Paper Caliper vs. Text / Book Weight
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
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).
Text Paper (Basis Weight: Text / Book / Offset, standardized under TAPPI T 410) is a North American commercial printing paper grade defined as the weight in pounds of a 500-sheet ream of uncut master sheets measuring 25 × 38 inches. It is standard for commercial book interiors, magazines, brochures, and marketing collateral.
Specification Comparison Table
14 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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) | — |
|
Master Parent Sheet Size
|
— | 25.0 × 38.0 inches (yields sixteen 6 × 9 in trade book pages per master sheet) |
|
Standard Ream Basis
|
— | 500 master sheets (25 × 38 in) |
|
50 lb Text Equivalent
|
— | 74.0 gsm (Standard lightweight trade paperback novel interior paper — equals 20 lb Bond) |
|
60 lb Text Equivalent
|
— | 88.8 gsm (Standard quality trade non-fiction book paper — equals 24 lb Bond) |
|
70 lb Text Equivalent
|
— | 103.6 gsm (Heavier illustrated textbook and booklet interior paper) |
|
80 lb Text Equivalent
|
— | 118.4 gsm (Standard commercial full-color brochure and magazine paper) |
|
100 lb Text Equivalent
|
— | 148.0 gsm (Heavy premium annual report and high-end marketing collateral paper) |