Card stock weights comparison
Metric
equivalent
(g/m
2
)
Basis weight (lbs/ream)
Bond
431.8 x
558.8 mm
(17 x 22 in.)
Offset
635 x
965.2 mm
(25 x 38 in.)
Cover
508 x
660.4 mm
(20 x 26 in.)
Printing Bristol
571.5 x 889 mm
(22.5 x 35 in.)
Index Bristol
647.7 x 774.7 mm
(25.5 x 30.5 in.)
Tag
609.6 x
914.4 mm
(24 x 36 in.)
75 20 50 — — — 50
90 24 60 — — — —
105 28 70 — — — —
108 29 — 40 — — —
118 31 80 — — — —
120 32 — — — 67 74
131 35 90 — — — —
135 36 — 50 — — —
148 39 100 — — — —
163 43 — 60 — 90 100
176 47 120 65 — — —
199 53 — — 110 110 —
203 54 — — — — 125
Card stock weights may vary ± 5%.
Depending on the printer, material thicker than 0.30 mm (0.012 in.) may present feed reliability problems, and material
thicker than 0.17 mm (0.007 in.) may reduce print quality. Contact your supplier to determine the weight of any card
stock you currently use.
See the individual printer specifications in this document for more information about the card stock weights your printer
supports.
Grain orientation
Grain refers to the alignment of the paper fibers in a sheet of paper. Grain is either grain short, running the width of
the paper, or grain long, running the length of the paper.
The orientation of the grain contributes to the rigidity of card stock and affects feed reliability. The recommended grain
orientation depends on the weight of the stock and whether the printer feeds the stock short edge first or long edge
first. For lighter card stocks, grain long is recommended to reduce potential curl problems. Curl may decrease the ability
of the form to move reliably through the printer.
Most printers feed paper short edge first. If your printer supports larger paper sizes, such as 11 x 17 in. or A3, it may
feed some paper sizes long edge first. See your printer documentation for more information.
For materials fed short edge first:
Card stock 17