Paper Basis Weights
Well, we’ve made it; this is the final blog about Paper Basis Weights wraps up our blogs on Paper Characteristics. I hope all of the information I have shared with you will help you plan your next creative project!
In this blog I will be discussing paper basis weights. This can be a confusing topic, so hopefully after you read this blog it will be easier to understand. There are two classifications when it comes to paper weight descriptions, basis weight and “M” weight.
Basis weight is the weight (measured in pounds) of 500 sheets of the paper in its basic sheet size. Keep in mind, each paper type will have a different basic size; thus, paper basis weights will differ between types of paper. For example, a text paper weight of 80# will be a lighter paper than an 80# cover paper. Paper can be purchased in its basic size, it can be purchased in pre-cut sizes, or cut to any size of your preference. The basis weight will remain the same – no matter what size you have selected.
Paper’s “M” weight is the weight (measured in pounds) of 1000 sheets of paper in the selected size.
Bond paper’s basis sheet size is 17 x 22. Basis weights for bond paper ranges from 16 pounds to 36 pounds.
Text paper’s basis sheet size is 25 x 38. Basis weight for text paper ranges from 50 pounds to 100 pounds.
Cover paper’s basis sheet size is 20 x 26. Basis weights for cover paper ranges from 60 pounds to 165 pounds.
Index’s basis sheet size is 25.5 x 30.5. Basis weights for index ranges from 90 pounds to 140 pounds.
Tag’s basis sheet size is 24 x 36. Basis weights for tag is 100 pounds to 150 pounds.
Selecting the right paper is very important for any printing project. I hope my blogs on paper characteristics will help you in selecting the right paper for your creative designs.
See the paper weight equivalency chart below. This has been very useful to me, especially when the paper shortage was causing a lot of paper not to be available in recent years. Hopefully you will find it useful too:
| ND | TEXT/BOOK | COVER | BRISTOL | INDEX | TAG | METRIC Weight |
| 16# | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 50 GSM |
| 20# | 50# | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 75 GSM |
| 24# | 60# | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 90 GSM |
| 28# | 70# | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 105 GSM |
| 32# | 80# | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 120 GSM |
| 36# | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 135 GSM |
| N/A | 100# | N/A | 67# | N/A | N/A | 148 GSM |
| N/A | N/A | 60# | N/A | 90# | 100# | 163 GSM |
| N/A | N/A | 65# | N/A | N/A | N/A | 176 GSM |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 110# | N/A | 199 GSM |
| N/A | N/A | 80# | N/A | N/A | N/A | 216 GSM |
| N/A | N/A | 90# | N/A | N/A | 150# | 244 GSM |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 140# | N/A | 253 GSM |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | 120# | N/A | N/A | 264 GSM |
| N/A | N/A | 100# | N/A | N/A | N/A | 271 GSM |
Visit DefyPaper’s website:
About DEFYPaper
DEFYPaper is proud to offer a large selection of paper products to meet all of your printing needs. DEFYPaper makes high-quality printing projects fast and simple. Do you have any questions? Or perhaps you need help selecting the perfect product for your business or organization. Maybe you would just like a sample of Neenah Environment. For this and more, contact one of our DEFYPaper experts. Call 1-800-486-3435 or email Info@defypaper.com. Visit us at defypaper.com.