At a glance
- Millimetres describe final size.
- Gsm and microns answer different questions.
- An ICC profile concerns colour, not paper feeding.
Final size and image resolution
Millimetres set the card you measure after cutting. An image’s pixel dimensions count its pixels; their density at printed size determines available detail. Driver scaling changes size even with a high-resolution image.
DPI means a device’s dots per inch; images are also described in pixels per inch. Increasing an export number does not recreate fine text already blurred in the source. Check artwork at its final size before looking for a printer setting.
Weight, thickness and sheet size
Gsm means grams per square metre: mass per area. Microns measure thickness, with 1,000 µm in 1 mm. There is no universal factor to convert one into the other.
A4 and A3 describe the sheet, not a guaranteed card count. Margins, spacing, bleed and marks take space. To check feeding, compare each value with the printer path’s limits.
ICC profile, bleed and marks
An ICC profile describes colour behaviour. It fixes neither an over-thick sheet nor a layout printed at the wrong size. It must match the colour-management process you use.
Bleed covers a small cutting shift; marks locate the sheet or cut line. For smudging, start with ink and coating. For a card that is too small, start with scale. Each term points to a different check.
Questions about this guide
Can I convert 300 gsm to millimetres?
Not without knowing the media construction. Use a published or measured thickness, clearly distinguished from weight.
Does more DPI guarantee a better print?
No. Source artwork, final size, paper, ink and driver limit the result. Higher resolution may mainly increase file size.
Sources
Manufacturer limits apply to the media and feed paths stated in each document. A documentary match is not a physical test of our cardstock.
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