Paper is measured in pounds per 500 sheets (one Ream of paper) of a standard size of sheet based on the group or category of papers the grade. The different types of grades are Bond, Book, Text, Cover etc. Each group of the grade of paper is assigned a standard size that all weights are referred to. The basics of this standard are as follows:
Bond has a standard size of 17 x 22" and this is the size that is measured for 500 sheets. If 500 sheets of this size weigh 20lbs., then the paper is classified as a 20lb. bond. Heavier and lighter stocks will obviously be thicker or thinner than the 20lb. Therefore 16lb. Bond or 24lb. Bond will be the variations on this.
Now the confusion... the weight of 500 sheets of the standard sheet size (also known as the basis size) is commonly known as the paper's basis weight and is always noted as a weight in lbs.
Seeing that the above only offers a vague indication to the thickness or the weight of the actual size, further confusion awaits !
A sheet size different than the above is calculated as a fraction or multiple of the basis weight and is normally noted for 1,000 sheets rather than 500. The weight thus calculated of the acutal sheet size is always noted in weight per thousand (M in roman numerals) and therefore said to be 19 X 25" - 100M meaning that 1,000 sheets of 19 x 25" will weigh 100 lbs.
Bond
Bond stocks (often referred to as "Writing") traditionally are uncoated stocks and are normally used around the office such as letterheads, photo copier and laser printer paper. The standard weight utilized is 20lb., with 24lb. being the heavier alternative, and 16lb. being the lighter alternative.
Bond stocks (often referred to as "Writing") traditionally are uncoated stocks and are normally used around the office such as letterheads, photo copier and laser printer paper. The standard weight utilized is 20lb., with 24lb. being the heavier alternative, and 16lb. being the lighter alternative.
Writing is a grade similar to bond, but made with a shorter fiber, yielding a softer sheet which can be made with a variety of finishes and which accepts ink more readily. Writing is generally more expensive than bond and is used for higher end applications like company stationery. Some bond and writing papers have distinctive watermarks in the sheet.
Uncoated offset is made specifically for the rigors of commercial offset presses and is often used for the same applications as bond.
The basis size of bond/writing papers is 17 x 22", whereas offset papers is 25 x 38".
| Equivalent bond/writing and offset weights: | ||
16# bond or writing
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=
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40# offset
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20# bond or writing
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=
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50# offset
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24# bond or writing
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=
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60# offset
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28# bond or writing
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=
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70# offset
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32# bond or writing
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=
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80# offset
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Book
Both Coated and Uncoated stocks are available under the category of Book Papers. Weights vary from 30lb. bible stock (very thin - mostly utilized for bibles) to a maximum around 115lbs. This classification is the most common for posters, catalogues, booklets and publication magazines.
Both Coated and Uncoated stocks are available under the category of Book Papers. Weights vary from 30lb. bible stock (very thin - mostly utilized for bibles) to a maximum around 115lbs. This classification is the most common for posters, catalogues, booklets and publication magazines.
The basis size of Book papers is 25 x 38"
Text
Gaining on quality above the book grades, Text stocks are utilized in projects requiring a better grade of paper and usually range from a low of around 60lb to a high of 100lb.
Gaining on quality above the book grades, Text stocks are utilized in projects requiring a better grade of paper and usually range from a low of around 60lb to a high of 100lb.
The basis size of Text papers is 25 x 38"
Cover
Cover papers, as the name denotes, is heavier and is utilized for post cards, business cards, rack cards, door hangers etc. The ranges of weights for Cover are from a low of 60lb. to a high of just over 100lb.
Cover papers, as the name denotes, is heavier and is utilized for post cards, business cards, rack cards, door hangers etc. The ranges of weights for Cover are from a low of 60lb. to a high of just over 100lb.
The basis size of Cover papers is 24 x 36"
- 100 lb White Matte Cardstock: Heavy weight thickness with a matte finish that feels uncoated to the touch, defined as true fine stationery cardstock
- 100 lb Recycled White Smooth Matte Cardstock: Heavy weight thickness with a matte finish, a slight sheen and a smooth texture. The Tiny Prints recycled paper consists of 50% recycled content (30% of which is made from post-consumer waste fibers), and is completely acid-free and chlorine-free.
- 110 lb White Matte Cardstock: Extra heavy weight thickness with a matte finish that feels uncoated to the touch, defined as true fine stationery cardstock
- 110 lb White Smooth Matte Cardstock: Extra heavy weight thickness with a matte finish, defined as true fine stationery cardstock, that is coated with a non-gloss protective coating for extra durability, ideal for large format folded cards. Please note, if you would like to write inside your folded cards, we recommend using a ballpoint stick pen or a Sharpie. Please be careful when using a gel pen, rollerball pen, felt-tip pen, or any other liquid-ink based pens as there is a tendency for the ink to smudge if it is not completely dry.
Paper Weight Table
Arranged from Lightest to Heaviest Papers
| Paper Example | Pound | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Translucent Vellum Paper | 17# text | 64 g/m² |
| Copy Paper | 20# text | 75 g/m² |
| Linen Paper (common in resumes) | 70# text | 104 g/m² |
| Index Card | 110# text | 200 g/m² |
| Linen Card Stock | 80# card stock | 216 g/m² |
| High Quality Stationery | 100# card stock | 264 g/m² |
Basis weight is a much older convention for defining the weight of paper and was widely used in the UK and Europe as well as in North America, where it is still used, up until the international standardisation of paper sizes by ISO 216 and its national predecessors in European countries.
Basis weight is defined as the weight of a ream of the uncut paper in pounds (lb) (Note: the # is often used in place of lb when referring to basis weights). The uncut paper sizes being the size used in the manufacturing process before the paper was cut to size. There are many different types of uncut paper, those in common use for the production of office paper and card are Bond Stock, Cover Stock and Index Stock. The word Stock is often dropped when referring to the different types of paper in their finished cut sizes.
Thus if you have a sheet of 20lb Bond Letter paper it will be the exactly the same thickness as 20lb Bond Legal, although the two sheets will weigh different amounts because of the difference in size. However a sheet of 28lb Bond Letter size paper would not be the same as a sheet of 28lb Cover Letter size paper as the uncut sizes for Bond and Cover aare different.
Paper that is used in offices is most commonly 20lb or 24lb Bond. Often suppliers will omit the words Bond and just give the basis weight as 20lb or 24lb, although Index and Cover are almost invariably used as this differentiates the other types from the 'default' Bond. 60lb and 65lb Cover and 90lb and 110lb Index are types of light to medium card often used as file dividers, with 80lb, 90lb and 100lb Cover being heavier weight card.
Newspaper has its own stock type, Newsprint, that measures 24" x 36" in uncut size. This is much larger than the Bond and Cover uncut sizes, thus the most common 30lb Newsprint is actually a much thinner paper than 20lb bond. The following page covers the different stock types generally available.
Tiny Prints Paper Weight Table
When we describe the weight of the paper, we use the following weight categories to help you understand the weight and thickness of the paper.
| Tiny Prints Definition | Pound | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Light Weight | <110# text | <200 g/m² |
| Light Weight | 110# text | 200 g/m² |
| Medium Weight | 80# card stock | 216 g/m² |
| Heavy Weight | 100# card stock | 264 g/m² |
| Extra Heavy Weight | >= 110# card stock | >= 300 g/m² |
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