Paper Weight Reference

Common weight, gsm, category, and scoring guidance

Common weight	Grade	gsm	Category	Typically suits	Scoring / folding guidance
20 lb bond (standard copy paper)	Bond / Writing / Ledger	75.2 gsm	Writing / copy weight	Copy, laser and inkjet paper, letterhead.	Folds cleanly by hand for a single crease; multiple crossing folds still benefit from a light score.
24 lb bond (premium inkjet/laser)	Bond / Writing / Ledger	90.2 gsm	Writing / copy weight	Copy, laser and inkjet paper, letterhead.	Folds cleanly by hand for a single crease; multiple crossing folds still benefit from a light score.
28 lb bond (heavy presentation paper)	Bond / Writing / Ledger	105.3 gsm	Heavy text / light card	Copy, laser and inkjet paper, letterhead.	Score any fold longer than a couple of inches, or the crease can show a faint pale line.
60 lb text (lightweight flyers)	Text / Book / Offset	88.8 gsm	Writing / copy weight	Book blocks, flyers, brochures, patterned craft paper.	Folds cleanly by hand for a single crease; multiple crossing folds still benefit from a light score.
70 lb text (patterned craft paper)	Text / Book / Offset	103.6 gsm	Heavy text / light card	Book blocks, flyers, brochures, patterned craft paper.	Score any fold longer than a couple of inches, or the crease can show a faint pale line.
80 lb text (book paper, brochures)	Text / Book / Offset	118.4 gsm	Heavy text / light card	Book blocks, flyers, brochures, patterned craft paper.	Score any fold longer than a couple of inches, or the crease can show a faint pale line.
100 lb text (heavy brochure stock)	Text / Book / Offset	148 gsm	Heavy text / light card	Book blocks, flyers, brochures, patterned craft paper.	Score any fold longer than a couple of inches, or the crease can show a faint pale line.
65 lb cover (light card base)	Cover / Cardstock	175.8 gsm	Cardstock	Greeting-card bases, covers, invitations.	Always score before folding — bend it unscored and the outer face cracks along the spine.
80 lb cover (standard card base)	Cover / Cardstock	216.3 gsm	Cardstock	Greeting-card bases, covers, invitations.	Always score before folding — bend it unscored and the outer face cracks along the spine.
100 lb cover (heavy card base)	Cover / Cardstock	270.4 gsm	Heavy cardstock / cover	Greeting-card bases, covers, invitations.	Score firmly, then run a bone folder along the closed fold; at the heaviest end, some crafters score both sides.
110 lb cover (display/portfolio board)	Cover / Cardstock	297.5 gsm	Heavy cardstock / cover	Greeting-card bases, covers, invitations.	Score firmly, then run a bone folder along the closed fold; at the heaviest end, some crafters score both sides.
90 lb index (light index cards)	Index	162.7 gsm	Cardstock	Stiff index and file cards.	Always score before folding — bend it unscored and the outer face cracks along the spine.
110 lb index (standard index cards)	Index	198.9 gsm	Cardstock	Stiff index and file cards.	Always score before folding — bend it unscored and the outer face cracks along the spine.
140 lb index (heavy index/tag)	Index	253.1 gsm	Heavy cardstock / cover	Stiff index and file cards.	Score firmly, then run a bone folder along the closed fold; at the heaviest end, some crafters score both sides.
100 lb tag (luggage/price tags)	Tag	162.7 gsm	Cardstock	Tags, tickets and sturdy board.	Always score before folding — bend it unscored and the outer face cracks along the spine.
67 lb bristol (light illustration board)	Bristol	146.9 gsm	Heavy text / light card	Smooth drawing and illustration board.	Score any fold longer than a couple of inches, or the crease can show a faint pale line.
100 lb bristol (heavy illustration board)	Bristol	219.3 gsm	Cardstock	Smooth drawing and illustration board.	Always score before folding — bend it unscored and the outer face cracks along the spine.
30 lb newsprint (practice/packing)	Newsprint	48.8 gsm	Tissue / very light	Practice folding, packing and patterns.	Folds with a fingernail; never needs scoring, and tears if creased twice in the same place.

Every gsm figure above is computed live by the same gsmFromBasisWeight()function the converter uses, from each row’s pound weight and grade — not a separately maintained table.

How this table is derived

US basis weight is the weight of a 500-sheet ream cut to a grade’s own basis size, and every grade uses a different basis size — bond at 17×22 in, text at 25×38 in, cover at 20×26 in, index at 25.5×30.5 in, and so on. That is why the same-sounding pound figure means something different in every row: 100 lb bond, 100 lb text, 100 lb cover, and 100 lb index are four genuinely different physical weights, and this table exists precisely to make that visible in gsm, the one measure that compares directly across every row regardless of grade.

Once a row has a gsm figure, the same plain-language category the converter reports — Writing/copy weight, Cardstock, Heavy cardstock/cover, and so on — is looked up from that gsm, and the scoring guidance in the last column is in turn looked up from that same category. Change the converter’s category boundaries and every row’s category, and the guidance attached to it, updates automatically — nothing in the guidance column is tied to an individual row by hand.

The “typically suits” column comes from the grade itself, not the specific weight — a 20 lb and a 28 lb bond sheet are both still bond paper, used for the same broad category of jobs, just at different stiffnesses within that grade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do the gsm figures in this table come from?

Every gsm figure is computed by the same gsmFromBasisWeight() function behind the Paper Weight Converter, from each row's pound weight and grade. Nothing here is a separately maintained number, so it can never quietly drift out of step with the converter above.

Why does '100 lb' mean something different in each row?

US basis weight is the weight of a 500-sheet ream cut to that grade's own basis size, and every grade — bond, text, cover, index, tag, bristol, newsprint — uses a different basis size. So 100 lb bond, 100 lb text, 100 lb cover, and 100 lb index are four genuinely different physical weights, which is exactly why this table always shows the grade next to the pound figure rather than the pound figure alone.

What do the weight categories mean in practice?

The category is a plain-language read on the gsm figure — Writing/copy weight, Cardstock, Heavy cardstock/cover, and so on — the same categorisation the converter uses. It's a faster way to judge what a sheet will feel like than comparing raw gsm numbers, especially for a grade you don't shop in often.

Should I always trust the scoring guidance over my own test fold?

No — treat it as a starting point. It is derived from the same category the converter reports for a given gsm, and that category is a strong general predictor, but caliper, coating, and grain direction can all shift how an individual sheet actually behaves. Fold one test piece from real stock before committing a full batch to a technique.

Reference only. Real production runs vary slightly from the nominal basis weight, and caliper, coating, and grain direction all affect how an individual sheet actually folds — treat this table as a starting point and test-fold unfamiliar stock before committing a full batch to one technique.

Use it with

Paper Weight Converter — convert any single gsm or pound figure on demand, for a weight not already listed above.
Understanding Paper Weights: GSM vs LB — why the two systems exist and how to read a supplier’s label.
Choosing a Paper Weight for Your Project — matching a weight to the job a project actually needs done.
Matching Your Scoring Technique to the Paper’s Weight — turning a weight and category into the right amount of scoring pressure.