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Old 05-14-2009, 04:31 PM
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Cardstock Property Tables and Terms

This Thread is About Cardstock.
It has been put together from various sources and personal testing. I’ve been without the internet for awhile and did some updating to my old tables. Here is the newest version of each.

There are many different types of cardstock! The following tables (PDF) are concerned with the most common types I use:
-Cover
-Index
-Tag

Coated Paper usually has a “clay” coating that makes it glossy. This weighs a bunch and really doesn’t add to the paper strength.

You can find different weights of coated cardstock at any “professional” printing press shop. Please note that this means Printing press and not a copy shop.

You can buy almost any type of cardstock or paper from a professional printing press. They can cut it to any size you would like. Expect to pay more for these services though.

A professional printer uses a press to print/die cut the paper or cardstock. I’ve been to one and asked many questions. The owner took me on a very interesting tour. He explained about inks, coatings and then showed me a run in progress.

They are set-up to do thousands of prints per run. Typically you have to pay a set-up fee. This set-up fee is usually for the workers to set the press up for a particular job. It is a standard fee that is set beforehand. It is cost effective to print 3000 sheets instead of 1000, because you only have to pay the per sheet fee after the press is set-up.

The Printing press uses dies that are made for your particular project. A 28” x 40” Die costs around $1000, this die can do the ink transfer as well as any cutting or scoring fold lines as needed. After creating the dies, they are yours to keep, the shop will warehouse them for you or you can take them home.

Copy shops usually use laser copiers/printers. The laser printers use plastic ink that is superheated and then cools once it hits the paper causing it to “bond”. When making models this “ink” has a tendency to flake off on the bends. They can easily do one or a thousand copies at a per sheet price.

One of the best resources that I’ve found for paper information is www.ipaper.com This is the link for International Paper. You will need to click on several links to find what you’re looking for.

The first PDF shows common sizes to determine Basis Weight for each category of cardstock. It also lists the cardstock by POINT, and CALIPER thickness. It has International Metric sheet sizes. There are examples of how to use the tables and a short glossary.

The second PDF has a table to compare cardstock Equivalent Weights for your project. I updated the example to hopefully make more sense when trying to cross-reference what category weight works with another one.

The third PDF is in answer to a question I see quite often on these forums-What thickness of cardstock laminates to make 1mm or even 0.5mm thick nesses. Please note these are laminates and if you have the time and resources you can buy or find actual cardstock in the proper thickness called for.

The fourth PDF has some testing that was done to determine if certain brands would work better for my flying models. I was surprised to find that there is a big difference between manufacturers.

In addition to Cardstock, certain paper can also be used for Paper Model construction. Bond 20# is the common type that most users print on at home or in the office.

There are quite a few different categories to buy paper in.
Bond:
-Ledger
-Mimeo
-Duplicator
-Rag Paper

Offset:
-Book
-Text
-Coated paper
Example: Bond-20# paper is equivalent to Offset Text 50# or in Cardstock equivalents - Index 42#, Cover 28#, Tag 46#.
20# Bond has the following properties:
-3.8 Point
-.0038 Caliper Inches
-.097 Caliper mm
-75.2 g/m2 (grams a meter squared)

I hope this helps explain a very confusing but important aspect of cardstock/paper modeling!

Mike
Attached Files
File Type: pdf 1 Common Cardstock Basis Sheet Size.pdf (64.4 KB, 806 views)
File Type: pdf 2 Card Stock Equivalent Weights.pdf (44.5 KB, 734 views)
File Type: pdf 3 Cardstock Laminates.pdf (69.9 KB, 593 views)
File Type: pdf 4 Testing Results For Card Stock Stiffness.pdf (59.3 KB, 570 views)

Last edited by rickstef; 08-04-2012 at 02:58 PM.
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Old 05-14-2009, 08:28 PM
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This is very useful information! Many thanks for posting it.

Don
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Old 05-15-2009, 03:34 AM
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I'm saving this! - L.
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Old 05-15-2009, 01:54 PM
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Good info. International Paper used to do a neat little paperback book called "Pocket Pal". It was a requirement to have if you were a graphics student. Has all kinds of info on papers, printing inks, types of printing, etc. I've seen them at used book stores for a couple of dollars, well worth it. Now I just need to find where I buried at least one of my copies.
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Old 05-16-2009, 12:10 AM
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Thank you all for the kind comments. I posted these earlier to another thread, but realized they needed updating.

I'll look for the paper back-Pocket Pal. Should Be better than tracking it down on the net. International really has some great info, just finding it as it is buried deep in many links. I spent 3-days there going from page to page once, trying to save and compile them into something usuable.

You can even request samples. They sent me samples of every typte of index and tag in ful size sheets Basis size for each.

Thats how I found that 175# Tag will not feed through my wide format plotter without steaming the front edge and rolling into a tube while it cools. Then you have to hold the roller bar down as it keeps lifting it up to hit the ink carraige. This of course stops the cartridges form going and the printer flashes the dreaded "Jam" lights.

Best of both worlds is to use Yupo and create synthetic paper airplanes (Nylon plastic-which humidity doesn't effect and they are tear resistant).

Mike

Last edited by mbauer; 05-16-2009 at 12:11 AM. Reason: Typo
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Old 03-08-2010, 04:34 PM
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Printing on Yupo Synthetic Papers

Been in touch with Yupo synthetic paper again, they sent me a PDF on printing on Yupo synthetic cardstock.

Attached is the PDF for download.

Found a project that Yupo is the cheapest and best material for!

Mike Bauer

Last edited by rickstef; 03-08-2010 at 08:07 PM.
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  #7  
Old 03-08-2010, 05:58 PM
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I was all excited til I got to this point:

Code:
7.  YUPO is not yet recommended for ink-jet, photo 
  copiers, nor laser printers (except for flash or cold  
  fusion).
How can we use it?
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Old 03-08-2010, 07:26 PM
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mbauer mbauer is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BARX2 View Post
I was all excited til I got to this point:

Code:
7.  YUPO is not yet recommended for ink-jet, photo 
  copiers, nor laser printers (except for flash or cold  
  fusion).
How can we use it?
Well, the laser printers/copiers are to hot. Inkjets work but won't absorb, they do however "stain" it.

Most of the ink sets on top and then gets smeared when you touch it. So, this is what I do:
1) Create really thin outlines (thin line =less ink to smear)
2) Greyscale the print (once again reduces DPI to use less ink)
3) Use fixative to seal the ink (hassle = masking tape or the fixative must be removed from the glue joints, I did this at first before realizing that less ink is the answer)

Basically if the design can be printed and then built using just outlines, you can then paint it as needed.

The 144# Cover is not recomended for folds, it cracks, and then delaminates at the fold! Plus, you need a serious plotter to get it to run thru as it is real thick!

I've attached a couple of photos. 1st shows the leg of the windturbine dashed fold line. the second shows how text smears...

Mike Bauer
Attached Thumbnails
Cardstock Property Tables and Terms-pict0001.jpg   Cardstock Property Tables and Terms-pict0004.jpg  

Last edited by mbauer; 03-08-2010 at 07:33 PM. Reason: Explain: dirt on the turbine is from carwash, not smeared ink!
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Old 03-08-2010, 08:23 PM
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Whoops, wasn't supposed to attach the PDF on printing, but I can post the link to the Yupo site, where you can download it.

YUPO Printing Recommendations | YUPO Printing Spec | Printing Overview

Mike Bauer
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Old 03-10-2010, 11:56 PM
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Jim Nunn Jim Nunn is offline
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Thank for putting this together for us it is very useful information and well thought out.


Jim Nunn
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