Why is it essential to get a printer for cardstock? It’s a paper after all right?
Even if it’s just paper, it’s too thick. It might get jammed inside the printer or the printer might not detect the paper at all. Cardstock printing requires high-quality printers that can handle pasteboard printing. Such printers come in many forms and models. They require more toner and ink than regular or traditional printing, but with fewer paper jams and wastage. Many also offer top-feed and/or rear-feed printing that accommodate cardstock needs.
We urge people to buy a printer specifically for cardstock. You need to keep in mind that the resolution, printing size, I/O capacity, and extra features need to be compatible with your cardstock paper.
Seems too much hassle? We knew it might! Today, we’ll be discussing the best printers for cardstock. Let’s begin!
Canon Pixma Pro-100
To begin the list, we’ve got the Canon Pixma Pro-100. It’s one of those printers that can do a bit of everything. It can also print on Cardstock with ease.
The Canon Pixma Pro-100 has a pretty good build quality. It comes with a silver finish that looks pretty sleek. The max resolution on this printer is 4800 x 2400. Finally, it has a wide diversity of color as you can use up to 8 individual ink cartridges.
Performance-wise, this printer is quite decent too. It has an active area of 13” x 19”. You can therefore print up to 19” sized papers. It prints at a speed of 51PPM. Though the speed isn’t the best in the world, it’s far from being the worst.
As for the features, you’ll be getting a handful of them. It comes with an ADF that can handle 150 sheets. It supports both Wi-Fi Direct and Ethernet connection options. It also doesn’t require any driver to print.
However, there are a couple of things you should know. Firstly, the ink replacements can be a bit costly if you choose to use the recommended ones. On top of that, the printer head tends to clog up if it is inactive for a long time.
The Canon Pixma Pro-100 is one of the best cardstock printers currently. You should go for it.
Pros
- Strong and stylish build quality
- Super high resolution of up to 4800 x 2400 dpi.
- Pretty diverse color options with 8 different colored ink cartridges.
- Prints up to 19” sized papers.
- The ADF can hold up to 150 sheets at once
- Features wireless and ethernet connections.
Cons
- The printer head tends to clog up if inactive for a long time
- Replacement inks are costly.
Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000
From one good printer to another, the Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 is my pick for the best printer for cardstock not only because of its features but also because of its price.
The Epson HD XP-15000 is a mid-range processor packed with handy features. It has a matte black finish and the build quality is solid. It can print borderless on up to 19” sized papers.
You can also print using 6 different colors.
In terms of performance, the Epson HD XP-15000 is up there with some of the best printers. You can print on a speed of 9.2 ISO ppm. While printing 4” x 6”, you can get a speed of up to 30 seconds. You can control this printer from a 2.4” Color LCD.
The features of this printer are at par with what you’d need. You’ve got both Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections. It supports duplex printing. The front tray can hold up to 200 sheets at a time. Finally, it also supports mobile printing through selected apps.
However, as Epson recommends using their own ink cartridges, other brands might not be compatible.
Overall, the Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 is one of the best printers for printing cardstock. You won’t regret opting for this one.
Pros
- Prints up to 19” sized papers.
- The color variation on point with 6 individual color ink cartridges.
- Compatible with duplex printing.
- Max printing speed of 9.2 ISO ppm.
- Mobile printing is available through selected apps.
- The 2.4″ color LCD is vibrant and easy to use.
Cons
- Generic ink brands might not work on this printer.
Brother HL-L2300D
If your cardstock prints need to be monochrome, there is no better choice then the Brother HL-L2300D. It would also be a great choice for those who want a cardstock printer at a cheap price.
The Brother HL-L2300D is a portable cardstock printer. It weighs about 16 pounds. It has a glossy black finish and decent build quality. It prints up to 14” sized papers making it a good fit for those who want monochrome cardstock printing.
This printer has a good performance section too! The Brother HL-L2300D has a resolution of 2400 x 600 dpi. It can print at a blitzing speed of 27PPM. The first printout takes as little as 8 seconds to come out.
There aren’t many features that you would get for a sub $100 printer. But the Brother HL-L2300D has quite a few of them. It supports duplex printing. There’s a toner saver mode that lets you save a substantial amount of toner every month. It also has a connectivity interface of USB 2.0.
The downsides? It’s too simple. Not suitable for an office environment unless you need a specialized monochrome cardstock printer.
