Paper Weight Guide: How to Choose the Right Weight

Why should paper weight be a crucial consideration in your branding materials? The answer lies in the unspoken power of touch&#;the first sense that reacts when a consumer engages with your printed content. The right paper weight can transform a simple brochure into a compelling tactile experience, endorsing professionalism without saying a word. It&#;s the silent ambassador of your brand, working in the background to ensure that the first physical interaction is both memorable and impactful.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of 40 gsm protective paper. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Whether you&#;re piecing together a high-end portfolio, a corporate report, or promotional booklets, the paper weight you choose can either uplift or undermine the perceived value of your product. It&#;s not just a matter of aesthetics; it&#;s about how your material performs in the hands of your audience&#;does it flop or does it hold its ground? Does it fade away or does it stand out?

Now, let&#;s get down to business.

Through this paper weight guide, we&#;ll equip you with the knowledge to select the perfect paper weight, ensuring your printed project not only looks the part but feels it too. And as you prepare to bring your vision to print, remember that PrintingCenterUSA is ready to assist you with fast, easy, and reliable printing services, complete with a free file review to ensure your project starts off on the right foot.

Now, let&#;s get into it.

The Official Paper Weight Guide

When it comes to printing, paper isn&#;t just a medium; it&#;s the fabric of your communication. The right choice can elevate your message, while the wrong one can diminish its impact. This guide will help you navigate the nuanced world of paper weights to ensure your project resonates with its intended audience.

Writing and Office Papers (20-50 lb | 75-90 gsm)

• 20 lb (75 gsm): Standard copy paper used for everyday printing and document reproduction. Perfect for internal memos and drafts where function trumps form.
• 24 lb (90 gsm): Preferred for business correspondence, this weight offers a slight upgrade in texture and durability. Ideal for those impressive-looking reports or proposals.
• 28-32 lb (105-120 gsm): This paper has a sturdier feel, suitable for professional documents like resumes and letterheads that require a touch of class and substance.

Text Papers (60-100 lb | 89-148 gsm)

• 60# Text (89 gsm): A step above standard office papers, offering better opacity and a higher quality feel. Suitable for professional reports, book internals, and high-volume magazines.
• 70# Text (104 gsm): With its superior thickness and opacity, this paper is perfect for high-quality full-color printing, ensuring minimal show-through. Ideal for company brochures and detailed catalogues.
• 80# Text (118 gsm): Offering a substantial feel without the rigidity of cardstock, this weight is excellent for premium magazines and corporate booklets that command attention.
• 100# Text (148 gsm): The go-to for luxurious prints, this heavyweight paper is best for high-end publications, art books, and quality flyers where image and touch are paramount.

Light Cardstocks (58-70 lb | 157-190 gsm)

• 58-60 lb (157-160 gsm): A bridge between paper and cardstock, this weight supports double-sided printing without show-through and is commonly used for more substantial flyers or presentations.
• 70 lb (190 gsm): The heft of this paper lends a premium feel to stationery and high-end worksheets. It&#;s also an excellent choice for print projects that require a more significant presence, such as deluxe company profiles or luxury program booklets.

Midweight Cardstocks (80-100 lb | 216 &#; 280 gsm)

• 80 lb (216 gsm): A versatile cardstock that works well for the covers of booklets, catalogs, and high-quality business brochures. It provides a sturdy base for embossing and other special post-printing effects.
• 90 lb (243 gsm): Ideal for top-end business cards that stand up to wear and tear, as well as for invitation cards. It&#;s thick enough to feel substantial but still flexible.
• 100 lb (270 gsm): Thick and resilient, this weight is frequently used for premium magazine covers, company report covers, and sturdy promotional postcards.

Heavy Cardstocks (110-130 lb | 298-352 gsm)

• 110 lb (298 gsm): This weight conveys a sense of luxury and is often used for heavyweight business cards, invitations, and announcement cards. It provides a substantial backdrop for vibrant colors and detailed graphics.
• 120 lb (325 gsm): Thick and durable, this cardstock is excellent for creating book covers, heavyweight photo prints, and high-end, stand-alone displays.
• 130 lb (352 gsm): The pinnacle of premium cardstock, suitable for the most luxurious business cards, package inserts, retail hang tags, and covers for exclusive documents.

Specialty Papers (140 lb and up | 378 gsm and more)

• 140 lb (378 gsm) and beyond: These papers enter the realm of board stock and are most commonly used for hardcover bookbinding, packaging solutions, and high-quality mounting boards. They offer unparalleled rigidity and weight, making them perfect for projects where maximum strength and protection are required.

