Paper grammage: which weight for which print job?
Independent guide, updated on . Practices vary from one workshop to another: have your printer confirm the values.
Grammage is the mass of one square metre of paper, expressed in g/m² (often loosely called “grams”, or “gsm”). It is the first criterion asked for in a quote. It gives an idea of how stiff the paper is, but not directly of its thickness: that also depends on the paper's bulk (see below).
Usual grammages by product
The ranges below are common practice among printers, not standards. Each workshop offers its own range: ask which papers are available and, if possible, for a sample.
| Product | Usual grammage | Common paper |
|---|---|---|
| Photocopies, course handouts, letters | 80 g/m² (90 to 100 g/m² for a more polished look) | offset (uncoated) |
| Letterhead | 90 to 120 g/m² | offset, so it can be written on and run through a printer |
| Flyers, leaflets | 135 to 170 g/m² (up to 250 g/m² for a stiff flyer) | matt, silk or gloss coated |
| Folded leaflets | 135 to 170 g/m² | coated; creasing recommended above roughly 170 g/m² to prevent the fold from cracking |
| Inside pages of booklets, catalogues | 90 to 170 g/m² | coated or offset |
| Inside pages of books (novels) | 70 to 90 g/m² | offset or bulky, often ivory |
| Covers of booklets and books | 250 to 350 g/m² | coated or board, often laminated |
| Indoor posters | 135 to 170 g/m², or photo paper | coated or photo paper |
| Postcards, invitations, announcement cards | 300 to 350 g/m² | coated, board or fine paper |
| Business cards | 300 to 350 g/m² (more for thick or duplexed boards) | matt coated, board or fine paper |
| Dissertations and theses | 80 to 100 g/m² for the inside | offset; board or hard cover depending on the binding |
Paper families
- Offset (uncoated): natural, slightly absorbent surface. You can write on it with a pen and print on it with an office printer. Colours are a little less vivid. This is the paper used for photocopies, letterheads and most novels.
- Coated: the paper receives a coating (based on mineral pigments) that smooths its surface and holds the ink on top. Colours and photos are sharper. It comes in three finishes:
- gloss: vivid colours, reflections; ideal for photos, less so for long text;
- matt: no reflections, comfortable reading, understated look;
- silk or semi-matt: in between.
- Bulky (French bouffant): uncoated paper, thick and light for its weight; used for reading books, it gives a publication some “body”.
- Fine papers: laid, textured, coloured, recycled… Look and price vary widely; check that they suit the printing technique (some do not run well on digital presses).
Bulk: why grammage does not tell the whole story
Bulk (French main) measures the volume of the paper: it is the ratio of thickness to grammage.
bulk (cm³/g) = thickness (µm) ÷ grammage (g/m²)
The higher the bulk, the thicker the paper for the same grammage. Some values published by one manufacturer (Arctic Paper, technical data sheets; “target” values, subject to change):
| Paper | Type | Grammage | Thickness | Bulk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Silk+ | silk coated | 115 g/m² | 107 µm | ≈ 0.93 |
| Arctic Matt | matt coated | 115 g/m² | 113 µm | ≈ 0.98 |
| Arctic Volume White | high-bulk matt coated | 115 g/m² | 126 µm | ≈ 1.1 |
| Amber Graphic | uncoated offset | 90 g/m² | 110 µm | ≈ 1.22 |
| Munken Print Cream 15 | bulky (book) | 90 g/m² | 135 µm | 1.5 |
As you can see, a 90 g/m² bulky paper is thicker than a 115 g/m² coated paper. As an order of magnitude, to be confirmed with the data sheet of the chosen paper:
- silk coated: bulk of about 0.9 to 1 (gloss is often slightly thinner still);
- matt coated: about 1 to 1.1;
- offset: about 1.2 to 1.3;
- bulky: about 1.5 to 2 (“Munken Print Cream 15” means bulk 1.5; there are also 18 versions, i.e. 1.8).
Bulk matters most for books and booklets: it determines the spine width (see the guide Spine width) and how the publication feels in the hand.
Practical tips
- Ask for a sample or a “dummy” (an unprinted mock-up) for a book or booklet: it is the best way to judge the feel and thickness.
- Think about opacity: paper that is too thin lets the front show through on the back, especially with dark solid areas.
- Think about weight for mailing: a few extra grams per copy can push you into a higher postage band.
- Lamination: on a coated cover, it protects against scratches and fingerprints.
Sources
- Arctic Paper, Munken Print Cream technical data sheet: https://preproduction.arcticpaper.com/globalassets/arcticpaper.com/documents/backup-tds-products/1-munken/en/munken-print-cream.pdf
- Arctic Paper, Arctic Matt technical data sheet: https://preproduction.arcticpaper.com/globalassets/arcticpaper.com/documents/backup-tds-products/5-arctic/en/arctic-matt.pdf
- Arctic Paper, Arctic Silk+ technical data sheet: https://preproduction.arcticpaper.com/globalassets/arcticpaper.com/documents/backup-tds-products/5-arctic/en/arctic-silk-plus.pdf
- Arctic Paper, Arctic Volume White: https://www.arcticpaper.com/our-products/our-brands/arctic-volume/arctic-volume-white/
- Arctic Paper, Amber Graphic technical data sheet (distributed by Paper.co.uk): https://www.paper.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Amber-Graphics-Data-Sheet-11-24.pdf
Frequently asked questions
What grammage should a flyer be?
Generally 135 to 170 g/m² on coated paper. Below that, the flyer feels flimsy; above 250 g/m², you move into card territory.
What grammage should a business card be?
Most often 300 to 350 g/m². Some printers offer thicker or laminated (duplexed) boards for a premium feel.
How heavy is photocopy paper?
80 g/m² is the standard grammage for office paper. 90 or 100 g/m² is slightly more opaque, for a more polished document.
Matt or gloss coated?
Gloss makes photos stand out but creates reflections; matt is easier to read and to write on. Silk (semi-matt) is a compromise.
Do two papers of the same grammage have the same thickness?
No. Thickness also depends on bulk: a 90 g/m² bulky paper can be thicker than a 115 g/m² matt coated paper.
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