Choosing paper for business cards: weight or texture?

A business card is the one piece of your brand people actually hold. That makes the paper choice as decisive as the design itself.

What weight changes

Cards under 300gsm curl in a wallet quickly. The 350–400gsm range is the right place for most businesses. 600gsm and above (usually achieved by bonding two sheets) creates a luxury impression but doubles the cost.

Texture or coating

Matte lamination resists fingerprints and lets you write on the card. Gloss lamination makes colours sing but cannot be written on — a poor choice for sales teams.

Textured stocks (linen, cotton) swallow small type. If your card carries text below 7pt, stay away from textured paper.