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How To Make - Paper weights and conversion tables

📐 Paper Weights & Conversion Guide

Paper weights can be confusing—so we’ve compiled a clean, easy-to-read reference chart that compares common weights across systems, explains industry terms, and helps you find the perfect stock for your project.

🧾 Common Paper Weights

  • 60 gsm / 16 lb: Very thin, like newsprint.
  • 70 gsm / 19 lb: Light magazine or booklet paper.
  • 80 gsm / 21 lb: Standard copy paper weight.
  • 90 gsm / 24 lb: Slightly heavier—great for resumes.
  • 100 gsm / 27 lb: Used for flyers, premium prints.
  • 120 gsm / 32 lb: Brochures, certificates, or cards.
  • 150 gsm / 40 lb: Covers, postcards, and heavy flyers.
  • 200 gsm / 54 lb: Thick posters or display sheets.
  • 300 gsm / 81 lb: Premium cards or product packaging.

📘 Glossary of Paper Terms

  • Basis Weight: The weight in pounds of 500 sheets at the paper’s standard size. This varies by category (e.g., Bond vs. Cover).
  • Caliper: Thickness of one sheet, measured in thousandths of an inch (mils). Higher caliper = thicker paper.
  • Equivalent Weight: A conversion method to compare weights across paper categories with different base sizes.

📏 Basis Sheet Sizes by Paper Type

Type Basic Size (500 Sheets)
Bond, Ledger, Mimeo, Duplicator, Rag Paper 17" × 22"
Offset, Book, Text, Coated Paper 25" × 38"
Cover 20" × 26"
Tag Stock 24" × 36"
Index 25.5" × 30.5"

📊 Paper Weight Conversion Chart – Equivalent Across Categories

Use this guide to convert paper weight across Bond, Text, Cover, Tag, Index, and Metric values. This is especially helpful when comparing stock between vendors or planning a consistent print look across different material types. *Values are approximate.

Bond Offset / Text Cover Tag Index Points Caliper (in) mm GSM
16 40 22 37 33 3.2 .0032 0.081 60.2
18 45 24 41 37 3.6 .0036 0.092 67.72
20 50 28 46 42 3.8 .0038 0.097 75.2
24 60 33 56 50 4.8 .0048 0.12 90.3
28 70 39 64 58 5.8 .0058 0.147 105.35
29 73 40 62 60 6 .0060 0.152 109.11
31 81 45 73 66 6.1 .0061 0.155 116.63
35 90 48 80 74 6.2 .0062 0.157 131.68
36 90 50 82 75 6.8 .0068 0.173 135.45
39 100 54 90 81 7.2 .0072 0.183 146.73
40 100 56 93 83 7.3 .0073 0.185 150.5
43 110 60 100 90 7.4 .0074 0.188 161.78
44 110 61 102 92 7.6 .0076 0.193 165.55
47 120 65 108 97 8 .0078 0.198 176.83
53 135 74 122 110 9 .0085 0.216 199.41
54 137 75 125 113 9 .009 0.229 203.17
58 146 80 134 120 9.5 .0092 0.234 218.22
65 165 90 150 135 10 .0095 0.241 244.56
67 170 93 156 140 10.5 .010 0.25 252.08
72 183 100 166 150 11 .011 0.289 270.9
76 192 105 175 158 13 .013 0.33 285.95
82 208 114 189 170 14 .014 0.356 308.52
87 220 120 200 180 15 .015 0.38 312
105 267 146 244 220 18 .0175 0.445 385.06

* Note: Caliper may vary by ±5–7% depending on manufacturing tolerances.

🌍 International Metric Paper Sizes – ISO Standard

These paper sizes follow the ISO 216 standard and are commonly used internationally. The most familiar is A4, used in most printers and documents worldwide.

Size Width (mm) Height (mm) Width (inches) Height (inches)
A0 841 1189 33.11 46.81
A1 594 841 23.39 33.11
A2 420 594 16.54 23.39
A3 297 420 11.69 16.54
A4 210 297 8.27 11.69
A5 148 210 5.83 8.27
A6 105 148 4.13 5.83
A7 74 105 2.91 4.13
B0 1028 1456 40.48 57.32
B1 728 1028 28.66 40.48
B2 514 728 20.24 28.66
B3 364 514 14.33 20.24
B4 257 364 10.12 14.33
B5 182 257 7.17 10.12
B6 128 182 5.04 7.17

📨 Commercial / Official Envelopes (Commercial Flap)