Paper Weights Explained

Paper weight refers to the weight of a ream (500 sheets) of paper cut to a standard size. There are different measures of paper weight, including pounds (lb) and the metric grams per square meter (gsm). The &#;pound&#; measurement can be confusing because it doesn&#;t correspond directly to the actual weight of the paper, but rather the weight of the ream before it&#;s cut to size.

What Weight of Paper Should I Use?

The weight of paper you should use depends on the project at hand. Here&#;s a simple breakdown:

• 20-24 lb paper: Ideal for everyday use such as printing standard documents, reports, and forms.
• 28-32 lb paper: A step up in quality and feel, perfect for professional documents like business proposals where a little heft is appreciated.
• 40-100 lb paper: Commonly used for brochures, booklets, and flyers. Heavier paper weights within this range are excellent for covers or single-page handouts where durability and a premium feel are desired.

What is 32 lb Paper Used For?

32 lb paper strikes a balance between flexibility and the luxurious feel of thicker paper. It&#;s often used for professional presentations, high-quality reports, or resume printing where you want to make a good impression without the rigidity of cardstock.

Is 100 lb or 80 lb Paper Thicker?

100 lb paper is indeed thicker than 80 lb paper. The higher the weight, generally speaking, the thicker and sturdier the paper. 100 lb paper feels more substantial and is less transparent, making it ideal for high-end marketing materials and booklet covers.

Is 20 lb or 24 lb Paper Better?

&#;Better&#; is subjective and depends on the application. 24 lb paper is marginally thicker and more durable than 20 lb paper, which gives it a higher-quality feel. If you&#;re looking for something with a bit more professionalism for business correspondence or reports, 24 lb paper may be the better choice.

What is 40 lb Paper Used For?

40 lb paper is often utilized for projects that require a stiffer paper but not the full thickness of cardstock. This weight is typical for posters, lightweight booklets, and craft projects. It offers a good compromise between usability and substance.

Making the Right Choice for Your Project

Before choosing your paper weight, consider the following:

• Purpose and Use: Will it be handled frequently or mailed?
• Audience: Is it for a high-end clientele or more casual communication?
• Design: Will it include heavy ink coverage or imagery that might require a thicker paper to prevent show-through?
• Budget: Heavier papers often cost more, so balance quality with cost-effectiveness.

When you&#;re ready to print, whether you need a sturdy 100 lb cover for a luxurious catalog or a flexible 20 lb paper for your office needs, the decision is easier with a foundational understanding of paper weights.

Free Paper Sample Book!

Choosing the perfect paper has never been easier!

Our Paper Sample Swatch Book, included in a FREE sample pack, lets you fan through various paper weights and finishes with ease. Each grommeted book is your tactile guide to our extensive paper selection. Compare coatings and textures side by side and make confident choices. Order your free sample pack today at PrintingCenterUSA and feel the difference quality paper makes!

Remember, the right paper weight can elevate your project from ordinary to extraordinary. And for an unbeatable printing experience with guaranteed quality, visit PrintingCenterUSA. Don&#;t hesitate to utilize our free file review service to ensure your project prints perfectly on the paper weight of your choice. Get started today and make your print project a resounding success!

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What is the Basis Weight of Paper?

You have likely heard paper referred to by various names, such as Bond, Text, Cover, Index and others. These names refer to different categories of paper. Within each category there are various weights of paper.

Having a choice of different weights from each category helps people choose a paper with the density and thickness they desire for a given print project.

In the United States, a paper's weight is commonly expressed in pounds. Since the word "pound" is frequently abbreviated as "LB" or "lb", paper is often referred to as 20LB, 80lb, etc.

The "#" sign is another popular way to designate pounds, so you will also see paper weights being specified as 20#, 80#, and so on.

For more what is the difference between sublimation and heat transferinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Each category of paper has a fixed basic size, which represents the standard sheet size from which the weight of paper is figured. The basic size varies from category to category, but the Basis Weight of a given paper stock is always based on 500 sheets of the paper in its basic size.

For example, the basic size of Bond paper is 17" x 22". If 500 sheets of 17" x 22" Bond paper weigh a total of 20 pounds, then the paper is labeled as 20lb or 20#. If 500 sheets of 17" x 22" Bond paper weigh a total of 32 pounds, the paper is labeled as 32lb or 32#, and so on.

