Paper weight is one of the many details that matter when it comes to your branding materials. When someone touches your printed material, their perception of your brand is shaped by this design decision. Simple printed materials can be transformed into effective communication tools using the proper paper weight, giving your messages a tactile feel.
Think about the difference between a thick, solid business card that feels heavy in your palm and one that is thin and prone to crinkling. That is the advantage of selecting the appropriate weight paper.
Knowing the optimum applications for different paper weights helps you make educated selections. If you select the appropriate paper weight, your initial in-person encounter with potential clients will be memorable and consistent with the caliber of your brand.
Due to the variety of measurement techniques, selecting the appropriate paper weight can be challenging. Thomas Group Printing is here to assist, so don’t worry. We think it’s important to give you precise information so you can make the best decisions.
The next time you need a project printed and come across terminology like “pounds” and “points,” you’ll know exactly what they mean and be able to make informed selections that best suit your publication’s goals since we’ll explain weight paper measurements in an approachable manner.
Paper Weight Chart Online
Weight paper is available in various weights, thicknesses, colors, textures, and sizes. This paper weight calculator focuses on the weight of paper sheets and how to calculate them. We utilize a certain unit of measurement to maintain uniformity between producers and consumers. We refer to this as grammar.
The weight of a paper expressed in grams per square meter (g/m2) is called its grammage. This number is sometimes shortened to GSM and is typically stated on the paper’s packaging.
What Does the Paper Weights Chart Mean?
In addition to determining a sheet of paper’s weight, grammage also provides information about how stiff the sheet is. The heavier and stiffer the paper, the higher the grammage. It’s important to remember that while grammage indicates the weight of a paper sheet, it doesn’t always indicate its printer paper thickness.
Photo papers typically weigh between 180 and 240 gsm, while standard office sheets weigh between 75 and 120 gsm for business cards, postcards, event programs, and invitations; heavier papers or cardstocks weighing between 250 and 350 gsm work well. Nonetheless, the selection of grammar still relies on individual taste and imaginative decisions. We have included a paper weight chart for your reference to help you choose the appropriate grammar for your printing and other uses.
Cardstock Weight Basics
Do you have trouble understanding paper weights? Why is 80-pound “text” paper thinner and lighter than 65-pound “cover” paper? Watch as we describe the meaning of paper weight and how it is determined.
- Paper weight, sometimes called BASIS WEIGHT, is expressed in grams per square meter (GSM) and pounds (LBS).
- GSM is a more accurate indicator of a paper’s weight because it is a universal measurement that works with all paper types.
- The weight of the paper is not sufficiently conveyed by LBS alone.
- When utilizing LBS, the type of paper is crucial because.
- Because of how it is calculated, each of the several types or classifications of paper has a distinct weight in LBS. Let’s discuss this further!
How to Choose the Right Printer Paper Thickness for Your Print Job?
To choose the ideal printer paper thickness, you must weigh your budget, design, and practical requirements for your print project against industry norms.
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Budget
Naturally, thicker paper costs more because it uses denser (and thus more) material. Additionally, mailing heavier paper costs more. Additionally, thick paper requires a professional printing service because most home or office printers cannot handle premium stocks.
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Design
Thick paper is necessary for some texture effects and design techniques. For instance, embossing uses a machine presses the design into the paper to produce raised text or graphics (debossing does the opposite). A gloss or matte coating can help avoid this, but too-thin paper would shred under such pressure, and thick or dark inks would bleed through it.
As with any design decisions, links between thick and thin paper are indicated. While thick paper seems solid and unyielding, representing aggressiveness, thin paper feels airy and delicate, communicating grace.
Printer Paper Weight Guide For Printing
Now that you understand how the commercial printing industry measures and classifies paper weights, you’ll be better equipped to select the appropriate paper weight for your project.
Individuals have differing views regarding the appropriate paper weight for several publication genres. It’s usually preferable to use higher paper weight for the cover of your project if it has a cover, such as magazines and catalogs.
A heavy cover weight, for instance, adds bulk and depth to perfect-bound or saddle-stitched books, while the printed text is written on lighter paper for readability and affordability.
You are welcome to choose from our extensive selection of in-house paper possibilities. We are also pleased to recommend potential paper types that might suit your printing requirements.
It is beneficial to consider paper weight early in the printing process. Paper weight should be considered when determining the size, type, and number of pages required for your publication.
What Paper Weight Should I Use?
Fortunately, when it comes to paper weight, there is no one correct solution. Your paper weight will be influenced by the kind of magazine you’re writing; some typical options for various publications are as follows:
- 35# text: Newsprint pieces like workbooks, newspapers, and magazines.
- 80# text: Booklets, smaller catalogs, magazines, flyers
- 100# text: Flyers, inside pages of coffee table, posters, art, or children’s books
- 80# cover: Brochures, booklet covers, and buckslips
- 100# cover: Brochures, booklet covers, folders, buckslips, postcards, and invitations.
- 130# cover: Oversize perfect-bound books, business cards.
You may also steer yourself appropriately by considering your publication’s goal, budget, and completion.
Think about your project’s goal first. Selecting a lighter paper than what will work for you can reduce weight-related shipping costs if your project is being mass-mailed or promoted in huge quantities.
Next, consider your spending plan. Because premium paper is just more costly, weigh your requirement for quality against your financial limitations.
Keep in mind the values of your target audience. Standard quality is adequate for routine office requirements, while premium grade is best for high-impact marketing materials. The likelihood of a paper being regarded as a high-quality product increases with its weight.
Formatting and finishing also matter. If your design involves a lot of ink coverage, you might require a thicker stock to avoid ghosting. Consider how the paper will be used because it gets harder to cut, fold, and stitch as the weight of the paper grows.
FAQs
What is GSM in Paper Weight?
GSM, or Gramsper square meter, is a unit of measurement that shows the weight in grams of a square meter of paper. A common term for it is grammage. For example, 1 gsm = 0.67 lbs, where pounds is the weight of 500 uncut sheets of paper in a ream.
How should I Calculate the Weight of a Sheet of Paper?
Use these procedures to determine a sheet of paper’s weight:
- Reach the area of the paper: 0.0625 m².
- Reach the grammage of the paper: say 55 gsm.
Use the paper size formula:
- Weight = Area × grammage
Substitute the values:
- Weight = 3.4375 g
- Weight = 0.0625 × 55