What is the difference between creasing and folding?
Creasing (also called scoring) presses a line into the paper so it folds cleanly along it. Folding is the fold itself. Thin paper can be folded straight away; thicker paper and card are creased first.
Why creasing matters
When thick paper is folded without a crease, the outside of the fold stretches and can crack. On a dark or full-colour background the crack shows as a white line along the fold. Creasing first gives the paper a hinge to bend along, so the fold stays smooth.
As a rough guide, paper of around 170gsm and heavier benefits from creasing. Laminated sheets are creased too.
What you will receive
How a creased item arrives depends on the product, and the product page says how it arrives. It may come:
- creased and folded, ready to use, or
- creased and flat, for you to fold.
What to do in your artwork
Nothing special: put your fold guides where the folds go and keep text away from them. If a strong colour crosses a fold on heavy stock, a crease will help it look clean.
See What does gsm mean, and which paper weight should I choose? for paper weights.