The same template folds into a flimsy box on the wrong card and a shop-quality one on the right card. Choosing it comes down to three things: how heavy the card is, what it is made of, and whether your printer can take it.
Reading the weight on the pack
Paper and card are sold by weight. Outside North America that is gsm, grams per square metre: everyday printer paper is around 80 gsm, and card starts at roughly 160 gsm. In the US you will also see card sold by pounds (as "cover" stock, for example 65 lb or 110 lb) or by thickness in points, where one point is a thousandth of an inch. Pounds and gsm do not convert neatly between paper types, so when a shop gives both, go by the gsm.
Weight is not the same as thickness. Two cards of the same gsm can differ in thickness depending on how they are made. For the template, it is the thickness that matters, so measure the card you buy and type that into the maker. The measuring guide shows how.
Which weight for which box
- 80–120 gsm paper. Test folds, envelopes and paper bags. Too floppy for a box that has to stand up.
- 160–220 gsm light card. Small, light boxes: pillow packs, favours, gift-card holders and anything with curves that must bend smoothly. Most home printers feed card in this range.
- 250–350 gsm card. The everyday box weight: card boxes, boxes with lids, shallow boxes. Stiff enough to hold its shape, still easy to score and fold. Check your printer can feed it (below).
- Cereal-box card and folding boxboard. What shop packaging is made of. Fine for small retail boxes; usually printed at a copy shop, or used plain.
- Corrugated board. Shipping: mailer boxes and shipping cartons. It will not go through a home printer, so trace the template onto it or print the template on paper and use it as a cutting guide.
What your printer can take
Home printers have a maximum paper weight, and it varies a lot between models. It is listed in the manual or the specification page, often as "media weight" or "paper weight". Look for it before buying a pack of card.
- Use the rear or manual feed if your printer has one. A straighter path bends the card less and jams less.
- Set the paper type to card or heavy paper in the print dialog. The printer slows down and, on a laser printer, fuses the toner properly.
- Print one sheet before a stack. If it jams or smudges, go down a weight.
If your printer cannot take the card you want, print the template on paper and take it to a copy shop, or read the guide to getting a box printed.
Kraft, white or coated
- Kraft (brown) looks handmade and hides scuffs and fingerprints. Colours print darker and duller on it; white ink is not something a home printer has, so plan designs that work as dark colours on brown.
- Uncoated white card takes ink well and folds cleanly. The safe choice for printed designs.
- Coated or glossy card gives bright colours but can crack along folds, and some inkjet inks smear on it. Score it carefully and test one sheet.
- Food: ordinary craft card is not food-safe. For anything unwrapped and edible, use card sold as food-safe, or line the box with greaseproof paper.
Grain: why one fold is crisp and the other cracks
Card has a grain, the direction its fibres mostly run. A fold along the grain is clean; a fold across it is stiffer and more likely to crack on the outside. To find it, bend a sheet gently one way, then the other: it bends more easily along the grain. Where you can, turn the template so the longest folds run with it.
A simple starting point
For a first printed gift box at home: plain white or kraft card around 250 gsm, the thickness measured and typed into the maker, a paper test first, and every fold scored. The guide to scoring and folding covers the last part.
Questions
Where do I buy card in small amounts?
Craft shops, stationers and office suppliers sell packs of 10 to 100 sheets in A4, Letter and larger sizes, usually labelled with the gsm. Buy one small pack and test it in your printer before buying more.
Can I reuse a cereal box?
Yes, for a plain box: print the template on paper, glue or tape it to the inside of the flattened cereal box, and cut through both. Fold so the printed side of the cereal box ends up inside, or outside if you like the look.
Is thicker always stronger?
Thicker card holds its shape better, but it is harder to fold neatly and needs accurate thickness settings so lids and tucks still fit. For small gift boxes, mid-weight card folded well looks better than heavy card folded badly.