Paper weight, expressed in grams per square metre (gsm or “grammage”), determines how sturdy and luxurious your book feels. Choose too thin and the text shows through; too thick and your book becomes unnecessarily heavy and expensive. This article helps you choose the right paper weight.
What does grammage mean?
The grammage indicates how much one square metre of the paper weighs. A higher grammage usually means thicker and sturdier paper. Note: thickness also depends on the paper type, coated (smooth) paper feels thinner at the same weight than voluminous (bulky) paper.
Guidelines per application
- 80–100 g/m²: interior of novels and text books.
- 115–150 g/m²: books with many images and photo books.
- 170–250 g/m²: luxury photo books and art books.
- 240–300 g/m²: softcover covers.
- Cardboard: hardcover covers (inner board).
Preventing show-through
For double-sided interiors with lots of imagery, prevent show-through by choosing at least 115 gsm. For pure text, 80–90 gsm is often enough. In doubt about the best weight for your book? Request a paper sample or get advice from our specialists.
