To find the best printer for cardstock, we researched 30 machines from our list of the best printers to identify the ones that were the ablest to handle thicker media and a wide range of paper finishes. Printers needed to be able to handle a minimum of 60 lb weighted paper and have good enough ink quality to absorb quickly into cardstock finishes without smudging. Below is a list of the best printers after our research.
We landed on the Canon Pixma iX6820 as the top pick because of its ability to print on a long list of media via a dedicated rear tray. It’s fantastic at printing on custom sizes and can print borderless in a wide format. Additionally, its ink system is outstanding for durability and sharp, vibrant color quality. Read on to see our other top choices for cardstock printing. Keep reading about this and our other top picks to learn more about the best printers available for purchase. And if you’re interested in a printer that’s good for more craft making, why not consider a screen print transfer printer.
Top 10 Best Printers for Cardstock
#1 Canon Pixma iX6820 Printer for Cardstock
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: This Canon has an incredible array of features — a five-cartridge ink system, 9600 x 2400 maximum color dpi resolution, wide format printing — at an amazing price point. It prints beautifully and borderless on cardstock.
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- Long-lasting ink system
- Printshop quality 9600 x 2400 dpi color resolution
- Access to library of templates and creative software
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- No scanner or copier
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Achieving high-resolution, vibrant cardstock prints on the Pixma iX6820 is easy due to its advanced FINE print head system and wide paper compatibility. The printer uses five different ink cartridges applied via 4,096 total nozzles. Two of the cartridges are different types of black ink that achieve even crisper lines and deeper shading.
Most importantly, it seems designed for cardstock printing, as it has a rear document feed that can produce on heavier paper. You can print on standard cardstock, business cards, and even watercolor papers. Also great is the fact that it will process custom sizes up to 13 x 19” and you can print borderless. Additionally, Canon provides access to a large library of templates that will help you print common cardstock items quickly. It also gives you access to integrated creative software that allows you to design your stuff before printing. And for quality printing, it is important to invest in the best printer paper on the market.
#2 HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 Printer for Cardstock
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: You get fabulous efficiency and versatility from the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015, with the ability to produce on 90 to 110 lb weight cardstock. Its smart interface makes printing on all weights and sizes a breeze.
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- Automatic dual-sided paper feed
- High ink absorption on all kinds of finishes
- Intuitive smart controls
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- Only one paper tray
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The OfficeJet Pro 9015 takes the definition of “all-in-one” to the next level with its fantastic paper handling range. It’s the best printer for 110 lb cardstock printing, which is the highest paper weight most consumer all-in-ones can handle. Four individual ink cartridges achieve a high 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi color resolution with vibrant colors. It also handles different finishes with great ink absorption, including super glossy. You’ll find it easy to print brochures, folded cards, and any other media that requires double-sided printing due to the machine’s dual-pass, two-sided automatic document feeder.
HP has designed an efficient smart system for connecting, printing, and organizing. You can access cloud storage like Dropbox and Google Drive directly from the machine and from its mobile app. This functionality is quite useful for people with lots of different files in lots of different places, as it allows you easier access for printing purposes. It also has a large-capacity input tray that holds up to 250 sheets of paper. Another option would be the best large format printer that features two 250 sheet high-capacity paper feeding trays as well as a rear input tray for specialty media. If you use a Chromebook, then you need a compatible printer. Check our guide for the best printer for Chromebooks.
#3 Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Printer for Cardstock
Award: BEST FOR LARGE MEDIA
WHY WE LIKE IT: Not all cardstock printing is on 5 x 7” greeting card size, which is why the ability to produce 13 x 19” large, borderless prints on this Epson is fabulous. The 50 sheet specialty tray is fantastic at handling heavyweight media.
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- Dedicated feeding tray for specialty media
- Print on cardstock up to 23 ml thick
- Claria Photo HD six-ink system
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- Manual double-sided printing on cardstock
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With the Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000, you can produce on heavy paper in a wide format with an outstanding 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi color resolution. The unit utilizes a six-color ink technology system that produces crisp lines and detail onto cardstock paper without smudging or streaking.
The rear 50-sheet specialty media tray makes higher-volume cardstock printing much easier and much more efficient than having to manually feed heavier media one at a time. That feed handles up to 23 ml thick paper and card weight of up to 140 lb. It also gives you great size versatility, with the capability to print borderless from 4 x 6” up to 13 x 19”. And if you’re a student, you will want to invest in the best printer for students that offers convenient management of printing functions and monitors ink levels.
#4 HP OfficeJet 3830 Printer for Cardstock
Award: BEST ON A BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: This HP is a fantastic value for an everyday wireless printer that you can also use with common cardstock materials, like cards and invitations.
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- Compact footprint fits anywhere
- Up to 110 lb index weight; 145 lb photo paper
- 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi color resolution
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- Slow print speed
- Works best with HP brand cardstock
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For at-home cardstock printing on a budget, it’s hard to beat the HP OfficeJet 3830. It manages to produce up to 4800 x 1200 dpi high-resolution prints from only two ink cartridges, which is great because you can achieve good quality without having to buy a ton of replacement cartridges. The ink absorption is pretty good even on glossy photo paper, even though it may take longer to print in color than comparable units.
