Basis weight and grammage
Paper weight calculator
A pound value cannot be converted honestly until the paper grade is known. Choose the grade’s basis-sheet size, then convert a 500-sheet basis ream between pounds and grams per square meter.
Paper basis
Uses a 500-sheet 17 × 22 in basis ream.
The paper grade is essential: the same pound number can describe very different GSM values. Weight does not by itself determine thickness, stiffness, opacity, or printer compatibility.
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Formula
What the calculator does
The calculator converts the stated basis ream to grams, calculates the total square-meter area of its 500 basis sheets, and divides mass by area. The reverse calculation multiplies GSM by that basis-ream area and converts grams to pounds.
Keep the result honest
- Do not compare pound values across paper grades without converting to GSM.
- Weight does not determine caliper, stiffness, opacity, coating, or feed compatibility.
- Use the product data sheet when a paper is based on a different ream count or basis size.
Source notes
Definitions and methods behind the result
Defines basis weight as the weight of a usually 500-sheet ream and lists grade-specific basic sizes.
Open sourceShows why book, bond, cover, and newsprint pound values use different basis-sheet sizes.
Open source