We all see and read the terms acid free, gsm, recycled, etc. but what exactly do they all mean? Does acid free mean it won't melt the envelope? What about Kraft paper, is it that someone just spelt the word wrong or thought it was cool to use a 'K' .
Find out all you need to know about paper and board with our guide.

ACID FREE
Paper and board that is safe to use with anything that may be tarnished or harmed by acid.

BOARD
Paper that is 220 gsm and over are generally boards.

COATED PAPERS
Paper or board which has been coated on one or both sides, to create a high quality printable surface.

DECKLE
The untrimmed edge of the paper as it comes off the machine or used for aesthetic purposes, deckle edge card blanks have this effect, obtained in the cutting and scoring process.

FELT FINISH
Soft texture on uncoated paper that is created during papermaking using a felt covered roller.

GSM
The weight of metric paper is described as Grams per Square Meter.

KRAFT PAPER
Board produced with or without bleaching Note: kraft means strong in several European languages.

MULBERRY PAPER
Harvested yearly, bark from the Mulberry tree is used in paper making and to produce tapa cloth in Polynesia.

RECYCLED
Paper that has been reused.

SMOOTH FINISH
Made smooth and level as it passes though sets of rollers during the papermaking process.

VELLUM (Parchment)
Originally made from the skins of sheep or calf, sometimes pig or goat!

VIRGIN PULP
Pulp manufactured and used for the first time.

Virgin
Board produced from virgin pulp offers a superior finish, colour and texture, Virgin pulp is made from wood that usually comes from the tops of trees, saw mill waste and forest thinnings, basically parts of the trees that the construction, furniture and other heavy industries can't use. These days more trees are planted than are harvested.

Selected recycling
Offers high quality board, colours are good but can be a little less vibrant than virgin, the more times paper is recycled the more blotchy it can become and less likely that it will get used for quality dependent products, Less energy is expended in the production of recycled paper, thus reducing harmful emissions.
Paper can only be recycled between 4-6 times, after which new pulp must be added to strengthen the fibres.

Amy worked full time as a secretary in a bank, she longed to be able to give up her job, for the last six months she had been attending craft fairs, where she sold her work that she made in her spare time......

Click Here to read all the tale

Common problems when making cards

Card blank buckles or bends over time.

This is normally caused by loading too much into the design or using heavy objects such as miniatures onto a low gsm card blank.
Check the weight (gsm) of your card blank in most cases anything under 250 gsm will not be suitable.

Glue soaks though card blank and distorts card.

Card blank weight low, or using too much glue, also note that recycled card has a higher absorbency level.
Use a higher gsm card blank (250+) or use sticky foam pads as an alternative means of fixing

Objects will not stay stuck to card blank and fall off after several hours or days.

Incorrect card blank used, some card has a very smooth or coated finish ideal for printing and stamping but hopeless for mounting objects.

When it comes to sticking objects onto card use a felt or linen finish, this gives a key for the glue, you will also find you require less glue avoiding over absorption and distortion of your card, this is especially important if you are selling your cards in poly bags, moisture and heat levels when bagged cause the card to expand and contract, it's essential to have a good bond between card and decoration.

Can't find an envelope to fit

Most envelope manufacturers only make a selected size of envelopes, the table below lists the most common, if you make your own blanks then make sure you stick to a stock size, the costs of bespoke envelope manufacture can be very expensive.

114 mm x 162 mm	C6
125 mm x 175 mm
130 mm x 130 mm
133 mm x 185 mm
155 mm x 155 mm
162 mm x 229 mm	C5

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