Side-by-Side Comparison
Paper Weight & Grammage
Cover / Cardstock Weight vs. GSM Grammage
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
Comparing:
Cover / Cardstock Weight
GSM Grammage
Cover Paper (Basis Weight: Cover / Cardstock, standardized under TAPPI T 410) is a heavy North American paperboard grade defined as the weight in pounds of a 500-sheet ream of uncut master sheets measuring 20 × 26 inches. It is standard for paperback book covers, business cards, presentation folders, and retail packaging.
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
|
20.0 × 26.0 inches (yields four 10 × 13 in folder covers) | — |
|
Standard Ream Basis
|
500 master sheets (20 × 26 in) | — |
|
60 lb Cover Equivalent
|
162.3 gsm (Light cardstock, index dividers) | — |
|
65 lb Cover Equivalent
|
175.8 gsm (Standard lightweight greeting card / direct mail postcard stock) | — |
|
80 lb Cover Equivalent
|
216.4 gsm (Standard commercial trade paperback covers, presentation folders — equals 216 gsm) | — |
|
100 lb Cover Equivalent
|
270.5 gsm (Heavy premium trade book covers, retail hang tags, quality business cards) | — |
|
120 lb Cover / 130 lb Cover
|
324 to 352 gsm (Ultra-thick luxury business cards, rigid packaging cartons) | — |
|
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) |