This printer is best for printing on thick photo paper and lighter cardstocks. It’s great for producing custom photo holiday cards, postcards, greeting cards, and the like. You have all the features you need for daily use — like copying, scanning, wireless printing, and even faxing — which makes this printer the best value for something that can also handle some cardstock work. And if you’re a student, you will love the best portable printer that offers an excellent balance of portability and functionality in its design. And if you’re a student that owns a Macbook Pro since you’re constantly on the go, be sure that the printer is compatible with your laptop such as the best printer for Macbook Pro.
#5 Canon Pixma Pro-100 Printer for Cardstock
Award: BEST FOR IMAGES
WHY WE LIKE IT: You can achieve an incredible depth and range of colors from the Canon Pixma Pro-100 eight-cartridge ink system, including cardstock weights and finishes.
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- Dedicated manual feed for heavier media
- High-res 4800 x 2400 dpi color
- Fantastic grayscale printing
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- No LCD screen
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Photo prints don’t just belong on photo paper. The Canon Pixma Pro-100 is a printer that can handle producing super detailed images onto cardstock and on up to 13 x 19” paper size. Its rear paper feed is dedicated to handling thicker paper with a wide range of textures and finishes.
This color printer takes color to the next level with an advanced eight-cartridge ink system applied through 6,144 nozzles that achieve incredible depth and gradients. Three of those cartridges are dedicated to grayscale, which allows you to print crisper lines, deeper shading, and fantastic monochrome prints. The machine’s printhead technology uses an Optimum Image Generating System that analyzes what you’re printing so it can apply the ideal mixture of ink to produce true-to-life colors. Speaking of ink, check out the best ink efficient printer that has an Ink Save Mode you can switch on to ration your ink use, as well as automatic duplex printing.
#6 Canon TS9521C Wireless Crafting Printer for Cardstock
Award: BEST FOR SCRAPBOOKING
WHY WE LIKE IT: This Canon specializes in all kinds of crafting and cardstock printing with convenient presets and software catered to the creation of greeting cards, scrapbooking layouts, booklets, and all kinds of other craft projects.
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- Highly absorbent ChromaLife100 ink system
- Front and rear paper feeds
- Print as small as 3.5 x 3.5″
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- Long warm up time
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For scrapbookers who love to work in all different paper sizes and thicknesses, this Canon inkjet printer gives you a ton of versatility to create what you want for your project. It offers convenient wireless connectivity options, including AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Wi-Fi, the Canon Print App, and voice printing via Alexa. Additionally, Canon’s Easy-PhotoPrint Editor Software and the app offers integrated quick editing and printing in all different formats, as well as readily available templates for custom greeting cards and scrapbooking layouts.
This unit is especially good when producing on square sizes, so those looking for a 5×5 or 12×12 cardstock printer can look no further. You can print borderless on those sizes. If you have images on a media card that you want to print, this machine also has a built-in media card slot that you can print directly from. It’s one of the top models considered as the best printer for cardstock and stickers. And for a model that allows you to draw, emboss, and cut in 3D, check out the best printer for crafting.
#7 Epson Artisan 1430 Printer for Cardstock
Award: BEST FOR CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Epson Artisan 1430 uses a 6-color advanced MicroPiezo inkjet technology system to produce fabulously detailed, high-definition prints worthy of any creative professional’s work.
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- Incredible 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution
- Borderless wide format printing
- Rear feed tray for specialty media
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- Cartridge yields can be low
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If you’re a creative professional or artist, this is the printer that can bring your work to life in various sizes, textures, and weights. The specialized rear feed tray handles cardstock, fine art paper, thick photo paper, and more. It even prints on CDs and DVDs. Altogether, it can handle over 60 different media types.
Whatever media you work in, its advanced inkjet system produces amazing prints with smooth gradients, sharp lines, and fine detail. Epson’s Claria ink offers fabulous absorption on every paper finish. The ink dries instantly and is smudge, fade, and even water-resistant. It also is able to print borderless print on large formats up to 13” wide. And of course, you will need the best printer ink that produces unrivaled quality.
#8 Epson WorkForce WF-7720 Printer for Cardstock
Award: BEST FOR SMALL BUSINESS USE
WHY WE LIKE IT: Epson’s powerful and efficient PrecisionCore printhead technology makes this printer a reliable and versatile machine for small business use, especially if you need to print on thicker paper.
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- Smudge and fade-resistant ink
- 500-sheet dual trays and rear feed for specialty media
- Large format borderless printing
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- Average graphics printing
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For small businesses with a lot of different in-house printing needs, the Epson WorkForce WF-7720 is an extremely versatile option compared to other small business printers. Its rear feed for specialty makes producing on cardstock and other thicker media very convenient. It’s best for standard business-use cardstock printing, like brochures, business cards, mailing materials, report covers, and the like. You can easily switch between high-volume printing from its dual 500-sheet trays to specialty printing using that dedicated feed.
