11 Best Printers For Cardstock Of 2021 [Reviewed & Buyer’s Guide]
Among all the specialized papers available out there, cardstock is the most popular as it can significantly enhance the look of your artwork and documents. However, not all printers can yield perfect prints on cardstock, as it is much thicker and heavier than the paper that we regularly use. So, getting an inkjet printer suitable […] The post 11 Best Printers For Cardstock Of 2021 [Reviewed & Buyer’s Guide] appeared first on Homesthetics - Inspiring ideas for your home..
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Among all the specialized papers available out there, cardstock is the most popular as it can significantly enhance the look of your artwork and documents.
However, not all printers can yield perfect prints on cardstock, as it is much thicker and heavier than the paper that we regularly use. So, getting an inkjet printer suitable for cardstock is essential to get the best quality prints.
But choosing a suitable printer becomes difficult since there are tons of options out there. That’s why we’ve brought you this list of the 11 best options to consider. Each option also has its pros and cons mentioned to help you make a well-informed decision.
With all said and done, let’s get going!
Best Printer For Cardstock
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | |
|---|---|---|---|
Our Top PickOur Top Pick | HP OfficeJet 3830 |
| VIEW LATEST PRICE → |
 | Canon TS9521C |
| VIEW LATEST PRICE → |
 | HP OfficeJet Pro 8025 |
| VIEW LATEST PRICE → |
 | Brother HL-L2300D |
| VIEW LATEST PRICE → |
 | HP OfficeJet Pro 8035 |
| VIEW LATEST PRICE → |
 | Brother MFC-J895DW |
| VIEW LATEST PRICE → |
 | Canon Pixma iX6820 |
| VIEW LATEST PRICE → |
 | Epson WorkForce WF-7710 |
| VIEW LATEST PRICE → |
 | Canon TS9120 |
| VIEW LATEST PRICE → |
 | Brother MFC-J497DW |
| VIEW LATEST PRICE → |
Want a powerful printer that can handle heavy cardstock with ease? This one from HP’s OfficeJet range is an excellent option to go for as it is equipped with superior technology to handle a variety of printing tasks. It is also one of the most popular printers in the range, so let’s move on and look at the features on offer.
- The main functions of this HP color inkjet photo printer:...
- The power of your printer in the palm of your hand: The HP...
- Ink delivered to your home: Get your first 2 months free...
- Print laser-quality documents and lab-quality photos from...
Why Did We Like It?
First and foremost, it offers high-quality print as you get lab-quality photos and laser-quality documents printed each time. This helps in the precise reproduction of all kinds of designs and illustrations on special paper such as cardstock.
You will also appreciate the swift 4-in-1 functionality of this printer, meaning you can print, scan, fax and copy any document within minutes, which is Not only that, but it also completes all these tasks in much less time than many other printers on the market.
Furthermore, the 2.2-inch touchscreen on this printer shows clear readings, letting you easily control and monitor all the printing and copying work. It also comes with a beneficial quiet mode that keeps the level of noise produced at a minimum.
What Could’ve Been Better?
The Instant Ink scheme that comes with this unit offers you free ink only for the first 2 months after purchase. So, you will need to invest in ink starting from the third month itself. However, performance-wise, we have complaints about this unit.
- Recreates flawless designs on cardstock
- All-in-one printer
- LED screen for easy controlling and monitoring of the work
- Quiet mode keeps noise level at minimum
- Free ink is available only for the first 2 months
The versatile Canon TS9521C printer makes all your printing work a breeze, thanks to its super-efficient working mechanism. Loaded with top-notch features, it can be used for a variety of projects and also offers great convenience to users. This model comes in dimensions of 18.5 x 14.5 x 7.6 inches and weighs 21.3 lbs.
- The PIXMA TS9521C has 5 Individual Inks that are ready for...
- Print from all your favorite devices, whether that is a...
- With 12'x12 inches paper support, booklet layout copy,...
- For numbers listed in product description see...
Why Did We Like It?
What we found most praiseworthy about this printer is that it can handle papers with dimensions of up to 12 x 12 inches. Thus, you can easily print documents of various sizes and also use it for oversized scanning and booklet layout copies.
When it comes to handling cardstock and other specialized papers, this unit doesn’t disappoint one bit. As such, it can provide exact printouts of the lovely designs and illustrations on almost all varieties of paper.
