Bond / Ledger Weight vs. Paper Caliper
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
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.
Paper Caliper (measured in Points / pt / mils / microns, standardized under TAPPI T 411 and ISO 534) is the direct measurement of paper thickness using a precision motorized micrometer under standardized mechanical pressure. In North American commercial packaging and business card production, 1 Point equals one-thousandth of an inch (0.001 in / 25.4 µm).
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 Point Definition
|
— | 1 Point (pt) = 0.001 inch = 1 mil = 25.4 micrometers (µm) |
|
Standard 20 lb Copy Paper Caliper
|
— | Approx. 3.8 to 4.0 pt (0.004 in / ~100 µm) |
|
Standard Book Paper Caliper (50 lb Text)
|
— | Approx. 4.5 to 5.2 pt (High-bulk paper reaches 5.5+ pt) |
|
Paperback Book Cover (C1S)
|
— | 10 pt to 12 pt (0.010 to 0.012 in / 254 to 305 µm) |
|
Standard US Postal Postcard Minimum
|
— | 7.0 pt (0.007 in / 178 µm — USPS minimum thickness to machine-sort) |
|
Standard Commercial Business Card
|
— | 14 pt to 16 pt (0.014 to 0.016 in / 355 to 406 µm) |
|
Ultra-Luxury Edge-Painted Business Card
|
— | 32 pt to 36 pt (0.032 to 0.036 in / ~800 to 900 µm — double-thick duplexed stock) |