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What is GSM? GSM, or gm/2 stands for ‘Grams Per Square Meter’.
This is the paper’s weight measurement, meaning a thicker paper will have a higher GSM. A thicker gm/2 typically brings a more prestigious feel to media and increases its longevity. The heavier the paper, the higher the number of grams per square metre – and, generally, the higher paper quality.
Examples Of Suitable GSM
Office Paper
Internal office paper is typically 80 GSM which is rather thin. Usually, a paper weight between 100/120 GSM is best for documents and letters.
Flyers And Leaflets
Flyers and Leaflets are most often made using 160/200 GSM media. They still have the quality feel of thick paper. However, it is far cheaper to purchase and easier to fold into pockets and bags.
Cardstock
Greetings Cards typically opt for a higher thickness of around 300 for a more premium feel, this thickness can also hold its own weight allowing it to be propped open. Business cards are usually between 350 and 400 gsm or g/m2 and can often be laminated to produce an even better look and feel.
- 70-90gsm – This is a thin paper that’s typically used for the lined inside pages of a notebook.
- 90-100gsm – This paper weight is most commonly used in household and office printers.
- 120-150gsm – Most thin flyers and takeaway menus are printed on this weight of paper as well as movie posters.
- 200-300gsm – This weight is stiffer but will still bend. It’s used a lot for magazine covers as well as higher-quality flyers
- 350-450gsm – This is a thick card-like stock that’s harder to bend. It’s used for a range of different print materials such as business cards, greetings cards, postcards and table talkers.
Issues With Using Paper Too Thick
Every printer has a limit on how thick the paper can be. If you use paper too thick for your printer… such as putting 300 GSM cardstock through a 220gsm rated printer it could cause a few issues, most commonly of which would be jamming however this, in turn, can lead to more issues reducing the lifespan of your printer.
Most inkjet printers will take paper up to 300gsm, but lasers very rarely extend over 220gsm, if you are looking for a laser printer which supports a specific gsm, take a look here
Verdict
It’s important to know the maximum GSM your printer will support. However, it’s equally important to understand what GSM is to get the best out of your printer, and the highest quality in your prints.
GSM support is a major concern when printing on card, or specialist media, with these types of media being thicker than standard paper, luckily – we have a blog post including the Best Printers For Printing On Card
Verdict
It’s important to know the maximum GSM your printer will support. However, it’s equally important to understand what GSM is to get the best out of your printer, and the highest quality in your prints.
GSM support is a major concern when printing on card, or specialist media, with these types of media being thicker than standard paper, luckily – we have a blog post including the Best Printers For Printing On Card
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