GSM to lbs paper weight chart
US pound weights depend on the paper's basis size, so the same GSM has a different "lb" number for bond, text and cover stock. Equivalents are rounded:
| US weight | Paper type | Approx. GSM | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 lb | Bond | 75 gsm | Copy paper |
| 24 lb | Bond | 90 gsm | Letterhead, better copy paper |
| 28 lb | Bond | 105 gsm | Presentation paper |
| 32 lb | Bond | 120 gsm | Premium letterhead, resumes |
| 60 lb | Text | 89 gsm | Book pages, inserts |
| 70 lb | Text | 104 gsm | Flyers, newsletters |
| 80 lb | Text | 118 gsm | Brochures, flyers |
| 100 lb | Text | 148 gsm | Premium brochures, posters |
| 65 lb | Cover | 176 gsm | Light card, menus |
| 80 lb | Cover | 217 gsm | Postcards, covers |
| 100 lb | Cover | 271 gsm | Business cards, postcards |
| 110 lb | Cover | 298 gsm | Heavy cards |
| 130 lb | Cover | 352 gsm | Premium business cards |
Converting GSM to pounds
GSM (grams per square meter) measures the paper itself, so it is the same everywhere. Pound weight is the weight of 500 sheets at the paper type's basis size, which is why 80 lb text and 80 lb cover are very different papers.
Approximate multipliers: bond lb × 3.76 = GSM, text lb × 1.48 = GSM, cover lb × 2.708 = GSM. Divide GSM by the same numbers to go the other way.
Estimating shipping weight
The calculator multiplies sheet area by GSM to get grams per sheet, then multiplies by quantity. One thousand A4 sheets at 130 gsm weigh about 8.1 kg before packaging, which matters when you quote shipping or check a courier's weight bands. Add 5–10% for boxes and wrapping.