Furthermore, the print speed of 15 pages per minute (ppm) is quite commendable, so you can complete all the printing work pretty quickly. And this unit also lets you print documents from any device such as a smartphone, memory card, or tablet at home.
What Could’ve Been Better?
The only disadvantage of going for this printer is that its printhead has to be cleaned more often than some of its competitors. As a result, you may have to run two cleaning cycles in a period of six months, which may be tedious for some users. But you can rest assured that its performance won’t be affected.
- Can print documents of various sizes
- Provides exact printouts of designs and pictures
- Can complete the printing work pretty quickly
- Can print documents from any other device at home
- Has to be cleaned more often than other printers
Yet another model from HP that we loved was the OfficeJet Pro 8025. It is highly popular among professional crafters and people engaged in home-based DIY card-making businesses across the country. Long story short, it can help in boosting business productivity by delivering much quicker and more efficient results than ordinary printers.
- Upgrade your office– Replacing the HP OfficeJet Pro 6968,...
- Organize documents 50% faster – Eliminate steps in...
- Genuine HP 910 ink delivered to your home: Get your first 2...
- Print remotely using HP Smart app: Access your printer and...
Why Did We Like It?
We liked how this model could organize documents much faster by eliminating some steps in repetitive tasks and syncing to Google Drive, QuickBooks, and other such applications. Plus, by setting up the unit on HP’s own SmartTasks app, you can organize and digitize business documents and receipts in a much better way.
We were also glad to find that it worked at an impressive printing speed of 20 pages per minute for black-and-white and 10 ppm for color pages. This makes it ideal for businesses that have to deliver orders on short notice and also for workplaces where documents have to be printed every now and then.
As a result, this unit makes getting high-quality cardstock prints in bulk quantities is much quicker as well as easier. Furthermore, the self-healing WiFi functionality facilitates a stable connection by detecting network issues and undergoing reconnection in up to 3 stages.
Last but not the least, it is 14% lighter than other standard models, which makes it comparatively easier to handle.
What Could’ve Been Better?
Some customers complained that this model uses relatively more ink than others. The ink that comes with the printer can last for a maximum of 1½ months, so it will be better to buy reserve ink at the time of purchase. Nonetheless, the performance that this model delivers is quite satisfying.
- Lets users organize documents much faster
- Impressive printing speed
- Maintains a stable WiFi connection
- 14% lighter than standard models
- Uses more ink than other models
This superior-grade monochrome printer from Brother is highly suitable for both homes and workplaces as it offers great user-convenience. It also comes with a range of efficient features that work to provide a commendable performance. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? So, let’s go ahead and have a look at the different features on offer.
- Prints up To 27 ppm, automatic duplex printing
- 250 Sheet Capacity Paper Tray. A4 2-sided print speed-13. A4...
- Windows 10 Compatibility: If you upgrade from Windows 7 or...
- 1 year limited warranty with free phone support for the life...
Why Did We Like It?
Black-and-white designs and pictures have a different charm altogether. And if you love creating such illustrations, then this printer is the one. It can reproduce any black-and-white artwork on cardstock at an impressive resolution of 2400 x 600 dots per inch (dpi), which places it a step ahead of most monochrome printers within the same price range.
What’s more, its paper tray has a huge sheet-capacity of 250 sheets, which helps meet all cardstock printing needs for homes or workplaces. Likewise, the output capacity of 100 sheets cuts down on printing time.
Among the other beneficial features are the automated double-sided printing and a toner save mode, which is useful for handling less critical documents. Plus, it is quite easy to connect to your computer, thanks to an efficient USB 2.0 interface.
What Could’ve Been Better?
The instructions manual for setting up this printer are mentioned very briefly, so you might have a little difficulty in getting through the process. The best way to deal with this issue is to look online for help. With regards to the performance of this unit, we didn’t face any issues.
- Produces prints with high resolution
- Can meet all home or office cardstock printing needs
- Has a good output capacity
- Easy to connect to the computer
- Instructions for set-up are brief
Our next pick for you is yet another HP model, which we found to be a pro in dealing with cardstock and various other specialized papers. It is engineered to deliver perfectly printed documents for all purposes, which makes it quite suitable for both small businesses and homes.
