Coatings

Surface texture and coatings on card stock significantly affect toner adhesion (fuse grade), print quality, and feed reliability. We recommend a vellum finish for the best printing performance. We do not recommend glossy coatings and slick surfaces or surfaces that mimic laid finishes (glossy paper, not glossy card stock, is acceptable for some printers). Paper smoothness also affects print quality. If the paper is too rough, the toner does not fuse to the paper properly. If the paper is too smooth, it can affect feed reliability. We recommend smoothness to be from 50 to 300 Sheffield points (50 Sheffield is optimal) for color laser printers. For mono laser printers, we recommend 150–250 Sheffield points. Using media higher than 300 Sheffield could result in printing degradation.

For more information about the individual printer Sheffield recommendations, see "Printer-specific paper support."