Paper weight
55 gsm paper
55 gsm paper equals 14.6 lb bond, 37.2 lb text or 20.3 lb cover. Typical uses: book interiors (lightweight), notebooks, forms. Common in mass-market and long paperbacks to control thickness and postage.
14.6 lbbond / writing
37.2 lbtext / book
20.3 lbcover
≈ 69 µmthickness (uncoated)
Equivalent US basis weights
| Grade | Pounds | Basic sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Bond / Writing | 14.6 lb | 17 x 22 in |
| Text / Book / Offset | 37.2 lb | 25 x 38 in |
| Cover | 20.3 lb | 20 x 26 in |
| Index | 30.4 lb | 25.5 x 30.5 in |
| Bristol | 25.1 lb | 22.5 x 28.5 in |
| Newsprint / Tag | 33.8 lb | 24 x 36 in |
Estimated thickness and pages per inch
| Paper type | Caliper | Points (mil) | Pages per inch | Spine for 300 pp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uncoated offset | 69 µm | 2.7 pt | 739 PPI | 0.406 in |
| Bulky book paper | 82 µm | 3.2 pt | 616 PPI | 0.487 in |
| Coated (gloss/silk) | 50 µm | 1.9 pt | 1,026 PPI | 0.292 in |
Caliper ≈ grammage × bulk. Ask your printer for the measured caliper of the actual stock.
Sheet and ream weights
| Sheet | One sheet | Ream (500 sheets) |
|---|---|---|
| A4 | 3.43 g | 1.72 kg |
| US Letter | 3.32 g | 3.7 lb |
What it is used for
Book interiors (lightweight), notebooks, forms. Common in mass-market and long paperbacks to control thickness and postage.