Metallic Pearl Cards
Metallic Pearl paper is an outstanding and unique 14pt stock that shimmers in light when viewed from different angles. The material itself is embedded with pearl fibers that give the paper an overall smooth, metallic appearance. Printing on this stock will give your CMYK colors a subtle shimmer; however, heavy ink densities or coverage may diminish the effect.
Unlike foil stamping or metallic ink, the shimmer comes from inside the paper itself, which means it carries through every printed area in a soft, refined way rather than as a concentrated highlight. The result is a card that feels more like fine stationery than a standard print piece — substantial in the hand, elegant under light, and immediately distinct from a matte or gloss card.
If you are searching for folded cards with envelopes on the metallic pearl media, you can find them in our invitations area.
Features of Metallic Pearl Cards
- FSC Certified, forest friendly
- 14pt / 350 GSM stock with pearl fibers for a true metallic shimmer
- Smooth, uncoated-feeling surface that still accepts vibrant CMYK printing
- Substantial weight that signals quality the moment a card is picked up
- Shimmer effect is built into the paper, not applied as a coating or foil
- All artwork is inspected before printing for quality assurance
Best Uses for Metallic Pearl Cards
- Wedding invitations, save-the-dates, and reception details
- Luxury greeting cards, holiday cards, and announcements
- High-end folded cards for special events or boutique branding
- Art or photography cards where a soft shimmer adds depth and elegance
- Premium business cards for jewelers, salons, designers, and event professionals
- Gift enclosure cards, thank-you notes, and VIP client correspondence
- Gallery opening invites, fashion lookbook inserts, and product launch cards
Designing for the Pearl Effect
Because the shimmer lives inside the paper, the design choices you make have a big impact on how visible it is in the final print. A few guidelines will help you get the most out of the stock:
- Leave generous areas of white space — unprinted areas show the pearl effect at full strength.
- Favor lighter tones, pastels, and tints. Light blues, blush pinks, champagne, ivory, and soft grays all let the shimmer come through.
- Avoid full-bleed solid blacks or heavy dark backgrounds. Dense ink coverage masks the pearl fibers and can read flat.
- If you need a dark element, consider using it as an accent — a header, a monogram, or a border — rather than a full background.
- Build files in CMYK at 300 DPI with a 0.125" bleed and keep critical text inside the safe zone.
Metallic Pearl vs. Our Other Premium Stocks
If you are weighing options, here is how Metallic Pearl compares to other Printkeg favorites:
- vs. 16pt Matte: Matte is clean, modern, and writable. Pearl trades the matte feel for shimmer and a slightly more formal presentation.
- vs. Soft Touch / Suede: Soft Touch emphasizes texture in the hand. Pearl emphasizes how the card looks under light.
- vs. Gloss UV: Gloss UV creates a hard, reflective surface across the entire card. Pearl creates a softer, more diffused glow that reads as elegant rather than glossy.
- vs. Standard 14pt C2S: Same weight class, but Pearl adds the shimmer treatment and a more refined hand feel.
What to Submit
- Print-ready PDF, PNG, or JPEG
- CMYK color mode (RGB files will be converted, which can shift color)
- 300 DPI minimum at final size
- 0.125" bleed on all edges with critical content kept 0.125" inside the trim
- Fonts outlined or embedded
Every order is reviewed by our prepress team before it goes to press. If we see a file issue that could affect print quality, we will reach out before charging you for a reprint.
