There is no need to rush to the printer when there is a requirement to send an invitation or customized greeting card to clients. You can use your computer and your existing printer to generate a professional job. It is possible to print any design on card stock. Cardstock is a middle product between thin cardboard and thick paper. You can print on cardstock after you adjust a few settings on your printer.
Checking the substrate
The first step in the process is to verify whether the printer you have has the ability to print on the heavy card stock. Do remember that not all printers possess this capability. To know this, read the instruction manual which was shipped with the machine. If yes, then check the printer's maximum and minimum guidelines on paper sizes. This must be done prior to starting the project. The card stock must fit within the printer. In case the paper is not of the correct size, it may get jammed or torn up inside the machine.
Buy a printer card with a vellum, smooth, or matte surface. Do not use glossy or any slick card stock. If you use it, there could be ink related problems. The ink may not adhere to it. In case you want to print both sides, buy the cardstock specially designed for this purpose. Once you have the right substrate, open the printer. Check feed rollers prior to printing. If there is any paper residue, remove it. Same goes for dried ink present on rollers. Doing this will reduce chances of error or the machine getting jammed while printing.
Printing
To print, position a maximum of 10 cardstock sheets in the main paper tray of the printer. Putting more than ten sheets could lead to paper feeding difficulties. For extra thick paper, there could be a requirement to put one paper sheet into the tray every time. Perform the printer instructions. Choose paper size which matches cardstock you wish to use. If none present paper size matches the card stock, input a custom height and width instead. In case this step is not done, the document may not print as expected. Change orientation from settings menu to either Landscape or Portrait depending on what you want. Print text or graphics on the card interior as the first step in case you wish to print on the card's two sides. This will bar scratching.