The printer’s four-cartridge ink system used highly durable ink that’s super absorbent on cardstock material and a wide range of finishes. With smudge, fade, and water-resistant ink, your cardstock materials are sure to be very durable. You also have a lot of size flexibility given that this machine can print, scan, and copy borderless in large formats. If you find yourself on the go frequently, investing in a portable printer may be beneficial to you and your business. Also, compare this model to the best printer for art prints that can produce borderless prints on sizes up to 13 x 19 inches.
#9 Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer for Cardstock
Award: BEST FOR HEAVY MEDIA
WHY WE LIKE IT: If you’re looking to print on cardstock and beyond — like canvas and vinyl — with up to 5760 x 1440 dpi of outstanding color resolution, the Epson is a pro-quality, reliable machine that will get the job done.
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- Use roll paper up to 129” long
- Advanced Micro Piezo printhead with nine cartridges
- Dedicated rear feed for heavy specialty media
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- Can respond slowly to print requests
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The Epson SureColor P600 excels as a high-quality photo printer that produces print shop quality prints on sizes up to 13 x 19” pre-cut and 13 x 129” on roll paper. As such, it also handles a fabulous range of paper finishes and weights, with a rear feed you can use specifically for cardstock, canvas, fine art paper, heavy photo paper, labels, and much more. It’s definitely one of the best options for a printer for heavy cardstock.
Its Advanced Micro Piezo AMC print head achieves deep, vibrant colors and fabulously smooth gradients. It’s also highly absorbent and durable — perfect for cardstock. In fact, two of the cartridges are black inks, one of which is designed for matte textures and the other for photos. You’ll be able to get the perfect blacks and crisp lines on your cardstock prints. The ink is also highly fade resistant. For a wireless model, have a look at the best wireless printer that offers the most versatile connection options, extraordinary performances, and print quality.
#10 Brother MFC-J895DW Printer for Cardstock
Award: BEST FOR HOME OFFICE
WHY WE LIKE IT: This inkjet all-in-one printer performs like an office printer with a 150-sheet adjustable paper tray and an easy-to-use bypass feed for specialty media. Reliable wireless and cloud connectivity makes this perfect for a home office.
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- Intuitive tilt-out touchscreen
- Bypass tray for cardstock printing
- Smart ink monitoring
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- Paper tray capacity is small
- Print speed can be slow
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This Brother printer is an incredible value for all its versatile and modern features with the added benefit of having a dedicated bypass tray specifically for cardstock. You can easily use it to print on thicker media for presentations, mailings, and business cards with good graphic quality and borderless printing.
The machine makes your workflow very easy too, starting with its intuitive and useful 2.3” color touchscreen that tilts out for easy access. From that screen, you can access your Google Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud services directly. It also has all the smart connections you could ask for, including directly from your preferred devices. Compare that to the best laser printer that has reliable dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options, as well as useful control and management options through the HP Smart App.
How We Decided
The most important factor we looked at in finding the best printer for cardstock is the printer’s media compatibility. While cardstock weight and thickness vary, we only looked at machines that could handle medium-weight paper and above. The range we used for this is 60 to 80 lb paper weight. We did not consider printers that could not handle this range of paper weight.
Similar to the ability to handle thicker paper and heavier weight, we also looked at a printer’s capability of printing on different textures. The ability to produce on a wider range of textures and finishes — like gloss, semi-gloss, matte, cotton, linen, metallic — the better suited it was for cardstock printing. The printer’s ink system played a part in this, as we looked at the printhead’s ability to produce crisp, high-quality graphics and design onto various papers and finishes.
Other important factors we examined include the printer’s feeding system, ease of double-sided printing, and its ability to adapt to and produce on custom sizes and different formats. Specialized media feeding trays can make printing on cardstock easier. We sought out printers with specialty feeds for printing on thicker media. We made sure that double-sided printing was easy, too, as that’s a must-have for greeting cards, invitations, and business cards.
Best Printer for Cardstock Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Media Compatibility
The first feature you should look at when buying a printer for cardstock is the machine’s media compatibility. The printer’s specifications will tell you what types of paper it can handle. Look for cardstock in the listing of compatible media. Additionally, make sure that the printer works well with the type of paper finish and texture that you’re looking to use. There are a lot of different cardstock finishes. You want to make sure that your printer will be able to handle it without bleeding and smudging so you can achieve high-quality printing. Additionally, make sure the connections are on point, with options for USB 2.0 and related connection types. - Specialty Feeds
Some of the best printers for cardstock printing will have specialty feeds that are designed for processing thicker and heavier paper. If you’re doing a lot of printing on cardstock, then you’ll probably want to look for a printer that has this feature. Also, consider how that feed works. Some rear feeds require inputting paper manually a sheet at a time. Others may have a tray that processes multiple sheets automatically. - Ink Absorption/Quality
The ink you use to print on cardstock and the printhead technology is important. Certain inks are highly absorbent (that is, quick-drying) and designed to be resistant to smudging and bleeding. Definitely consider the type of ink the printer uses to make sure that it takes to cardstock easily. This will help you achieve sharper and more vibrant prints as well.
