Grammage & Thickness

Explore the correlation between weight and thickness of papers.

How Grammage Relates to Thickness

Grammage (g/m²) is weight per unit area; thickness (mm or pt) is the physical caliper. The two are related but not the same — papers of equal grammage can differ in thickness depending on the stock.

80gsm

Plain Copy Paper

Thin, translucent

250gsm

Coated / White Card

Business card standard

350gsm

White Cardboard

Premium gift boxes

600gsm+

Greyboard

Hardcover book covers

Estimating Thickness

Quick Formula

Thickness (mm) ≈ grammage (gsm) ÷ paper density

White card has a density of about 800, so 250 gsm white card ≈ 0.31 mm
Actual thickness depends on the stock and calendering — always trust a measured sample

Why Thickness Matters

Box design: creases and slot dimensions must be calculated precisely
Multi-page printing: book bulk determines spine width
Logistics cost: total volume drives freight charges

Selection Advice

Business cards: 250-300 gsm — anything thinner feels cheap
Carrier bags: 300-350 gsm white card plus lamination for strength
Retail cartons: 350-400 gsm clay-coated news back board
Ask your printer for paper samples — touching them beats reading the spec

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