Similarly, the basic size of Cover paper is 20" x 26". If 500 sheets of 20" x 26" Cover paper weigh a total of 80 pounds, then the paper is labeled as 80lb or 80#. If 500 sheets of 20" x 26" Cover paper weigh a total of 100 pounds, then the paper is labeled as 100lb or 100#.

If you live in the US, you are probably familiar with paper sizes like 8.5" x 11", 8.5" x 14", and 17" x 11". These are common sizes of paper that have been trimmed down to make convenient and easy-to-handle bundles. It is important to note that these "cut sizes" do not represent a paper category's basic size. The basic sizes are much larger, as you can see in the list below...

The Basic Sizes of Common Paper Categories

• Bond Paper - 17" x 22"

• Book Paper - 25" x 38" (includes Offset and Text weight stocks)

• Cover Paper - 20" x 26"

• Index Paper - 25.5" x 30.5"

You will notice that the basic sheet sizes shown for these paper categories are all different. Because the basic paper sizes differ by category, this can make things a little confusing when first learning about paper stocks and the concepts of basis weight and basic size.

Papers within the same category share the same basic sheet size. So when comparing two or more papers within the same category, a higher weight will always translate to a thicker stock. For example, 28# Bond will be a thicker stock than 24# Bond.

However, we cannot compare the weights of papers from different categories and confidently state that one will always be heavier or lighter than the other. This is because the basic sheet sizes are different from category to category.

For example, one might be inclined to think that 50# Offset is thicker than 20# Bond, based on the weight of 50# being 2.5 times greater than 20#. However, these two stocks actually have the same nominal paper thicknesses of .004". This is because the 25" x 38" basic sheet size for Offset paper has about 2.5 times the area of the 17" x 22" basic sheet size for Bond Paper. In other words, the thicknesses of the two paper stocks are the same but the Offset is labeled as 50# and the Bond is labeled as 20# because the basic sheet size for Offset is about 2.5 times bigger than the basic sheet size for Bond. Hence, 500 basic sized sheets of the Offset weighs 2.5 times more than 500 basic sized sheets of the Bond.

Another example of a higher pound weight paper not being thicker than a lower pound weight paper is 110# Index vs 100# Cover. A sheet of 110# Index has a nominal thickness of . to .009" whereas 100# Cover is actually thicker, measuring around ." to .011" in thickness. Before reading this article you might have reasoned that the 110# Index would be thicker than the 100# Cover, but now you know that isn't the case because the Index category has a larger basic sheet size than the Cover category.

Grams per Square Meter (GSM)

Another system for expressing the basis weight of paper is Grams per Square Meter. Commonly abbreviated as GSM or gsm, the Grams per Square Meter method doesn't rely on a basic paper size. It simply provides the weight, in grams, of one square meter of paper. The higher the GSM, the higher the weight of the paper.

Being metric based, the GSM system is not as heavily used in the US as it is in other parts of the world...at least not yet.

Providing a few examples for reference, basic 20# Bond paper and 50# Offset paper both have a weight of 75 gsm. Likewise, 80# Text weighs 120 gsm, 110# Index weighs 200 gsm, and 100# Cover weighs 270 gsm.

Heavier Papers are often described using "Points"

Though some heavier cover stocks and cardstocks are described using the weight in pounds or gsm, others are described using the measured thickness (caliper) of the paper. The unit of measure for the thickness of these heavier stocks is usually shown as "Points", where one point equals 1/ths of an inch or .001".

For example, 10pt cardstock equates to a thickness of .010". Likewise, a 12pt stock is .012" thick, a 14pt stock is .014", a 16pt stock is .016" and so on.

While we're on the topic of thick stocks, it is probably a good time to mention that digital printing presses cannot usually print on paper that is thicker than 14pt. Also, most web-fed offset presses have an upper thickness limit of 8pt stock. Fortunately, most sheet-fed offset presses can handle cardstock thicknesses up to 24pt.

If you ever have a printing question, Color Vision is just a call away!

Like many industries, the printing trade has its share of confusing terminology. Hopefully, we have helped to clarify the meaning of Basis Weight as it pertains to paper.

Understanding the relative difference between various paper weights is important because it affects the paper's durability and print quality. It also contributes to the overall feel and perception of the finished product.

Should you have any questions or want to discuss an upcoming print project, give Color Vision a call at 800-543-.

Or, if you have your project's specifications handy and would like a quote, simply fill out our Quote Request form and we will a quote to you. As always, we look forward to assisting with your next print project!

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