Paper Weight Converter
Convert paper weight between US pounds (lb) and gsm — and finally see why 80 lb text and 80 lb cover are not the same thing.
Enter a weight and pick a stock type to convert.
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Paper weight FAQ
Need this done for you? We handle Print & Stationery for businesses across Buffalo and the Twin Cities.
Pounds (lb) is the US system, where weight is tied to a 500-sheet ream at a basis size that differs by stock. gsm (grams per square meter) is the universal metric measure and the reliable way to compare papers.
Because each US stock uses a different basis sheet size — text is 25x38, cover is 20x26, bond is 17x22. So 80 lb text and 80 lb cover are very different thicknesses. Pick the matching stock type for an accurate gsm.
Flyers are usually 100 lb gloss text; business cards run about 14-16 pt (roughly 350+ gsm cover); booklet covers are heavier than the inside pages. Tell us the piece and we will recommend a stock.
How to convert paper weight from lb to gsm
The rule of thumb: never compare US pound weights across different stock types. A paper’s pound rating is the weight of 500 sheets at that stock’s basis size — 25×38" for text, 20×26" for cover, 17×22" for bond — so the same number can describe very different sheets. Gsm (grams per square meter) weighs every paper against the same square meter, which makes it the one reliable way to compare stocks.
The math is a single multiplication. To convert pounds to gsm, multiply by the factor for your stock type: about 1.48 for text/book, 2.70 for cover/card, 3.76 for bond/writing, 1.88 for index, and 1.63 for tag. To go from gsm back to pounds, divide by the same factor. That’s exactly what the converter above does, rounded to the nearest whole number.
A worked example: 80 lb text is 80 × 1.48, or about 118 gsm. Run 80 lb cover through instead and you get 80 × 2.70, about 216 gsm — nearly twice the paper behind the same “80 lb” label. That’s why we spec every job by stock type and gsm when quoting print & stationery; if a printer’s quote has you second-guessing, send it over and we’ll translate.
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