I'm afraid we Americans are a bit thick when it comes to the metric system. Standard US business cards are 110# to 130# cover stock (equivalent to 300-350 gsm). For normal letterpress printing this should be sufficient. For foil stamping I might prefer the 540-700 gsm (in the US, a 200#-250# cover, or duplex) stock.

Of course, a 540-700 gsm stock will stand out from the crowd just by virtue of its heft, even if it's printed digitally or offset.

A 700 gsm card isn't even a card; it's a business brick.

I think even for letterpressed cards, 300 gsm is plenty thick, unless you're punching the type really hard on both sides. But thicker could work. You might even print on binder's board if you want something really thick.

We run #100 pound and that's heavy for our area. They don't make 'em like they used to.

the “letterpress effect” (debossing/impression)

I'm personally opposed to such sensationalism/fetishism. That said, if heft itself makes sense in the context of the business/card, sure.

hhp

Hey: one of the beauties of letterpress is the range of stock weights that it can handle. Revel in it!

Joshua Langman: "I think even for letterpressed cards, 300 gsm is plenty thick, unless you're punching the type really hard on both sides. But thicker could work. You might even print on binder's board if you want something really thick."

Hi Joshua

I agree some brands of 300/350g card are very nice - and I'm personally not a big fan of the excessive impression style.

But if it's only 'standard' thickness and light impression why go to the extra trouble and expense of sourcing letterpress cards? - most people wouldn't notice the difference from the cheap digital/litho cards from Vistaprint etc.

We find nearly all of our letterpress enquiries are for extra thick card - and they usually settle for 540g - at this weight even without heavy impression it's pretty obvious they aren't cheap/ordinary business cards. We find that people who are proud of their profession/business want to have a card that sets them apart from the competition.

Kind regards - David

http://www.deeplyimpressed.co.uk/

why go to the extra trouble and expense of sourcing letterpress cards?

Because people can feel it (and I don't mean just by be running their fingers over it) even if they don't realize they can see it. Just like we still need more text fonts even though laymen can't tell the difference.

If sensationalism is the only way to make it matter, then it is in fact dead.

nearly all of our letterpress enquiries are for extra thick card

As I've said before, culture and business are more opposed than not.

hhp