Choosing Paper Stock: A Practical Guide to GSM

What GSM means, how paper weight and finish change the feel of your print, and which stocks suit flyers, cards, posters and documents.

What GSM means

GSM stands for grams per square metre. It describes how heavy a sheet of paper is, which is a useful guide to how thick and stiff it feels. Higher GSM generally means a heavier, sturdier sheet, although finish and paper type also affect how thick a sheet feels in the hand.

Light, medium and heavy stocks

Rather than memorising numbers, think about what the printed piece needs to do.

• Light stocks: everyday office paper and document printing, internal notices and handouts where cost and ease of handling matter most
• Medium stocks: flyers, leaflets and booklet inner pages, where you want something more substantial than office paper but still easy to fold
• Heavy stocks: business cards, postcards, invitations, certificates and booklet covers, where stiffness signals quality and the piece needs to survive handling

Finishes: gloss, silk and uncoated

Gloss paper is shiny and makes photographs and bright colours look vivid, but it can reflect light and is harder to write on. Silk (sometimes called satin) has a softer sheen and is easy to read while still showing images well. Uncoated paper has a natural feel, is easy to write on and suits letterheads, forms and anything people need to sign or annotate.

Matching stock to the job

• Flyers handed out at events: a medium stock with a silk or gloss finish
• Business cards: a heavy stock; consider lamination for durability
• Letterheads: uncoated, so they work in office printers and can be written on
• Certificates: a heavy stock with a finish that suits signing
• Posters for indoor display: a medium silk or gloss stock
• Training manuals: a lighter uncoated stock inside with a heavier cover

Folding and printers

Heavy stocks need to be scored before folding, otherwise the fold can crack. If you plan to run printed letterheads through your own office printer, use an uncoated stock that your printer can handle. Ask us for samples or advice when you request a quote, and available stocks for each product are shown in the shop.