stock; for more information, see "Basis weight" on page 9. The basis
weight is a term used to describe the weight in pounds of 500 sheets of paper (one ream). Since the sheet size varies
from one type of stock to another, the basis weights are not always easily comparable. For example, an office supply
store has 8.5 x 11-size cover stock (80 lb Bristol) and 8.5 x 11-size card stock (90 lb Index) side by side on the shelf.
Both papers are manufactured by the same company, and a basis weight comparison indicates the card stock (90 lb
Index) is heavier than the cover stock (80 lb Bristol). In this example, the cover stock (80 lb Bristol) is actually heavier
than the card stock (90 lb Index).
The reason the cover stock is heavier is because before the two types of paper were cut into 8.5 x 11-size pages, the
card stock was a larger sheet size than the sheet size of the cover stock. When the papers were cut during the
manufacturing process into 8.5 x 11-size pages, more reams (500 sheets) of paper were received from the card stock
sheets than from the cover stock sheets. This makes the weight of the cover stock heavier than the weight of the
card stock.
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It is easier to compare the cover stock metric weight (g/m ) against card stock metric weight (g/m ). If you look at
the metric weights of the two stocks in the previous example, it is immediately evident that 80 lb Bristol cover stock
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(176 g/m ) is heavier than 90 lb Index card stock (163 g/m ).
Not all printers are able to print on cover stock. This is because cover stock is usually thicker and not able to make
the turns in the printer paper path. This causes paper jams and sometimes causes the paper to feed incorrectly. Also,
when using a laser printer, toner is pulled onto the paper through an electrical charge. If the paper is too thick, then
there may not be enough voltage to pull the toner onto the paper properly, resulting in poor print quality.
To determine if your printer is able to print on cover stock, locate your printer in the "Printer specifications" chapter
and review the supported paper type information. You can also view the supported paper types in the documentation
that came with your printer.
Use the following table to compare the weights of various types of card stock.
Card stock
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