Cardstock and heavy paper are stiffer than most rollers are tuned for, so a printer may spin its rollers without moving the sheet, bend it around a curved paper path, or jam it on the way out. Before changing anything, find out how heavy your card is and how heavy your printer can handle. This guide explains paper weight labels, then covers the loading, paper path and setting changes that let most printers feed card reliably.
What you might be seeing
- Rollers turn but the card stays in the tray
- Card feeds partway and stops with a jam message
- Sheets come out bent, scuffed or curled
- Toner flakes off or ink smudges on the finished card
Common causes
- Card heavier than the rated limit
- Each input has a maximum weight; beyond it, rollers cannot grip or bend the sheet reliably.
- Curved paper path
- Front trays that turn paper around a tight roller struggle with stiff card.
- Wrong media type setting
- Without a heavy setting, the printer feeds and fuses card as if it were plain paper.
- Slick card surface
- Coated or glossy card can be too smooth for the rollers to grip.
How to fix it, step by step
Work through these in order and test a print after each one. Most people are done within the first few steps.
Do not feed card heavier than your printer's rated maximum, and never force a sheet past resistance. Allow about 30 minutes of cooling before clearing card stuck near a laser printer's fuser.
Compare the card weight with your printer's limit
Find the weight on the packaging, either in gsm or in pounds such as 65 lb or 110 lb cover. Cover weights do not compare directly with everyday paper weights: 65 lb cover is about 176 gsm and 110 lb cover is about 300 gsm. Then look up the maximum weight for each input in your printer's specifications. If the card is heavier, no setting will make it feed reliably.
Use the straightest input available
On inkjets, the straightest path is usually a rear feed slot or manual feed slot rather than the front cassette. On lasers, it is the multipurpose or bypass tray, paired with the rear output door so the card exits flat. Select it as the Paper Source in Printing Preferences, or under Feed from in the macOS print dialog.
Load only a few sheets
Load three to five sheets of card instead of a full stack. Heavy sheets press harder on each other, which makes the roller more likely to slip or pull two at once. Square the edges and bring the guides in until they touch lightly. If the card curled in storage, bend it gently against the curl before loading so it lies flat.
Choose a heavy media type
Set Paper Type or Media Type to the closest option your driver lists, such as Cardstock, Heavy, Thick or a matte photo paper type. On a laser printer, this slows the sheet and raises fuser heat so toner bonds to the thicker surface. On many inkjets, it raises the printhead slightly and adjusts the ink amount so the card is not scuffed. Set Paper Size to the card's actual size too.
Set the input's paper type on the printer
Many printers store a paper type for each tray or slot on the control panel. If the multipurpose tray is registered as plain paper while the driver asks for heavy paper, the printer may pause or pull from another tray. Update the setting for the input you are using. Some inkjets ask you to confirm the paper type every time you load the rear slot, so pick the card option there.
Give the card a clean roller to grip
Card relies on roller grip more than thin paper does, so slightly dusty rollers that cope with copy paper can fail with card. Unplug the printer and wipe the rollers for the input you are using with a lint-free cloth holding just a few drops of distilled water. Card sheds fibers too, so check the slot for dust. Let the rollers dry and test with a single sheet.
Guide the first sheet and support the exit
If the roller still slips, hold the sheet lightly against the roller and let the printer take it, keeping it straight without pushing. Stop if you feel resistance, since forcing card can bend internal guides. If card feeds but jams on the way out, open the rear output door on a laser, or fully extend the output tray on an inkjet so the card has support.
How to keep it from happening again
- Check the weight rating before buying card
- Store card flat in its packaging
- Save a printer preset with your card settings
- Use the straightest input your printer offers
Common questions
What does 110 lb cardstock mean compared with normal paper?
Paper weights in pounds are measured on different base sheet sizes for different paper categories, so the numbers do not line up. Everyday copy paper is usually 20 lb bond, about 75 gsm, while 110 lb cover is about 300 gsm, roughly four times heavier. Grams per square meter avoid that confusion.
Why does toner rub off my cardstock?
A laser printer must heat card more than plain paper to melt toner into it. With a plain paper setting, the fuser runs at its normal temperature and speed, and the toner does not fully bond. Choosing a heavy or card setting slows the sheet and raises the heat. If toner still rubs off, the card may exceed the printer's rating.
Can I use glossy photo card in a laser printer?
Only if it is made for laser printers. Glossy inkjet photo paper has a coating designed to absorb liquid ink, and a laser fuser's heat can melt or warp it, which may damage the fuser. For lasers, look for card and gloss stock labeled for laser use within the printer's weight limit.
This guide is general information written for common home and office printers. Menus and button names vary between models, so check your printer’s manual where a step differs. Printer Problems Solved is independent and not affiliated with any printer manufacturer. See our disclaimer.