Reference & calculators
Paper Weight Calculator
Convert US basis weights, calculate per-piece and order weights, and compare equivalent commercial stocks. Everything runs in your browser.
Paper and job inputs
Grammage
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Per piece
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Ream · 500
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M-weight · 1,000
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Order total · 500 pcs
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Same paper in other stocks
Paper reference
Paper terminology
A practical glossary for comparing stocks and understanding how paper choices affect printing, folding, binding, and mailing.
- Basis weight
- The weight in pounds of 500 sheets at a stock category’s standard basis size. Because each category uses a different basis size, 80# text is not the same as 80# cover.
- Basis size
- The standard parent-sheet dimensions used to define a US basis weight. It is a reference size, not necessarily the sheet size being printed or delivered.
- GSM
- Grams per square meter. Unlike basis weight, GSM uses the same area for every paper category, making it the clearest way to compare stock weights across text, cover, bond, and other grades.
- Caliper
- The physical thickness of one sheet, commonly stated in points or mils; one point equals 0.001 inch. Caliper affects folding, scoring, binding, and mailing, and cannot be inferred from GSM alone.
- Ream and M-weight
- A standard ream is 500 sheets. M-weight is the weight of 1,000 sheets at the selected sheet size—the “M” comes from the Roman numeral for one thousand.
- Text vs. cover
- Text stocks are generally lighter and suited to interior pages, brochures, and flyers. Cover stocks are generally heavier and used for covers, cards, folders, and other pieces needing stiffness.
- Coated vs. uncoated
- Coated paper has a sealed surface that produces sharper detail and stronger ink holdout. Uncoated paper is more porous, tactile, and usually easier to write on.
- C1S and C2S
- Coated one side and coated two sides. C1S is common when one face needs a polished print surface and the reverse needs to remain writable or glue-friendly.
- Finish
- The paper’s surface character or sheen, such as gloss, dull, satin, matte, smooth, or vellum. Finish changes color appearance, readability, tactile feel, and writing performance.
- Brightness
- A measurement of how much blue light the sheet reflects. Higher brightness often makes printed color feel more vivid, but it is not the same as whiteness or the paper’s warm-to-cool color tone.
- Opacity
- The sheet’s resistance to show-through. Higher opacity is useful for two-sided printing and can make a lighter paper perform like a heavier stock in books, manuals, and direct mail.
- Grain direction
- The direction most paper fibers align. Folding parallel to the grain usually produces a cleaner fold with less cracking; grain direction also affects stiffness and binding behavior.