What are Creative Paper Stocks and How Can You Use Them?
Creating a beautiful design is only half the story when it comes to print; deciding which paper stock to print on is a crucial decision. Picking the right substrate means you have to think about not only how your product is going to function, but also how it's going to enhance or detract from your design.
Furthermore, there are certain artwork considerations you should be thinking about when it comes to certain stocks. To help you get everything perfect, we've created a handy guide to all our non-standard stocks for you!
Kraft
Probably our most distinctive stock, Kraft is a brown, recycled stock. You may recognise it in its lighter weights as parcel wrap or as paper bags. At 280gsm, Kraft card is much firmer and is a popular stock for alternative business cards and greetings cards.
As you can see, Kraft is far from a standard white stock and, as such, it will affect your artwork's colouring. It's also worth noting that, due to the nature of how Kraft is formed, one side of the stock will be a slightly lighter shade than the other.
We find that highly contrastive designs work best with Kraft. Many people choose to create designs out of just black ink and that's because it stands out so well against the brown. This approach brilliantly complements the old-fashioned style of Kraft.
Colours work too, though, and they're a great way to modernise the vintage-feeling stock. If you do want to use colour, we advise using strong, vibrant blocks of colour and to keep your palette minimal.
Fedrigoni Woodstock Betulla Pulp
This stock is perfect for those wanting a natural look because you can actually see the small fibres and grains of wood pulp within the stock. Made of 80% recycled materials and 20% chlorine-free fibres, Woodstock Betulla Pulp is a truly organic option.
The trick with Woodstock Betulla Pulp is to make it part of your design. This stock has a very unique look and if you cover it in a lot of ink, you lose what makes it special.
Instead, use that distinct look as the background to your artwork and simply add small, decorative pieces to complete your design. If you do want to use a large block of colour, consider making it a light colour with a low opacity so that the fibres of the stock still come through.
Mohawk Via Felt Bright White
This is the most textured stock we offer. With a slightly creamy tone, this stock just oozes indulgence; perfect for wedding stationery!
Being textured, there are a couple of things you should consider when creating your artwork. Much like Woodstock Betulla Pulp, too much ink coverage and you'll lose the effectiveness of the stock. There is also the issue that the ink does not always fill the dimples in the page, leaving you with a mottled image.
To get around these issues, we recommend either keeping ink coverage low or using colours that are a mix of as many of the CMYK inks as possible. This way, the stock will have multiple layers of ink applied to it and will achieve a much more solid finish.
Fedrigoni Tintoretto Neve
Not quite as textured as Mohawk Felt Cream, Tintoretto is another of our textured, uncoated stocks. This stock is felt-marked on both sides, giving it a soft-touch effect while still being an uncoated stock!
This stock is well named after the Italian Renaissance artist, Jacopo Tintoretto. Well named because Tintoretto stock very closely resembles the paper found in an artist's sketchpad. In fact, designs based on sketched artwork or watercolour paintings look especially great on this stock because it makes them look like real art.
Conqueror Wove Brilliant White
Our Conqueror Wove stock may be simpler than our other creative stocks but they still have their uses. These stocks give clear images and are made with 25% cotton fibres for a lovely, soft finish.
While not as luxurious as other stocks, Conqueror Wove definitely still has a high end feel to it. These stocks would be a great choice for corporate prints that need to look professional and sharp, such as invites to a corporate event or luxury business cards.
Ice Gold
Finally, another very distinctive stock is our Ice Gold stock. This pearlescent paper has a slight sheen that sparkles in the light. It is a white stock but, as the name suggests, it gives way to a gold undertone.
The glitter particles are definitely what makes this stock special. Choosing Ice Gold can help add a hint of magic to your print – perhaps for an invite to a child's birthday party? It's also a fantastic choice for Christmas products as it can add a cold and frosty feel to your artwork.
