Paper Conversion and Paper Weight
PAPER CONVERSION, PAPER WEIGHT CHART, TO COMPARE THE BOOK PRINTING STOCK WE USE.
Paper conversion and paper weight explained …
PAPER WEIGHT AND PAPER CONVERSION — GRAMS PER SQUARE METER, TO POINTS AND POUNDS
Text stock versus cover stock: The coated stock (first chart below) is for text stock, notcover stock. For instance, business cards are most often printed on a paper weight of 80 lb cover stock. If they were printed on 80 lb text stock, they would be very thin business cards! 80 lb text and 80 lb cover paper weight stock are different thicknesses. Also see “Converting…” at the bottom of this paper conversion page.
PAPER WEIGHT CHART:
COATED STOCK — GLOSS ART OR MATTE ART FOR COFFEE TABLE BOOKS
- 54 lb text wt = 80 gsm
- 61 lb text wt = 90 gsm
- 68 lb text wt = 100 gsm
- 82 lb text wt = 120 gsm
- 101 lb text wt = 150 gsm
- 122 lb text wt = 180 gsm
- 135 lb text wt = 200 gsm
UNCOATED STOCK — WOOD FREE (OFFSET) NOVELS, CHILDREN’S BOOKS
- 54 lb text wt = 80 gsm
- 68 lb text wt = 100 gsm
- 81 lb text wt = 120 gsm
- 95 lb text wt = 140 gsm
- 122 lb text wt = 180 gsm
PERFECT BOUND COVER STOCK — ART BOARD; C1S, C2S, GLOSS ART, MATTE ART, AND WOOD FREE
- 8 pt cover wt = 190 gsm (actual stock closest is 180 gsm)
- 9 pt cover wt = 210 gsm (actual stock closest is 200 gsm)
- 10 pt cover wt = 230 gsm (actual stock closest is 250 gsm)
- 12 pt cover wt = 260 gsm (actual stock closest is 250 gsm)
- 14 pt cover wt = 310 gsm (actual stock closest is 300 gsm)
- 16 pt cover wt = 350 gsm
- 18 pt cover wt = 400 gsm
HARDCOVER BINDING BOARD — GREY BOARD FOR HARDCOVER BOOKS
- 60 pt = 16 oz. = 1.4 mm = 1,000 gsm
- 65 pt = 20 oz. = 1.8 mm = 1,100 gsm
- 70 pt = 24 oz. = 2.0 mm = 1,200 gsm
- 80 pt = 28 oz. = 2.25 mm = 1,400 gsm
- 88 pt = 32 oz. = 2.5 mm = 1,600 gsm
- 92 pt = 36 oz. = 2.8 mm = 1,700 gsm
- 98 pt = 40 oz. = 3.0 mm = 1,800 gsm
- 140 pt = 48 oz. = 3.4 mm = 2,200 gsm
PAPER CONVERSION FOR PAPER WEIGHT. CONVERTING USA LBS TO THE NEAREST ASIA OR EUROPEAN GSM EQUIVALENT? USE THESE FORMULAS TO GET THE ANSWERS.
Text stock, paper conversion: multiply lbs by 1.5 to arrive at the gsm
Cover stock, paper conversion: multiply lbs by 2.70 to arrive at the gsm
Examples: be aware that your paper weight answer might be approximate
lbs to gsm: 60 lb text stock multiplied by 1.5 = 90 gsm. However, 90 gsm is not standard, so the closest paper conversion is to 100 grams per square meter stock.
gsm to lbs: 120 gsm text stock divided by 1.5 = 80 lbs. 120 grams per square meter paper conversion translates to 80 lb stock.