STOCK TYPES
Printing your Products can sometime require a good amount of knowledge to effectively get what you want as a finished product. We’re compiling a host of information here to help that experience be fruitful for you! We’ll be constantly adding to this FAQ, so check back if you need something answered. If you don’t see your answer here, feel free to email us at orders@artistexpress.net and we can help answer your questions and build this knowledgebase!
Depending on what you want to produce, it is important to select the right stock! For best results, some stocks may require special artwork setup, such as the metallic and holofoil stocks.
Be sure to pick the best stock for your order to get the best in printing and satisfaction.
TEXT WEIGHT STOCKS
70# Gloss Text Stock
- Most commonly used stock for comic book interiors with a glossy finish
60# Matte Text Stock
- Used for comic book interiors for those who prefer something as close to newsprint as they can get via digital printing.
100# Text Stock
- Most commonly used stock for comic book covers
REGULAR CARDSTOCKS
100# Matte Cardstock
- Best for lineart, watercolor or hand drawn artwork.
80# Gloss Cardstock
- Used for delicate or lightweight presentation style prints/
- Best for digital art, digitally colored art or photography.
- For prints, rolls easiest for shipping versus all other cardstocks.
100# Gloss Cardstock
- Best for digital art, digitally colored art or photography.
- Upgrade for comic book covers for a more premium feel.
- For prints, rolls easier for shipping versus the 111# Gloss Cardstock.
111# Gloss Cardstock
- Most commonly used stock for prints.
- Best for digital art, digitally colored art or photography.
- Heavier weight gloss stock allows for better presentation at conventions and shows.
130# Gloss Cardstock
- Most commonly used stock for flyers and trading cards.
- Heaviest weight gloss stock we carry.
SPECIALTY CARDSTOCKS
Sketch Cover Cardstock
- Used primarily for book sketch covers and sketch cards.
- Stock is bleed resistant, and highly praised by our existing customers.
Leather Cardstock
- Textured cardstock resembling the look and feel of leather.
- Texture has peaks and valleys with a vacuform style front to back; meaning the sheet’s texture is inverted on the back side.
- Color lightens in the cracks/valleys of the texture.
- Check out our Stock Gallery to better see how this stock would look in print.
Gold, Silver, Pearl or Pearl Linen Metallic Cardstock
- Vibrant stock that accentuates artwork with a metallic finish.
- Artwork will pop off the sheet depending on color bias. If your artwork features more gold, use the gold metallic stock. If it features more silver, use the silver metallic stock. The pearl metallic stock is a neutral finish that accentuates all colors, and gives the image a nice sheen.
- Popular stock used for premium comic book variant covers.
- White areas of the artwork or whiter areas will show more of the paper finish, so setup your artwork accordingly.
- Check out our Stock Gallery to better see how this stock would look in print.
Holofoil Cardstock
- Vibrant stock that accentuates the artwork with a reflective rainbow foil finish.
- Very popular stock used for premium comic book variant covers.
- White areas of the artwork or whiter areas will show more of the paper finish, so setup your artwork accordingly.
- Check out our Stock Gallery to better see how this stock would look in print.
Metal Plates
- Aluminum metal plates with artwork sublimated directly onto the plate or printed with ink and varnish for an embossed finish.
- Used for book covers (affixed to a base book on the front) and nearly every print product we offer.
- Plates print 1 sided only. 2 sided metal products will be two metal plates affixed together if requested.
- Available in Silver or Glow In The Dark finishes.
- Check out our Stock Gallery to better see how this stock would look in print.