- Upgrade your office – Replacing the HP OfficeJet Pro 6978,...
- Eight months of ink, delivered – This wireless printer...
- Organize documents 50% faster – Eliminate steps in...
- Print remotely using HP Smart app – Access your printer...
Why Did We Like It?
Straight off the bat, this printer offers quite a decent handling capacity. While its efficient input tray can hold 225 sheets, the output tray accommodates up to 60 sheets at a time. Hence, you can complete all your cardstock printing tasks seamlessly with this unit.
What enhances its efficiency further is the appreciable printing speed of 20 ppm for black-and-white sheets and 10 ppm for colored ones. Not only that, but you also get clear prints with high-resolution images, so the print quality is never compromised, as in the case of average models.
Another impressive aspect is that this unit can be connected in multiple ways. For instance, you can choose to operate it wirelessly with just an ethernet connection or can also use the USB port to print documents from your smartphone and other devices.
As a bonus, you get built-in security features such as password protection and basic encryption to help protect your data.
What Could’ve Been Better?
Although you won’t face any major issues with this product, it might produce a slightly disturbing sound while being used for a longer duration. However, it might not be experienced by all users and also doesn’t persist for a long time.
- Offers decent paper handling capacity
- Good printing speed
- Can be connected in multiple ways
- Offers built-in security features
- May produce a disturbing operational sound
Here’s another model from Brother that features a compact design and is quite an economical option to go for. It comes with a slew of high-quality features that help in providing an appreciable performance. Capable of producing prints for a variety of applications, this printer comes in dimensions of 6.8 x 13.4 x 15.7 inches and weighs 18.1 lbs.
- Simple to connect: Versatile connection options with built...
- Mobile printing: Print wirelessly from mobile devices(1)...
- Cloud connectivity: Print from and scan to popular Cloud...
- Near field communications (NFC): No network setup needed for...
Why Did We Like It?
First things first, this printer consists of high-yield replacement cartridges that provide you with accurately printed cardstock every time. These cartridges are specially designed to help you print all documents economically, which proves to be quite cost-efficient in the long run.
In addition to this, it has an adjustable paper tray of 150-sheet input capacity that helps provide a generous output without having to monitor or refill the unit frequently. A 1-sheet bypass tray is also provided to print on special papers including cardstock, photo-paper, and more.
What’s more, you get multiple connectivity options with this unit, among which there is a Near Field Communication or NFC facility as well. This feature uses a touch-to-connect functionality to help you print and scan from any device at home.
What Could’ve Been Better?
The directions for set-up mentioned in the instruction manual included in the package are not comprehensive enough. In quite a few sections, the steps are unclear, which may lead you to install it incorrectly, so it’s best to look online for help.
- Provides accurately printed cardstock
- Doesn’t have to be refilled or monitored frequently
- Can be connected very easily using NFC
- Helps print documents economically
- Directions for set-up not comprehensive enough
The Pixma iX6820 from cannon is an ideal choice for small to medium-sized businesses, thanks to its ability to produce precise prints. It has also been praised by DIY-enthusiasts engaged in large-scale creative projects and offers a great deal of user-convenience with its advanced features.
- OS compatibility: Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 ,...
- Utilizes Air Print, Google Cloud Print and Pixma Printing...
- Fine print head technology (Full photolithography inkjet...
- High performance 5 individual ink tank system. Auto sheet...
Why Did We Like It?
This model is pretty versatile as it can print high-quality business-cards and flyers while producing exact prints of your favorite images on cardstock. And what makes this possible is the exceptional resolution of 9600 x 2400 dpi on offer.
What’s more, this unit comes with a 5-ink system for producing colored prints which helps in creating more detailed prints easily. This system can also be used to print cardstocks with dyed inks so that you get dazzling prints for greeting cards with minimal effort.
Plus, it can print borderless photos of 4-inch by 6-inch in just 36 seconds. We were also impressed with the overall printing speed, as it can handle 14.5 images per minute (ipm) for black-and-white prints and 10.4 ipm for colored prints.
Another notable feature is the auto power-on functionality, which powers up the printer automatically whenever a document or photo is sent for printing. This feature ultimately makes the unit more energy-efficient in the long run.
What Could’ve Been Better?
