Kraft Business Cards

How colour behaves on kraft

This is the single most important technical fact about kraft. On ordinary white stock, CMYK ink sits on a white base and the colour looks as it did in the artwork. Kraft is brown — and that brown mixes into every printed colour. Light colours go flat, blue shifts towards green, and white does not print at all, because CMYK has no white ink — white is simply the colour of the paper. So the best results on kraft come from dark, contrasting inks: black, deep brown, forest green or burgundy.

• Light colours go flat
• White does not print in CMYK
• Blue shifts towards green
• Black and dark colours are the best choice

What works best on kraft

The strongest combination on a kraft card is gold foiling: the natural brown texture and metallic shine reinforce each other, leaving a premium yet still handmade impression. Simple black printing also works well — single-colour, minimalist design. Logo, name, phone, nothing more. If the brand has a colourful logo, bear in mind it will look different on kraft — in that case we either use a single-colour version of the logo, or leave a white label area behind it.

• Gold foiling — the strongest combination
• Single-colour black printing — minimalist and reliable
• Colourful logo — needs a monochrome version
• Lamination kills the texture — usually skipped

Who kraft cards suit

Kraft sends a clear signal: natural, handmade, environmentally conscious. It suits cafes and specialty coffee businesses, handmade goods shops, florists, eco cosmetics brands, small wineries and creative studios. Conversely it suits sectors built on precision and formality less well — banks, medical clinics, IT companies, law firms. There, linen-textured stock or matte lamination is more appropriate.