While this product comes in more interesting paper types--and heavier card stock--this is clearly the preferred card style for home card makers. Vastly superior to their quarter-fold counterparts, half-fold cards are what you'll usually find commercially in card shops. Though they do fold to a somewhat larger-than Hallmark (tm) size, the after-folding allignment is dead-on, and you have more room to express yourself. If approximating the look and feel of a 'real' store-bought card is important to you, therefore, go with this format. However, I'm partial to more textured card-stocks--Hewlett Packard makes an excellent 'felt' ivory--so I have to drop the rating for this one down a star for its white blandness. Avery Half-Fold Greeting Cards for Inkjet Printers, 5.5 inches x 8.5 inches, White, Matte, Pack of 20 (03265)
I have been using the Avery Half-Fold Greeting Cards # 3265 for years. I have tried many other brands. Most "glossy" card stock I have purchased is so flimsy the cards have a cheap, "funky" feel and not worth the ink. The Avery 3265 stock has a nice feel, is thick enough to feel like a real card and the print output is quite phenomenal with my Epson Stylus Photo Printer.
I have printed photo's, clip art and every possible combination over the years on the Avery 3265 card stock and I am constantly blown away by the quality of the prints as are the people I give the cards to. Perhaps the person that can not get good photo prints on them is using the wrong printer (I use a Canon and my Epson and both get great results). I get photo-realistic prints that are just as good as on photo card stock (albeit on the 3265 matt finish). I just printed Chinese New Year cards today and one in particular, a dragon on a black background looks like the black area is pure velvet. Very cool.
I highly recommend the Avery 3265 card stock for anyone wanting to make cards from home. Just a tip. Best prints come out of an inkjet photo printer (any brand). You will use a bit of ink to make the card, but, hey, that is why you bought a photo printer. So you could make "cool" prints!
Anyway, that's my two-cents worth :0)
I got a fabulous image from NASAs Hubble Christmas card page, and made a few modifications and used this paper to print Christmas cards, and it worked beautifully.
Somebody told me that card stock does not work well with the duplexer on my printer, and so I printed one side, and then printed the other manually. I have no idea if it would have printed both sides automatically if I'd tried it.
The cards were easy to print (once I got the art the way I wanted it to be--proof on regular paper) and looked great.
How can it be better than that?
While I have used many a brand, and used to love the Hallmark Brand of card stock (they are now owned by Nova), this has become the brand to use. Any decently-made card will require a "high" quality from your printer for high quality graphics and will lay down a considerable amount of ink. If you want to do your own cards and save ink, lower the quality of graphics (to cartoonish clip art) and printer settings to "normal" and you'll have a ho-hum card. If your want Hallmark quality, either spend $5 at the store for a card or be prepared to spend some money on ink and paper. If the receiver of your cards just throws all cards out in two seconds, buy a cheap store-bought non-Hallmark card. If they cherish cards, then the extra money is worth it, whether a retail Hallmark card or the time and cost of something more personal.
I knocked down a star because I like the glossy stock, and this model isn't it. Glossy will show off your photos better IMHO, but matte does a fine job too, if your settings are on MATTE (hint to the reviewer down below: one doesn't stick in matte card stock and set the printer on "plain paper").
I just received my ump-teenth reorder of this printable card stock. Right my printer is busy printing out the second run of the evening, and if I do have to say so myself, this year's Christmas cards look fantastic! I LOVE this matte coated stock; it's always my first choice. I've tried the "other" popular brand; but, it just doesn't compare in quality. Avery's card stock is a good and sturdy weight, and the matte coating -- combined with my OEM ink cartridges -- allows me to print out true-to-color photos and graphics that look so real you want to touch them. Another year and another series of great looking printed cards that make me proud. Thanks Avery and Amazon.com -- and, of course, my terrific Canon printer.'
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