The only thing that disappointed us is that the readings on the LCD screen are not clearly visible. As such, you may not be able to monitor the printing work properly. That said, this printer performed quite smoothly to deliver quality prints.
- Can print high-quality business cards and flyers
- Can produce exact prints of creative designs
- Prints borderless photos in seconds
- Powers up automatically upon receiving a document
- Readings on LCD screen not clearly visible
Epson is another renowned name in the printing world as it has produced some of the most high-performing models in the market to date. And this unit from the brand upholds its reputation since it delivers good all-round performance. With dimensions of 32.2 x 22.3 x 13.4 inches, it weighs 40.8 lbs.
- Storage Dimensions: 22.3" W x 19.1" D x 13.4" H
- Epson all-in-one printer can print, scan, copy and fax
- PrecisionCore technology lets you create borderless prints...
- 250-sheet paper tray can also hold up to 20 sheets of photo...
Why Did We Like It?
Enhanced with a specialized PrecisionCore technology, this printer can create borderless prints of up to 13 x 19 inches and scan documents of up to 11 x 17 inches. Hence, this feature makes it more versatile than many other models available out there. Moreover, the prints generated appear clear and vivid so that you get beautifully printed cardstock each time.
Beyond that, we liked the paper tray with a 250-sheet capacity, which can also accommodate up to 10 envelopes or 20 sheets of photographic paper.
Unlike its predecessor, the 4.3-inch color display on this printer is another beneficial feature that facilitates clear visibility of the readings so that the printing work can be monitored without any difficulty. Finally, it has an automated 2-sided printing facility, which facilitates sustainable functioning.
What Could’ve Been Better?
This printer comes with relatively smaller cartridges than other models, which is why the ink may not last for more than 2 months. Hence, it becomes necessary to buy extra ink while purchasing this model. Other than that, most customers didn’t find any issues with the model.
- Highly versatile
- Good paper handling capacity
- Display shows clear readings
- Includes automated 2-sided printing
- Low ink capacity
This all-in-one printer from Canon offers standard results and helps meet all your home copying, canning, and printing needs. You can even use it to print high resolution photos, thanks to a couple of advanced functionalities included in the unit. To learn more about this model, move on to the next few sections.
- Inspire your creativity with prints that will impress; From...
- Enjoy the simplicity of connecting your smartphone, tablet...
- The PIXMA TS9120 Wireless printer is the all in one that...
- With intuitive features like the 5.0 inches LCD touchscreen...
Why Did We Like It?
Perhaps, the most significant feature of this printer is its 6-color ink system that helps achieve high-quality each time. This is accompanied by a Photo Blue ink tank, which reduces the graininess in the prints, making it look even better. As a result, you can easily create attractive personalized cardstock for different occasions such as birthdays and family get-togethers.
Furthermore, this unit lets you add creative filters to the photos, which helps to modify their look as per your preferences.
It also comes with a 5-inch LCD screen, which puts it a step ahead of our previous pick that has a 4.5-inch display. This makes the unit very user-friendly as you can control and monitor all printing tasks without straining your eyes. Last but not least, this unit comes with a front as well as rear paper support, which enhances user convenience to a great extent.
What Could’ve Been Better?
Many customers have reported that wireless printing with this unit was more time-consuming as it took longer to set-up the printer on mobile apps. Moreover, they pointed out that the connection was sometimes disrupted during use. In hindsight, you may have to spare slightly more time for printing than usual.
- Helps achieve high-quality print
- Useful in making personalized cardstock
- Very user-friendly
- Lets you modify photos using creative filters
- Connecting the printer to other devices takes longer
The Brother MFC-J497DW is a budget-friendly unit that offers decent print-quality, making it suitable for DIY lovers who are faced with a tight budget but also want their prints to look good. Its set of user-friendly features help to produce designs on cardstock efficiently, which makes it pretty popular among emerging artists and crafters.
- Brother MFC-J497DW Wireless color inkjet all-in-one printer...
- Compact, and easy to connect. Compact color inkjet...
- Simple to connect your way. Versatile connection options...
- Printing as mobile as you are. Print wirelessly from your...
Why Did We Like It?
To begin with, this printer allows for smooth wireless printing from any mobile device such as smartphones, laptops, or tablets by using a stable WiFi connection. Thus, it is a highly convenient option for homes, small offices, or even dorm rooms.
