GSM is the number people nod at and do not ask about. It is worth two minutes, because it is the main thing separating a piece that feels considered from one that feels cheap, and it moves the price more than the design does.
What the number means
GSM is grams per square metre: the weight of one square metre of that paper. Nothing more complicated. Higher GSM means thicker and stiffer, though not always, a bulky uncoated stock can feel thicker than a coated one of the same weight.
| GSM | Feels like | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 45 to 60 | Newspaper, see-through | Newspapers, cheap handbills |
| 70 to 90 | Office paper | Letterheads, newspaper inserts, forms, bill books |
| 100 to 120 | Noticeably better letterhead | Premium letterheads, certificates |
| 130 to 170 | Magazine page | Brochures, hand-distributed flyers, posters |
| 200 to 250 | Thin card | Folders, covers, invitation inserts |
| 300 to 350 | Visiting card | Business cards, tags, wedding cards |
| 400+ | Stiff board | Premium cards, box card outers |
Coated or uncoated
Coated paper, usually called art paper here, has a clay coating that stops ink soaking in. Colours sit brighter and photographs look sharper. But you cannot comfortably write on it with a ballpoint, which is why letterheads and bill books are uncoated maplitho or bond and brochures are coated art paper.
Within coated there is gloss, matte and silk. Gloss is punchiest and shows every fingerprint. Matte is calmer and easier to read long text on. Silk sits between and is what most brochures should be.
Choosing by job
- Newspaper insert: 90gsm. Heavier sheets slide out of the paper and end up on the floor at the depot.
- Hand-distributed flyer: 130gsm art. It has to survive a pocket and a bag.
- Letterhead: 100gsm maplitho as standard; bond paper if it goes to customers rather than into a file. Bond costs about 50% more and is immediately obvious in the hand.
- Brochure: 170gsm silk for the cover, 130gsm for inside pages. Same weight throughout works, but a heavier cover reads as deliberate.
- Visiting card: 300gsm art with matte lamination. This is the default for good reason, it survives daily pocket use.
- Wedding card: 250gsm and up. Below that the card feels apologetic in the hand, which is the one thing a wedding card must not do.
The economics
Paper is usually the largest single line in a print quote, often more than the printing itself on a long run. Going from 130gsm to 170gsm on 5,000 brochures adds real money. That is why we itemise quotes: so you can see exactly what the paper decision costs and decide for yourself whether it is worth it.
Our honest view: on anything a customer will hold, spend the extra on paper before you spend it on finishing. People notice weight in the hand immediately and consciously notice spot UV rather less often than designers believe.
Ask for a sample
Come to the shop and handle the stock before deciding. Photographs of paper tell you nothing, and the difference between 100gsm and 120gsm is obvious in two seconds in your hand and invisible on a screen.
