[CS] What does the weight of office paper tell you and why should you monitor it?

Do you need to choose the right office paper to print a specific document in a way that is both cost-effective and produces the result you want? Then focus on the appropriate paper weight. What does this parameter include and how to navigate this area?

What is basis weight?

The basis weight (grammage) is one of the most important parameters describing the properties of a given paper. It is defined as the weight of the paper per unit area in grams per square metre (g/m2). According to the international standard ISO 216, a sheet of A0 size paper occupies an area of one square metre and a sheet of the same size with a weight of 80 gsm weighs 80 grams, which is easy to calculate.

What is the basis weight?

The basis weight (grammage) is one of the most important parameters that describe the properties of a given paper. It is defined as the weight of the paper per unit area in grams per square metre (g/m2). According to the international standard ISO 216, a sheet of A0 size paper occupies an area of one square metre and a sheet of the same size with a weight of 80 gsm weighs 80 grams, which is easy to calculate.

Why is it important to keep track of the weight of office paper?

Each industry/activity/product needs a different thickness, strength and quality of paper. A different one is needed for printing ordinary documents, a different one for advertising printed materials.

If you choose the wrong weight, the resulting print may be of poor quality, and the mechanics of the printing equipment may be damaged. The weight of the paper, its brightness, texture and transparency significantly affect the lifetime of printers.

In order to choose the right office paper, it is important to focus on the actual purpose of the paper and choose the paper accordingly:

• black and white printing
• invoices
• presentation
• catalogues
• invitations

What to look for when choosing printer paper

Always choose the optimum paper thickness. It’s not always necessary to buy high-quality, expensive paper, especially if you print traditional office documents.

For printing certain types of material, you should choose a hard paper with a weight of more than 250 gsm. These are mainly business cards, name badges, vouchers, invitations and announcements. Hard paper is also more durable.

A4 office paper

A4 office paper is most commonly used in the office, but also at home for general printing. It is sold in white, in packs of 500 sheets and has a weight of 80 g/m2. It is suitable for standard printing of documents such as:

• CVs
• contracts
• invoices, purchase orders, delivery notes and other working documents

For colour printing, a higher weight of over 90 g/m2 is used, and for premium printing a weight of over 120 g/m4 is used.

Envelopes and boxes

In the case of envelopes and boxes, it is better to choose a higher weight (or grammage). As a general rule, the higher the weight, the thicker and better the quality of the paper used to produce the envelopes and boxes.

Choosing the right envelope is as important as choosing the paper. Most envelopes are produced in 80 gsm, but if you need a stronger and more durable weight, then choose a higher one.

Cardboard boxes stand out for their strength. Again, the basis weight can vary, but is usually 550 g/m2.

If you are not sure which paper and box parameters to choose, please contact us and we will be happy to advise you. This will save you costs, the environment and extend the life of your copier to the maximum.