The color of our Cork stock is dark brown with black flecks throughout. This is a unique stock, and has some specific requirements.
Not all designs are suitable for this stock. Below are some considerations you should take when designing for Cork.
Black Specs
Cork is made from 100% cork. Have a close look at the samples shown on our website - you will see that it has natural Black specks, flecks and grains throughout its surface. These appear in a random areas and offer a slight texture.
These black specs will interfere with your design, especially with any fine detail and text.
Contact details and text should be kept to a minimum and be very large and bold to be readable and clear.
Fine Detail
Due to the slight texture of this stock, it cannot hold fine detail as well. The finest detail we recommend is 0.75pt line-weight; however, please note that lines that are not solid (such as dotted lines) should be made thicker.
Color (Paper and Inks)
The color of the paper stock will affect the overall appearance of your design. Lighter colors of your design may not be very visible on a colored stock, and medium to darker colors tend to appear darker when printed on a colored stock. Darker colored stocks are only suitable to be printed with dark colors and black.
Photographs and gradients are not recommended as the colored stock will greatly alter the colors. Minimal colors and simple designs are best.
If you are using a color in your design and are unsure of how the printed piece will appear, you may order a Printed Proof by submitting a Custom Quotation.
Heavy Coverage
The use of heavy coverage or full color backgrounds is not suitable for this stock. Minimalistic designs are best! If your design has a lot of color and heavy coverage, we suggest a white and coated stock for optimal results.
Texture
For natural Cork, this stock is surprisingly smooth – however there is texture to it. This texture can effect how parts of fine detail appear on the stock.
Safety Margin
We recommend a safety margin of 0.25 inches away from the trim line for this product. Due to the nature of the stock it can shift significantly during printing and trimming processes.