Have you ever wondered just what ’65lb’ card stock really means? I do! So I scoured the net for information that would help give me a better understanding of what that ‘lb’ really meant to me in terms of my craft and of course, justifying the purchase of MORE!
Currently, there are 2 ways that card stock weight is measured; the European way and the American way and both involve mathematical formulations, that a non-math person such as myself, could get seriously confused with. Why? Well the European measurement is based on the two dimensional height and width of one square meter. Here’s where that fun math-stuff comes – g/m2 (gm/m2, gsm, g/m2). I know, I know…Math geeks everywhere just shouted out ‘Can I get a woot woot?!?!?’. lol Back in my world though, that math stuff makes me want to turn heel and RUN!
Which brings us to the American measurement… Much less math involved, which at this hour, is much appreciated! American measurement is based on the weight of the paper as weighing 500 sheets (a ream) but doesn’t take into account the dimensions of the paper. Sounds all well and good until your mom asks you ‘Ok, then what weighs more; a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?’. Duh, Mom! A ton of bricks, geesh *eyes rolling* Like, totally.
For those who like visuals… here’s a lovely lil conversion chart for ya.
| US paper grade to grammage conversion | |
| Grammage | Paper Grade (LBS.) |
| 44 gsm | 30 lb. text |
| 59 gsm | 16 lb. bond, 40 lb. text |
| 67 gsm | 45 lb. text |
| 89 gsm | 24 lb. bond, 60 lb. text |
| 104 gsm | 70 lb. text |
| 118 gsm | 80 lb. text |
| 148 gsm | 67 lb. bristol, 100 lb. text |
| 162 gsm | 60 lb. cover |
| 163 gsm | 90 lb. index |
| 176 gsm | 65 lb. cover |
| 178 gsm | 80 lb. bristol |
| 199 gsm | 110 lb. index |
| 216 gsm | 80 lb. cover |
| 219 gsm | 100 lb. bristol |
| 253 gsm | 140 lb. index |
| 263 gsm | 120 lb. bristol |
| 270 gsm | 100 lb. cover |
| 307 gsm | 140 lb. bristol |
| 308 gsm | 170 lb. index |
| 325 gsm | 120 lb. cover |
What was that, you’re still confused about paper weight? That’s ok, you’ve got plenty of company! See those seats over there by the exit door? Ya, that farthest one is mine…makes it easier to sneak out when that math-stuff gets thrown around the room!
While the card stock weight thing is still confusing, I can tell you a few things. The heavier and more dense the card stock, the better quality its going to be (and the more you’re going to pay for it). Typically, us crafters are using card stock in the 60-90lb range. I compiled a list of the ‘top selling’ brands of card stock and then tried to find out what the weights were for each of those companies. *TRIED* being the key word here.
| Card Stock Weights – In no particular order | |
| Company | Weight |
| Bazzill | 80lb.* |
| Core’dinations | 80lb.** |
| American Crafts | ‘Heavy Weight’*** |
| Worldwin | 65 – 104lbs. |
| Treasures | 80 lb. |
| We R Memory Keepers | Unable to Locate |
| DCWV | Unable to Locate |
| Stampin’ Up | 80 lb. |
| Echo Park | Unable to Locate |
*When I could find a weight noted, very few of their products state this information
**Most of their product states the weight of the paper
***When listed in this manner – Light-weight = 60lbs., Medium-weight = 70-80lbs., and Heavy-weight = 90lbs.
I’m a firm believer in ‘knowledge is power’ and although (for many of us) this is our hobby, that doesn’t mean we don’t want to make informed decisions. I’d like to see more companies listing the weights of their paper right along with the dimensions. Wouldn’t you? Just do me a favor…hold the mathematics! Because, yes, my 8th grader is smarter than I am in math. That one’s for you Sammie, enjoy the moment 😉