What is GF Smith Colorplan?

A premium uncoated, through-coloured paper and board made in Hull, England, available in 55 shades and weights from 100 to 1400 gsm. It is the go-to stock for luxury business cards, wedding stationery and packaging.

Which Colorplan weight is best for business cards?

540 gsm for a thick single-ply card, or a 700 gsm duplex (two 350 gsm sheets) when you want two colours and a coloured edge. Both take letterpress and foil beautifully.

Can you print full colour on dark Colorplan?

Not reliably — ink is translucent and the paper tints it. Use foil, white ink underprint or a lighter shade such as Bright White, Natural or Vellum White for CMYK imagery.

Do you stock the full Colorplan range?

Yes. All 55 colours in the standard weights are stocked in Houston, Texas, and we duplex, letterpress, foil, emboss and edge-paint in-house.

How do I order Colorplan business cards or invitations?

Request a custom quote with your shade names, weight, quantity and finishing. We reply within 2 business hours, send a swatch if you want one, and proof before printing.

Are Colorplan jobs printed in the USA?

Yes — the paper is made in England, and every card and invitation is printed and finished in our Houston, Texas facility, then shipped nationwide.

GF Smith Colorplan Paper — 55 Colours, 10 Weights, and Why It's the Best Stock for Luxury Business Cards & Wedding Suites

The paper that luxury brands specify by name

Colorplan is a premium uncoated paper and board made by G . F Smith in Hull, England, since 1936. It is the stock behind a remarkable share of the world's best business cards, wedding stationery, luxury packaging and gallery catalogues, for one reason: the colour is in the pulp, not printed on the surface. Cut it, tear it, fold it, edge-paint it — it is the same saturated colour all the way through, with a soft, chalky surface that takes letterpress, foil and blind emboss better than almost anything else on the market. Kolt Printing keeps the full Colorplan range in stock in Houston, and we print it every day.

Request a custom quote on Colorplan →

The 55 colours

The palette runs from six distinct whites through greys, yellows, reds, pinks, purples, blues, greens and browns. Tap any swatch to see the official GF Smith reference; screen colours are approximate.

55 shades shown as approximate screen values. Uncoated paper reads differently under daylight and tungsten — order theofficial GF Smith swatch book or ask us to send a physical sample with your quote.

Weights — and what each is for

135 gsm (≈ 50# text): inserts, belly bands, envelope liners, letterheads.
175 gsm (≈ 65# text/cover): inner sheets for invitation suites, menus, RSVP cards, folded notes.
270 gsm (≈ 100# cover): standard invitation card, save-the-dates, hang tags, postcards.
350 gsm (≈ 130# cover): premium single-ply business cards and invitation mains — stiff, with a satisfying snap.
540 gsm (≈ 200# cover): the luxury business-card weight. Thick enough to letterpress deeply on both sides.
700 gsm (≈ 260# cover): statement business cards and invitation mains; usually built as a duplex of two 350 gsm sheets so you can have two colours.
1050 and 1400 gsm: triplexed/quadruplexed boards for ultra-thick cards, coasters and packaging.
100 and 120 gsm: text weights for stationery and book interiors in colour.

Duplex, triplex and coloured cores

Because Colorplan is coloured through, gluing two or three sheets together creates cards with a different colour on each face and a visible stripe on the edge — Ebony front, Bright Red back, red core showing on every edge. Duplexing 2 × 350 gsm gives a 700 gsm card; triplexing 3 × 350 gsm gives 1050 gsm. It is the signature look of high-end business cards and the reason a Colorplan card gets handed around the table.

Embossed textures

Beyond the smooth finish, Colorplan is available in embossed textures — Linen, Ridged, Hessian, Stipple, Grid, Cord, Morocco, Slate and more — applied after colouring so the texture reads in the shadows. Textures pair beautifully with a single foil colour or blind emboss and are a favourite for wedding mains and gallery invitations.

Best uses

Luxury business cards: 540 gsm single-ply or 700 gsm duplex, letterpress or foil, painted edges. Ebony, Imperial Blue, Racing Green, Bright White and Natural are the perennial favourites.
Wedding invitation suites: 270–350 gsm mains in Vellum White, Pristine White, Candy Pink, Sorbet Yellow or Powder Green; 175 gsm details cards; matching Colorplan envelopes and liners in Cobalt, Claret or Forest for contrast.
Brand identity systems: letterheads, notecards and compliment slips in one hue across weights.
Packaging & tags: 350 gsm hang tags, sleeves and belly bands; 1050 gsm rigid inserts.
Menus, event and gallery collateral: heavy uncoated cards that photograph without glare.

Printing on Colorplan — what works

Letterpress: the classic. Deep impression into 540 gsm+ with one or two ink colours; ink on coloured stock reads slightly muted, which is the look.
Hot foil: gold, silver, copper, rose gold, white and coloured foils sit crisp on the chalky surface. White foil on Imperial Blue or Ebony is the wedding-suite staple.
Blind emboss / deboss: texture without ink — logos, monograms and borders.
Digital / offset CMYK: white and near-white shades only (Bright White, Pristine White, Ice White, Natural). On darker shades, ink is translucent and the paper tints the image — use white ink underprint or, better, foil.
Edge painting and gilding: colour or metallic on the cut edge of 540 gsm+ cards.
Die cutting and rounded corners: the dense fibre cuts clean with no whiskering.

Why order it from us

Colorplan is a specialty import; most online printers do not carry it or limit you to two or three shades. We stock the complete range in Houston, Texas, print, letterpress, foil and finish it in-house, and ship nationwide. Because every job is quoted by hand — weight, colour, duplex, finishing and quantity all change the price — start with a custom quote and tell us the shade names you love. We will send a physical swatch and a proof before anything prints.

Request a custom quote — luxury business cards & wedding suites →

Frequently asked questions

What is GF Smith Colorplan?: A premium uncoated, through-coloured paper and board made in Hull, England, available in 55 shades and weights from 100 to 1400 gsm. It is the go-to stock for luxury business cards, wedding stationery and packaging.
Which Colorplan weight is best for business cards?: 540 gsm for a thick single-ply card, or a 700 gsm duplex (two 350 gsm sheets) when you want two colours and a coloured edge. Both take letterpress and foil beautifully.
Can you print full colour on dark Colorplan?: Not reliably — ink is translucent and the paper tints it. Use foil, white ink underprint or a lighter shade such as Bright White, Natural or Vellum White for CMYK imagery.
Do you stock the full Colorplan range?: Yes. All 55 colours in the standard weights are stocked in Houston, Texas, and we duplex, letterpress, foil, emboss and edge-paint in-house.
How do I order Colorplan business cards or invitations?: Request a custom quote with your shade names, weight, quantity and finishing. We reply within 2 business hours, send a swatch if you want one, and proof before printing.
Are Colorplan jobs printed in the USA?: Yes — the paper is made in England, and every card and invitation is printed and finished in our Houston, Texas facility, then shipped nationwide.