Staples® Inkjet Notecards, 5 1/2" x 4 1/4", Matte, 100/Pack

NOT quality they used to be

I've bought this product for years, and have always been very pleased with the weight of the paper, the ease of seeing the fold marks (making it easier to know which side to put...Read complete review

I've bought this product for years, and have always been very pleased with the weight of the paper, the ease of seeing the fold marks (making it easier to know which side to put into the printer first if printing on both sides), the crisp fold they make, and the quality of the finished cards. However, the last few boxes purchased have been lighter weight, less quality paper with poor fold marking that is very difficult to see on one side and basically non-existent on the other. I use photographs and print greeting cards, and often give sets of note cards for gifts, etc. These cards are now of less quality due to the flimsy paper compared to how they were before the change, so I don't do that now. The photographs do print well on these, as they did before, and the colors are vivid and pure. Because I use a professional rotary cutter to trim the cards near the perforation between the two, I cannot speak to the neatest of the perforated edge after separation. However, when I fold the card, the outside folded edge (the spine of the card, on the outside) often splits a bit and looks rough rather than having the nice, crisp fold with the smooth outside spine that I had with this same item before the change in quality. I am currently looking for another supplier. I tried Avery brand of this same style item before I started using Staples brand, but changed to Staples because the photo color was better than with the Avery. I believe I'll try them again. They may have improved their quality over the years. I'm very disappointed in this current Staples product, and think they must have decreased the quality in an effort to cut expense.