Cover / Cardstock Weight vs. Paper Caliper
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
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.
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
|
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 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) |