Can All Printers Print On Card?

Posted by Adrian Rigby on March 17, 2023

If you are wondering whether any printer can print on card, the short answer is no, not all printers can print on card, but many can.

When considering whether a printer can print on card, you not only need to take into account the printer specification and limitations, but also the type and weight of cardstock.

To help you identify which printers can print on card and which cardstock they can print on, and best practices for printing on card, read on.

Cardstock type

Before looking at whether or not a printer can print on card, you first need to consider the type of cardstock that you are wanting to print on. You need to know the weight of the cardstock and whether it is compatible with or best suited to inkjet or laser printers. This will influence whether or not a printer is suitable for your needs.

Cardstock is generally considered to have a weight of 250gsm or greater. To give you an idea of what different weighted cardstock is used for, good quality posters and leaflets are typically printed on heavyweight paper with a weight of 150gsm to 200gsm.

Standard card usually has a weight between 250gsm and 300gsm. Business cards are typically printed on cardstock with a weight of 350gsm to 400gsm - it is unlikely that you will find a home or office printer that will be able to print on this type of cardstock.

Printer specification

Before selecting a printer or attempting to print on card on any printer, check its specifications. All printer specifications should specify the type, size and weight of media they can print on. The maximum weight of media will tell you whether or not the printer can handle cardstock.

Inkjet photo printers are typically able to print on cardstock, sometimes up to a weight of 350gsm. These types of printers are perfect for printing photographs, fine art prints, greeting cards, and more.

It is important that you do not try to print on media which is outside of the maximum media weight that the printer can handle. This can cause jams, damage your printer, and void your warranty.

Printer settings

For best results when printing on card, we suggest adjusting the settings on your printer. In the settings, you should select a media type which is thicker than plain paper, such as cardstock or photo paper.

This is so that your printer recognises that you are printing on thicker media and usually will make adjustments, such as raising the printhead and slowing down the print speed, to reduce the chance of any paper jams occurring, and to produce better results.

If you are printing photos or graphics or colourful documents, you may also need to adjust the print quality to high or best quality.

Different printers will print differently, and different types of cardstock will produce different results. You may need to play around with the settings to achieve the colours and finish that you are looking for.