Paper Weight Conversion Chart

Paper Weight Definitions

Before choosing a stock, check how its weight and thickness are measured. Use the terms below to compare paper types, confirm whether a sheet will feel flexible or rigid, and select the right option for your printed piece.

Basis Weight: Check the weight of 500 sheets at the paper’s standard basic size. Bond, cover, index, and tag stocks use different sheet sizes, so compare categories carefully.

Caliper: Use a caliper to judge the physical thickness of one sheet. A higher caliper works better for pieces that need more structure, while a lower caliper suits projects that need to fold, bend, or move through mailing equipment.

Equivalent Weight: Equivalent weights help match bond, offset, cover, index, tag, and other stocks even though their pound ratings differ.

GSM: Grams per square meter measures paper weight using a consistent metric system. Unlike basis weight, GSM does not change based on the paper category or basic sheet size.

Points: Points measure paper thickness rather than weight. One point equals one-thousandth of an inch, so a 14 pt stock is approximately 0.014 inches thick.

Basic Size Chart

Find the paper type you are working with, then check its standard basic sheet size. Since bond, cover, index, tag, and offset papers are weighed from different sheet dimensions, the same pound value can produce a very different stock.

Type of Paper	Basic Size
"Bond"	17" x 22"
Ledger
Mimeo
Duplicator
Rag Paper
"Offset"	25" x 38"
Book
Text
Coated Paper
"Cover"	20" x 26"
"Tag Stock"	24" x 36"
"Index"	25-1/2" x 30-1/2"

Paper Weight Conversion Chart

Already know one measurement? Use the chart to trace that row across bond, offset, cover, tag, index, points, caliper, millimeters, and GSM.

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

Choosing the Right Paper Weight

Match the stock to how the finished piece will be used. Lighter papers work well for letterheads, flyers, and booklet pages, while heavier options provide more structure for business cards, postcards, covers, presentation folders, and direct mail pieces. Digiprint can help you balance thickness, foldability, mailing requirements, print quality, and budget before production begins.