Paper weights
Why 80 lb cover is far heavier than 80 lb text, and how pounds compare to gsm and points.
In the US, paper weight in pounds is the weight of 500 sheets at that paper's standard size. The catch is that each category of paper has a different standard size. So 80 lb text and 80 lb cover are not the same paper at all.
The categories
- Bond is office and letterhead paper. 20 lb bond is everyday printer paper.
- Text is for flyers, brochures and book pages. 100 lb text is a nice heavy flyer.
- Cover is cardstock for postcards, invitations and covers. 80 to 130 lb cover is common.
- Index is stiff, smooth stock used for cards and tabs.
Grams make it easy
GSM (grams per square meter) uses one standard for every paper, so bigger always means heavier.
| US weight | About |
|---|---|
| 20 lb bond | 75 gsm |
| 100 lb text | 148 gsm |
| 110 lb index | 200 gsm |
| 80 lb cover | 216 gsm |
| 100 lb cover | 270 gsm |
Business cards are often listed in points, which is thickness: 14 pt is 0.014 inch thick, 16 pt is 0.016.
