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Paper Weight Calculator

Convert paper weight in gsm to thickness in millimetres and microns, and work out what one sheet or a whole job weighs.

Paper is sold by weight and used by thickness, and the two are not the same number. This calculator converts a paper weight in grams per square metre into an approximate caliper in millimetres and microns, then weighs a single sheet and a whole print run. It is the tool to reach for before you mail a hundred invitations, because the postage band depends on the total weight and the total weight depends on the gsm.

At a glance

What you enter
Sheet size, Custom sheet width, Custom sheet height, Paper weight, How many sheets, Bulk factor
What you get
Approximate caliper, Approximate caliper, Weight of one sheet, Weight of one sheet, Weight of the whole job, Weight of the whole job, Weight of the whole job, Sheets in a kilogram, Sheets in a pound, Thickness of the stack, Thickness of the stack, Weight band
Formula shown
Yes, every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy
Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples โ†“ Read the FAQ โ†“ Share this calculator โ†“

Sheet size

Custom uses the width and height below.

Only used when the sheet size above is set to Custom.

Only used when the sheet size above is set to Custom.

The grams per square metre figure on the ream wrapper.

One for a normal uncoated paper. Below one for coated stock, which is denser, and above one for felt or heavily textured paper.

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Paper Weight Calculator

  1. 1 Enter Sheet size, Custom uses the width and height below.
  2. 2 Enter Custom sheet width (mm), Only used when the sheet size above is set to Custom.
  3. 3 Enter Custom sheet height (mm), Only used when the sheet size above is set to Custom.
  4. 4 Enter Paper weight (gsm), The grams per square metre figure on the ream wrapper.
  5. 5 Enter How many sheets
  6. 6 Enter Bulk factor, One for a normal uncoated paper. Below one for coated stock, which is denser, and above one for felt or heavily textured paper.
  7. 7 Press Calculate. You get Approximate caliper, Approximate caliper, Weight of one sheet, Weight of one sheet, Weight of the whole job, Weight of the whole job, Weight of the whole job, Sheets in a kilogram, Sheets in a pound, Thickness of the stack, Thickness of the stack, Weight band, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
  8. 8 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

A ream of 80 gsm A4

Five hundred sheets of standard copier paper.

You enter

Sheet size
1
Custom sheet width
0 mm
Custom sheet height
0 mm
Paper weight
80 gsm
How many sheets
500
Bulk factor
1

You get

Approximate caliper
0.08 mm
Approximate caliper
80.00 micron
Weight of one sheet
4.99 g
Weight of one sheet
0.18 oz
Weight of the whole job
2,494.80 g
Weight of the whole job
2.49 kg
Weight of the whole job
5.50 lb
Sheets in a kilogram
200.42
Sheets in a pound
90.91
Thickness of the stack
40.00 mm
Thickness of the stack
1.57 in
Weight band
4

About 4.99 grams a sheet and 2.49 kilograms for the ream, at a caliper of 0.08 millimetres.

Open this example in the calculator โ†’

A hundred 300 gsm A6 cards

Heavy card cut down to A6, which is the size of a small invitation. A5 is the sheet size selected here, so halve the per sheet figure for A6.

You enter

Sheet size
2
Custom sheet width
0 mm
Custom sheet height
0 mm
Paper weight
300 gsm
How many sheets
100
Bulk factor
1

You get

Approximate caliper
0.30 mm
Approximate caliper
300.00 micron
Weight of one sheet
9.32 g
Weight of one sheet
0.33 oz
Weight of the whole job
932.40 g
Weight of the whole job
0.93 kg
Weight of the whole job
2.06 lb
Sheets in a kilogram
107.25
Sheets in a pound
48.65
Thickness of the stack
30.00 mm
Thickness of the stack
1.18 in
Weight band
4

An A5 sheet of 300 gsm card is 9.36 grams, so an A6 card is about 4.68 grams and the hundred weigh about 468 grams.

Open this example in the calculator โ†’

Coated card measured against the rule of thumb

A 350 gsm coated card, where the coating makes the sheet denser than the rule assumes.

You enter

Sheet size
1
Custom sheet width
0 mm
Custom sheet height
0 mm
Paper weight
350 gsm
How many sheets
250
Bulk factor
0.90

You get

Approximate caliper
0.32 mm
Approximate caliper
315.00 micron
Weight of one sheet
21.83 g
Weight of one sheet
0.77 oz
Weight of the whole job
5,457.38 g
Weight of the whole job
5.46 kg
Weight of the whole job
12.03 lb
Sheets in a kilogram
45.81
Sheets in a pound
20.78
Thickness of the stack
78.75 mm
Thickness of the stack
3.10 in
Weight band
4

The bulk factor of 0.9 pulls the caliper back to about 0.315 millimetres, which is closer to a coated card than 0.35 would be.

Open this example in the calculator โ†’

Frequently asked questions

How thick is 300 gsm paper?
About 0.30 millimetres, or 300 microns, for a normal uncoated card. The rule of thumb is that one gsm is roughly one thousandth of a millimetre of caliper, and it holds well across the common uncoated weights: 80 gsm is about 0.10 millimetres, 160 gsm about 0.16 and 300 gsm about 0.30. A coated card of the same weight runs thinner because the coating is denser than the fibre it fills, and a textured card runs thicker.
How much does a sheet of A4 paper weigh?
A sheet of 80 gsm A4 weighs 4.99 grams, which is the five grams everybody quotes. The arithmetic is the gsm times the area of the sheet in square metres, and A4 is 0.06237 square metres. The same sheet in 300 gsm card weighs 18.7 grams, so a hundred of them is nearly two kilograms and will not go as a standard letter.
What is the difference between gsm and pounds per ream?
Gsm is the weight of one square metre and does not depend on the sheet size, so it is comparable between any two papers. Pounds per ream is the weight of 500 sheets of a particular basis size, and the basis size differs between grades: bond, text, cover and index all use a different basis sheet. That is why a 100 pound cover and a 100 pound text are not the same paper. Convert everything to gsm before you compare.
Does the paper weight affect how it folds?
Yes, and the fold is where the paper choice usually goes wrong. Uncoated paper up to about 170 gsm folds cleanly in a simple bi-fold. Above about 250 gsm a fold needs a score line, because folding card without scoring cracks the coating and leaves a ragged spine. Very heavy card, above about 350 gsm, will not fold neatly even when scored and is better used flat or as a wrap. Score along the grain direction where you can.
How accurate is the thickness figure?
It is a planning estimate, good to about ten percent for uncoated paper. Bulk varies with the mill, the furnish and the finish, and a felt or laid paper can be half as thick again as a smooth paper of the same weight. If a design depends on the caliper, for instance a box lid that has to clear a stack of cards, ask the supplier for the measured caliper of the exact stock rather than relying on the rule of thumb.

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