Overall, the Brother HL-L2300D provides insane value for the money you’ll spend on this printer. If you need a monochrome cardstock printer then this is the one to go for.
Pros
- At just 16 pounds, it’s very portable.
- Prints up to 14” sized papers.
- Prints at a blitzing speed of 27PPM.
- Toner saver mode saves a good amount of money each month.
- Supports duplex printing.
- The glossy black finish and decent build quality.
Cons
- A very basic printer.
Canon Pixma iX6820
Canon has always been known to produce quality products. The Canon Pixma iX6820 isn’t any different. It’s the best mid-range printer with a lot of necessary key features for printing cardstock.
The Pixma iX7820 is a wide format printer. It weighs about 17 pounds making it the lightest all-purpose cardstock printer. Despite it’s smaller size, it can print up to 19” sized papers and has a resolution of 9600×2400 DPI.
Not only does this printer look good but it also performs well! It prints at a speed of 10.4 ipm (Color) and 14.4 (Black). Printing borderless 4 x 6″ color photo takes 36 seconds max. It also has 5 different ink sets providing a diverse color printing experience.
In terms of connectivity, you’ll be getting all the options: wireless, USB, or ethernet connection. You name it and this printer has it. It also features a 150 sheet ADF. You’ll be well set for a hard day’s work. You can also print from mobile devices with the help of Google Cloud print or AirPrint.
Though it’s a pretty much near perfect printer, the lack of duplex printing does hurt its reputation a bit.
Overall, it’s one of the best midrange printers for printing cardstock. You should opt for it.
Pros
- At just 17 pounds, it’s the lightest all-purpose cardstock printer.
- Prints up to 19” sized papers.
- A diverse color range with 5 different ink cartridges.
- It has a pretty large resolution of 9600×2400.
- It features a 5 color ink system.
- Supports wireless connection, USB, and Ethernet.
- Through Google Cloud print or AirPrint you can print from mobile devices.
Cons
- Duplex printing is missing.
HP OfficeJet Pro 8035
If you want a cardstock printer for official purposes, you should go for the HP OfficeJet Pro 8035. It has a good build quality and lasts longer than other printers on this list.
The HP OfficeJet Pro 8035 fashions the signature glossy white finish of HP. It weighs about 17 pounds too, so you can carry or place it anywhere in your office. It’s an all-purpose printer thus you can print, scan, copy and fax.
The performance section of this printer is above average. You can print borderless up to 11” sized papers. The print resolution is 4800 x 1200 dpi (color) and 1200 x 1200 dpi (black). It prints at a speed of 29PPM.
This printer also features a decent amount of features. It supports duplex printing, it can scan up to 8.5 x 14″ alongside both ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity. You can also print directly by using AirPrint or Mopria from your mobile devices.
Though we didn’t face any serious issues with this printer, it may not sync with the drivers.
If you’re looking for a printer that can do everything alongside cardstock printing, there isn’t a better choice than this one. You should go for it.
Pros
- At just 17 pounds, it’s quite lightweight.
- An all-[purpose printer that can Print, Scan, Copy, and Fax.
- A superfast printing speed of 29PPM.
- Supports scanning up to 14”.
- Supports printing from mobile devices using AirPrint and Mopria.
- Compatible with duplex printing.
Cons
- Has driver sync issues.
Brother Monochrome Laser MFCL2710DW Printer
The Brother MFCL2710DW printer is ideal for both small or home offices. As an all-in-one printer, it has amazing print speeds of up to 32 ppm coupled with wireless networking.
Pros
- This printer has flexible paper handling options which include up to 250 sheet paper tray and an automatic paper feeder that can take up to 50-sheets.
- This printer is perfect for a small office or busy homeowner that prints a lot of their stuff in cardstock.
- It offers a 32 ppm black and white laser duplex printing.
- You can also use the printer to scan, fax and copy.
- The 250-sheet paper tray means that you won’t have to keep refilling your paper try every time.
- The manual feed slot allows you to fill in a variety of media from envelopes to cardstock resulting in professional documents.
- You can easily send documents and print on the go thanks to the wireless connectivity options.
- Print from anywhere in the house as long as there is Wi-Fi connectivity.
- Comes with multiple connectivity options ranging from Ethernet, USB port connection, mobile device compatibility among others.
- By activating the Amazon Dash Replenishment feature, you will never have to worry about running out of ink as it’ll be able to measure toner level and make orders directly from Amazon when you are running low.