As for the print output on offer, it comes with a 100-sheet paper tray, which helps to achieve a generous output every time. Additionally, this unit doesn’t have to be monitored constantly, so you can just set the print command and forget about it!
Like some of our other other recommendations, it offers automatic duplex printing, which always helps you save paper. Finally, users get a beneficial one-year warranty with this unit, coupled with a free customer support for the service life of the printer.
What Could’ve Been Better?
When this unit is used after a gap of a few days, both the printing and scanning functions may take a bit longer than usual. So, you’ll have to be a bit more patient in such situations. To avoid this issue, we’d advise not leaving the printer idle for more than 3 days at a stretch.
- Allows for smooth wireless printing
- Achieves a generous print output
- Doesn’t have to be monitored during work
- Helps save paper
- Might take longer to function if left idle for days
Lastly, we’ve also included this Epson printer as it provides cardstock prints with optimum precision and clarity. It is an ideal printing solution for small-sized workplaces and homes and also offers considerable convenience by virtue of its features. Even first-timers will find it easy to produce high-quality photographs and documents using this unit.
- Epson strongly recommends the use of Genuine Epson inks for...
- Get performance beyond laser — the workforce WF-7720,...
- Print-shop quality — borderless prints upto 13" X 19"....
- Economical — uses upto 80 percent less power vs. Color...
Why Did We Like It?
This model is closely related to Epson’s Workforce WF-7710, which we have included early on in the list. As such, it has some basic features in common such as a 2-sided auto document feeder and an easy-to-read 4.3-inch touchscreen.
In addition to this, both the models consume very little electric power, which helps in reducing the expense towards power bills. Both these features contribute significantly towards enhancing its performance, just as in the case of the WF-7710.
However, what puts this unit at an advantage over the preceding model is its large input capacity of 500 pages. This is made possible by the availability of two input trays coupled with another rear feed tray to print specialized paper. Hence, with this unit at your disposal, printing large volumes of cardstock becomes a breeze.
What Could’ve Been Better?
This printer may not be able to generate borderless prints, except on high-quality paper, since it limits you to using only photo paper for the purpose. Otherwise, it may produce messed-up or watery images while trying to use other types of paper.
- Excellent sheet input capacity
- Low power consumption
- Duplex printing
- Screen is easy to read
- Cannot produce borderless prints on cardstock
Printer For Cardstock Buying Guide
Considering some key characteristic features in printers is essential before you proceed to buy a suitable model for printing cardstock. In addition to that, you must also keep in mind your preferences and needs.
On that note, here are some points that you must take into account before buying a suitable model according to your needs.
-
Print Quality
Checking the information on print quality is a must to ensure that you get the desired results from the unit. Ultimately, the look of your projects will be determined by the quality of your prints. In this regard, clear texts and bright photos with great detailing are what most users would want in their projects.
Do remember to check the DPI resolution that the unit offers before you zero in on it. Many manufacturers also express the clarity and detailing of their prints through an inch per second (IPS) measure. And there’s no rocket science here- the higher the resolution, the better is the print.
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Paper Size
This is also a very crucial factor to take into account while choosing a printer. The maximum paper size that can be handled by a unit would tell you a lot about its versatility. As such, we’d suggest going for a model that can print different sizes and shapes of cardstock.
This will come in especially handy because cardstock papers often come in different sizes, and you may not know the size you will be required to work with in future.
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Sheet Capacity
The sheet capacity of a printer tells you how frequently you must refill the sheet feeder and it also influences the speed of the unit to some extent. That’s why you must consider the average volume of cardstock that you need to handle regularly to estimate the best sheet capacity for your work.
So, a model with large input capacity is ideal for those who need to handle a lot of printing work regularly.
Verdict
So, here was our roundup of the most efficient printers for cardstock available right now. We hope that by now, you’ve zeroed in on the most suitable option. But before we wind up, let’s take you quickly through our favorites from the list.
If you are looking for a model that performs well and is reasonably priced, the HP OfficeJet 3830 printer will be the perfect option to go for. However, if greater versatility is a primary lookout for you, we’d recommend going for the Canon TS9521C printer.
On the other hand, the HP OfficeJet Pro 8025 is the best for those who are looking for a compact and lightweight model.
Let us know whether you agree with our verdict in the comments section below. Till next time, take care!
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