When printing a book, selecting the right paper weight is an important part of achieving the desired look and feel. The weight of the paper affects the durability, thickness, and overall quality of your book. At PufferPrint, we offer a variety of paper stocks to suit different types of books, from lightweight uncoated paper for novels to thick durable paper stock for constructing board books.

Here’s what you need to know about paper weight and the options available for your project:

Measuring Paper Weight: GSM, Pounds, and Points

When choosing the right paper for your book, you may come across different units of measurement, such as GSM, pounds (lb. or #), and points (pt.). While they all refer to paper thickness or weight, they are used differently depending on the type of paper and region which can make comparing the offerings from 2 different printers confusing. Here’s how they compare:

• GSM (Grams per Square Meter): GSM is the most common and universal way to measure paper weight. It refers to the weight of a one-square-meter sheet of paper, regardless of its thickness. A higher GSM generally means thicker, more durable paper. For example, 80 GSM paper is lightweight, while 300 GSM is thick and sturdy, suitable for book covers.
  
• Pounds (lb. or #): This measurement is based on the weight of a ream (500 sheets) of paper in its uncut size before being trimmed down for printing. However, because different types of paper (text vs. cover stock) have different parent sheet sizes, a 100 lb. text paper is much thinner than a 100 lb. cover paper, making this system more confusing. You may see paper weights in pounds abbreviated as either ‘lb.’ or ‘#’ as in 100lb or 100#.
  
• Points (pt.): Points measure paper thickness or ‘caliper‘ rather than weight, with 1 point equal to 1/1000th of an inch. This system is mainly used for cover stock and board books. For example, PufferPrint’s standard board book pages are 1mm thick which is equivalent to 0.04″ or 40 pt.

Text (Offset) vs Cover Weights

When measuring paper in pounds, you’ll often see the paper’s weight followed by the word ‘text’ or ‘cover’ (e.g 100lb text or 100lb cover). This identifies the paper as text stock and cover stock which refers to how the paper is typically used in printing. Text stock, also known as offset stock, is commonly used for a book’s internal pages whereas Cover stock, which is thicker and more rigid, is used for book covers. As mentioned earlier, text stock and cover stock have different size parent sheets so 100lb text paper will be much thinner than 100lb cover paper.

When measuring paper stock in GSM there is no need to specify cover or text as all of the paper is measured the same regardless of it’s intended us. Again, this is why we prefer GSM at PufferPrint and it’s what you’ll see on your quote.

LBS to GSM Formula:

Converting between pounds and GSM can be tricky, but you can use these two formulas to get a rough estimate:

1lb. of Text paper = 1.48GSM.
1 lb. of Cover paper = 2.708GSM.

Our Standard Paper Stocks

Art Paper

Most of our books are printed on art paper which is a coated paper available in either a matte or glossy finish. The coating on art paper fills the tiny spaces between the paper’s fibers. This hold the ink closer to the top layer and minimizing bleed across the paper fibers ensuring sharp details and rich colors. Art paper is perfect for books featuring vibrant artwork, photography, and intricate illustrations,

105 GSM (70lb) Art Paper
105 GSM Art Paper is our lightest art paper and is a common choice for comic books.

128 GSM (85lb) Art Paper
128 GSM Art Paper is a great choice for both hardcover and softcover books with higher page counts such as graphic novels, cookbooks, and look books.

157 GSM (105lb) Art Paper
157 GSM Art Paper is a slightly heavier option for more durable pages and a premium feeling to your book. It is our most popular paper and is especially well suited to children’s books, comics, art books, and photography books that have a page count of less than 60. It is also sometimes used as the cover for comic books that have lighter weight interior pages (e.g. 105 GSM).

200 GSM (135lb) Art Paper
200 GSM Art Paper can give your book’s pages an even heavier and more luxurious feel. Well suited for art books, photography books, and coffee table books.

Here is a comparison of the thickness of art paper options we offer:

Uncoated Offset Paper

Offset paper is uncoated which gives it a natural, completely matte finish that is easy to write on. Lighter offset paper is best used for text-only books such as novels and for books that are meant to be written in such as journals and planners. It can also be used in comics and graphic novels to give your project a nostalgic feel to it.

80 GSM (55lb. text) Offset Paper:
Lightweight and economical, 80 GSM Offset Paper is best for books with high page counts that only require black ink, such as novels or digest comics.

100 GSM (70lb. text) Offset Paper
Balancing durability and affordability, 100 GSM Offset Paper is a great choice for lightweight journals and notebooks. It can also be a nice upgrade for a novel to give it a more premium feel.

120 GSM (85lb text) Offset Paper
120 GSM offset paper is thick enough to handle 4-color printing which makes it ideal for books with color illustrations such as children’s books. It’s also durable enough to make it a good choice for monthly/weekly planners and thick enough to be used for coloring books.

140 GSM (95lb. text) Offset Paper
A heavier option, if you want to give your project a premium feel while maintaining a classic uncoated texture for your paper. A great choice for children’s books, journals, planners, and coloring books.

Here is a comparison of the thickness of offset paper options we offer:

Our Standard Cover Stocks (for Softcover Books)

250 GSM (10pt Cover) Art Paper
300 GSM art paper is our lightest cover stock. It’s an acceptable thickness for smaller project (6″ x 9″ and smaller) including paperback novels, coloring books, comic books, and saddle-stitched children’s books.

300 GSM (12pt Cover) Art Paper
300 GSM Art Paper is our go-to paper stock for covers on softcover books including novels and children’s books. It’s also good for covers on spiralbound and wire-o bound notebooks and journals.

350 GSM (14pt Cover) Art Paper
350 GSM Art Paper is an excellent upgrade to give your softcover book extra durability. Feel free to request it for any softcover project that needs a more rugged feel—children’s books, travel guides, photography books, planners, journals,

Here is a comparison of the thickness of offset paper options we offer:

Board Book Paper Stock

350 GSM C1S Paperboard
Most of our board books are printed on 350 GSM C1S Paperboard. C1S stands for “coated one side” which means that one side is coated in the same manner as art paper while the backside is uncoated like offset paper. This makes the front side perfect for printing colorful art work and the backside great for absorbing glue. To create a board book page two sheets of 350 GSM C1S Paper are glued together resulting in thick pages that are ~1mm or 0.04″ thick. That makes them equivalent to 40pt cover.

We do offer several other thickness options for board books—all the way up to 4mm thick! Reach out to your PufferPrint Print Specialist if you would like a different page thickness for your board book. Here are a few of our commonly requested options:

Thinner Board Book Pages (great for board books with 32 or more pages):

• ~0.7 mm — 2 sheets of 250 GSM paperboard glued back to back. The equivalent of 500 GSM or 28pt cover.
• ~0.85 mm — 2 sheets of 300 GSM paperboard glued back to back. The equivalent of 600 GSM or 33pt cover.

Thicker Board Book Pages (great for board books with 14 pages or less):

• ~1.5 mm — 3 sheets of 350 GSM paperboard. The equivalent of 1050 GSM or 60pt cover.
• ~2 mm — 4 sheets of 350 GSM paperboard. The equivalent of 1400 GSM of 80pt cover.

Looking for a specific paper stock? Just ask!

While these are the most common paper stocks we use at PufferPrint, we have access to dozens more. If you don’t see what your looking for on this list, just ask us about it. Chances are we have it on hand or we can source it for your print project.

If you’re unsure which weight is best for your project, we’re happy to help guide you to the right choice!