No. Inches Millimeters
6¼ 3½ × 6 89 × 152
6¾ 3⅝ × 6½ 92 × 165
7 3¾ × 6¾ 95 × 171
Monarch (pointed flap) 3⅞ × 7½ 98 × 191
8⅝ 3⅝ × 8⅝ 92 × 219
9 3⅞ × 8⅞ 98 × 225
10 4⅛ × 9½ 105 × 241
11 4½ × 10⅜ 114 × 264
12 4¾ × 11 121 × 279
14 5 × 11½ 127 × 292

📚 Booklet Envelopes (Wallet Flap)

No. Inches Millimeters
3 4¾ × 6½ 121 × 165
5 5½ × 8⅛ 140 × 206
6 5¾ × 8⅞ 146 × 225
6½ 6 × 9 152 × 229
6⅝ 6 × 9½ 152 × 241
6¾ 6½ × 9½ 165 × 241
7¼ 7 × 10 178 × 254
7½ 7½ × 10½ 191 × 267
9 8¾ × 11½ 222 × 292
9½ 9 × 12 229 × 305
10 9½ × 12⅝ 241 × 321
13 10 × 13 254 × 330

🪟 Window Envelopes (Commercial Flap)

No. Inches Millimeters
6¼ 3½ × 6 89 × 152
6¾ 3⅝ × 6½ 92 × 165
7 3¾ × 6¾ 95 × 171
Monarch 3⅞ × 7½ 98 × 191
8⅝ 3⅝ × 8⅝ 92 × 219
9 3⅞ × 8⅞ 98 × 225
10 4⅛ × 9½ 105 × 241
11 4½ × 10⅜ 114 × 264
12 4¾ × 11 121 × 279
14 5 × 11½ 127 × 292

📣 Announcement Envelopes (Square Flap)

No. Inches Millimeters
A-2 4⅜ × 5¾ 111 × 146
A-6 4¾ × 6½ 121 × 165
A-7 5¼ × 7¼ 133 × 184
A-8 5½ × 8⅛ 140 × 206
A-9 5¾ × 8¾ —
A-10 6 × 9½ 152 × 241
Slimline 3⅞ × 8⅞ 98 × 225

💌 Baronial Envelopes (Pointed Flap)

No. Inches Millimeters
4 3⅝ × 5⅛ 92 × 130
5 4⅛ × 5½ 105 × 140
5½ 4⅜ × 5¾ 111 × 146
6 4¾ × 6½ 121 × 165
Lee 5¼ × 7¼ 133 × 184

🖨️ Helpful Guidelines for Inkjet Paper Use

  • Let your paper acclimate for at least 48 hours in the environment it will be used.
  • Store unused sheets flat in a resealable package away from moisture or heat.
  • Ideal storage: 70–80°F with 50% relative humidity.
  • Before printing, fan the sheets on all sides to reduce sticking and feeding issues.
  • Feed one sheet at a time—avoid stacking materials.
  • Use manual feed trays or the straightest path through your printer when possible.

📏 U.S. to Metric Conversion Charts

Length & Distance

  • Inches × 2.54 = Centimeters
  • Feet × 30.48 = Centimeters
  • Miles × 1.609 = Kilometers
  • Centimeters × 0.394 = Inches
  • Meters × 1.094 = Yards
  • Kilometers × 0.621 = Miles

Weight

  • Pounds × 0.454 = Kilograms
  • Tons × 0.907 = Metric Tons
  • Kilograms × 2.205 = Pounds
  • Metric Tons × 1.102 = Tons

Surface Area

  • Sq. Feet × 0.093 = Sq. Meters
  • Sq. Miles × 2.590 = Sq. Kilometers
  • Sq. Cm × 0.155 = Sq. Inches
  • Sq. Km × 0.386 = Sq. Miles

Temperature

  • °F → Subtract 32 × 5/9 = °C
  • °C → Multiply by 9/5 + 32 = °F

🔢 Decimal Equivalents Chart

Fraction = Decimal
1/64 = 0.015625
1/16 = 0.0625
1/8 = 0.125
3/16 = 0.1875
1/4 = 0.25
5/16 = 0.3125
3/8 = 0.375
7/16 = 0.4375
1/2 = 0.5
9/16 = 0.5625
5/8 = 0.625
11/16 = 0.6875
3/4 = 0.75
13/16 = 0.8125
7/8 = 0.875
15/16 = 0.9375
1 = 1.0