Side-by-Side Comparison
Paper Weight & Grammage
Bond / Ledger Weight vs. GSM Grammage
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
Comparing:
Bond / Ledger Weight
GSM Grammage
Bond Paper (Basis Weight: Bond, standardized under TAPPI T 410) is a traditional North American paper weight grade defined as the weight in pounds (lbs) of a 500-sheet ream of uncut master sheets measuring 17 × 22 inches. Standard 20 lb and 24 lb Bond are the dominant office copy papers across the US and Canada.
GSM (Grams per Square Meter / g/m², standardized under ISO 536) is the universal metric measure of paper areal density. Defining the exact physical weight in grams of a 1-square-meter (A0) sheet, it provides a linear, universal scale that eliminates the confusion of different paper grades and sheet sizes.
Specification Comparison Table
14 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Master Parent Sheet Size
|
17.0 × 22.0 inches (yields four 8.5 × 11 in Letter sheets per master sheet) | — |
|
Standard Ream Basis
|
500 master sheets (17 × 22 in) | — |
|
20 lb Bond Equivalent
|
75.2 gsm (The ubiquitous standard US office copy machine paper) | — |
|
24 lb Bond Equivalent
|
90.3 gsm (Standard for commercial desktop inkjet/laser printing and corporate stationery) | — |
|
28 lb Bond Equivalent
|
105.3 gsm (Heavy presentation paper, double-sided color printing) | — |
|
32 lb Bond Equivalent
|
120.4 gsm (Premium cotton executive resume paper) | — |
|
Cross-Grade Equivalent
|
20 lb Bond = 50 lb Text = ~28 lb Cover | — |
|
Standard Metric Unit
|
— | g/m² (Grams per Square Meter — GSM) |
|
Standard Copy Paper
|
— | 80 gsm (Standard European/Asian office paper — ~20 lb to 22 lb US Bond) |
|
Premium Stationery / Letterhead
|
— | 100 to 120 gsm (Smooth premium corporate letterhead / resume paper) |
|
Flyers & Magazine Pages
|
— | 130 to 170 gsm (Semi-gloss / silk coated marketing flyers and magazine interiors) |
|
Greeting Cards & Booklet Covers
|
— | 200 to 250 gsm (Medium cardstock / folder covers) |
|
Heavy Business Cards & Postcards
|
— | 300 to 350 gsm (Heavy rigid cardstock / luxury business cards) |
|
Rigid Packaging Boxboard
|
— | 400+ gsm (Folding cartons, cosmetic boxes, presentation covers) |