Cons
- It is not compatible with third-party toner cartridges.
Canon Office Products MX532 Printer
This Canon MX532 printer makes printing a lot more convenient thanks to the fact that it is an all-in-one printer.
Pros
- This is an ideal cardstock printer for people who are on the move.
- It is loaded with amazing features such as the PIXMA Printing Solutions (PPS) which makes it easy for one to print and scan photos or documents from any of your mobile device that is compatible.
- The AirPrint feature allows you to print straight from your iPad, iPhone or iPod without the need to press any button on your printer.
- The PPS cloud printing functionality allows you to directly print from select online cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Facebook, Picasa Web Albums, Twitter and Flickr using the free PPS on your mobile device. You are also able to share your printer with anyone you like.
- It has an inbuilt auto-duplex printing functionality which lets you print on both sides of the paper automatically thus eliminating any manual process.
- The auto-duplex feature also helps save on paper by up to 50 percent as well as ink usage.
- It has fully automatic document feeders that can handle up to 30 sheets of paper.
- You can also use the printer for your faxing needs.
- It is also compatible with three different ink tanks.
- Ccomes with FINE cartridges.
Cons
- The printer uses a lot of ink to print, and for a cartridge that should print up to 300 copies, it prints less than half of those copies.
Workforce WF-7720 Wide Format Printer
The Workforce WF-7220 printer is easy to navigate and control. It has a 500-sheet capacity making it suitable for high volume printing.
Pros
- Powered by PrecisionCore, this printer from Workforce easily produces high-quality borderless prints that measure up to 13 by 19 inches and scans documents that measure 11 by 17 inches.
- This printer has a 500-sheet capacity, has dual trays, and a rear feed that can be used to handle specialty media paper for your printing needs.
- It also has an automatic two-sided printing and other functions such as fax, scan, and copy.
- It has a 35-page automatic document feeder.
- The 4.3-inch color touchscreen allows you to control and navigate the printer easily.
- With both Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and NFC wireless connectivity, you can easily print from your smartphone or tablet from anywhere in your home or within your office space.
- Just like with the Canon Office Products MX532 Printer and lots of other printers, the Workforce WF-7720 printer has the Amazon Dash Replenishment which ensures that you will never run out of ink in your life as it is able to monitor ink usage and order from Amazon.
Cons
- Some users have reported issues with setting up the printer, and it also consumes a lot of ink.
HP Laserjet Pro M281fdw Printer
This HP Laserjet Pro M281fdw printer is a professional productivity printer that not only has all the features and functions you need but also provides you with fast printing.
Pros
- While some may dismiss the size and assume it doesn’t offer the performance they need, you will be shocked by this printer’s performance.
- It has fast speed printing, two-sided printing as well as other functions such as scanning, faxing and copying.
- It has an automatic document feeder, a 2.7-inch color touchscreen, and a USB port for connectivity.
- It has a tray capacity of up to 250 sheets and has the capacity to print 22 ppm in both color and black.
- Thanks to its wireless connectivity, you are able to print wirelessly from your iOS or Android device using the Wi-Fi direct connectivity option.
- You can easily set up the printer, order toner, scan documents from your phone and print from cloud storage services such as Dropbox, iCloud or Google Drive thanks to the HP smart app.
- You can be confident and rely on your wireless connectivity thanks to a steady performance form your Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity. This means printing with no hassle.
- It utilizes the original HP toner cartridges to give you high-quality color prints.
- It also has the Amazon Dash Replenishment feature that tracks your ink usage and makes orders for the original HP toners cartridges.
- You can also connect between one to five users on this printer hence enhancing productivity.
Cons
- The two-sided printing is manual.
Final Thoughts
If you are a traveler, a researcher, a student or someone on the move, then smaller lighter and easy-to-pack printers will be more appropriate. For an office-based printer, the more cost-effective ones will be more advisable.
Even though the operating costs, such as the cost of cartridges or maintenance should be a consideration, the suitability of a printer should be based on many other factors. However, in whichever situation, a printer needs to be easy to set up, easy to use, and should come with the relevant features depending on what your specific requirements are.
There you go, these are the best printers for cardstock. As you can see, we’ve prioritized overall usability and price as a key factor of picking the best from the rest.
Personally, It’s a choice between the Canon Pixma IX 6820 and the Epson HD 15000. But what you need is totally up to you. So pick the one that you think might serve you the most! We assure you, you won’t regret it!