duplex stock suggestions?

hi everyone! I’m working on a business card project where my client wants to have a nice, thick duplex stock with one side black and one side white. I could very well print a solid black and then do the logo impression over that but I also thought that it might be easier to get a pre-made duplex stock. Does anyone have experience with using a duplex stock and could you recommend any places to check out? I’ve been doing some online research but haven’t really found anything that will work (either the stock is too textured or it isn’t thick enough). I’d like to have the same thickness as Lettra 220lb. stock. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!!

Erika

Hi Erika,

I’m sure there is someone out there who has a simpler and more informative answer for you. But here’s my 2 cents. I’ve found it’s challenging to find good pre-made duplex stocks. I usually end up making it myself to get exactly what we want. Business cards are great because they’re small and you don’t have to do to much handwork. I’ve experimented with dozens of adhesives and the trick is to get an adhesive that is dry enough to not cause drag on the cutter knife (too much drag=crooked cuts) and that won’t warp the paper. 3M has a great product that is very expensive and I use it whenever the budget allows. The cheapest most labor intensive method I’ve found is 2 coats of rubber cement (1 very thin coat on each side, let dry, then stick together). Another cheap way to go is to find an Avery label stock and stick it to museum board or some other thick stock. Let me know if you have more questions. I could talk all day about adhesives. 🙂

Last, I will leave you with, I think, an invaluable tip that my cutter maintenance guy passed on to me. Spray your blade with a low friction dry lube made with PTFE (I got it from Home Depot) and let it cure overnight. This lasts through a few dozen cuts (depending on the stickiness of your adhesive).

postscript: if you want to talk about environmentally friendly adhesives let me know. 3M has some that are bad (Super 77) and others are not as bad. I always want to learn more. Thanks!

first print one side the white paper, later print the black paper and amounting together…..that is the best way that you can make jobs in heavy papers…..

Thanks for the info, Annika! This is super helpful? I figured I would probably have to come up with my own solution and that pre-made stocks are not ideal for the project i’m working on. 

Thanks, Ramon. That’s what I was thinking, as well!

[Author]

Posts