200 gsm paper

Q: What is 200 gsm in lb?

It depends which grade — that is the whole difficulty. 53 lb bond, 135 lb text, 74 lb cover. American basis weights are not comparable between grades, so a pound figure means nothing without the grade beside it.

Q: How thick is 200 gsm paper?

Roughly 0.25 mm for an uncoated sheet — about 0.250 mm — though thickness depends on how the paper was made as much as on its weight. A bulky uncoated stock and a compressed glossy one at the same gsm can differ by half again.

200 g/m²

53 lb bond · 135 lb text · 74 lb cover

What 200 gsm is for

Light card for folders, presentation covers and the thinner end of postcards. Most office printers will still feed it; most will complain.

200 gsm in American basis weights

One metric weight becomes six different pound figures, because each American grade is weighed at a different sheet size. None of them is more correct than the others — but some are outside the range that grade is actually sold in, and those are marked.

Grade	Basis size	200 gsm is	Used for
Bond / Writing	17 × 22 in	53.2 lb — not made at this weight	Office copier paper, letterheads and business stationery.
Text / Book	25 × 38 in	135.1 lb — not made at this weight	Book pages, brochures, magazine interiors and flyers.
Cover	20 × 26 in	74.0 lb	Business cards, book covers, postcards and folders.
Index	25.5 × 30.5 in	110.6 lb	Index cards, tabbed dividers and stiff record cards.
Tag	24 × 36 in	122.9 lb	Tags, tickets and hanging labels.
Bristol	22.5 × 28.5 in	91.2 lb	Drawing board, presentation card and heavy stock.

Nearby weights

gsm	lb bond	lb text	lb cover
120	32	81	44	Heavy letterhead and single-sheet flyers
150	40	101	55	Poster and flyer weight
170	45	115	63	Magazine covers and premium flyers
200	53	135	74	Light card for folders, presentation covers and the thinner end of postcards
250	66	169	92	Postcard and invitation weight, and the minimum most printers accept for anything posted without an envelope

Frequently asked questions

What is 200 gsm in lb?

It depends which grade — that is the whole difficulty. 53 lb bond, 135 lb text, 74 lb cover. American basis weights are not comparable between grades, so a pound figure means nothing without the grade beside it.

How thick is 200 gsm paper?

Roughly 0.25 mm for an uncoated sheet — about 0.250 mm — though thickness depends on how the paper was made as much as on its weight. A bulky uncoated stock and a compressed glossy one at the same gsm can differ by half again.

What is 200 gsm paper used for?

Light card for folders, presentation covers and the thinner end of postcards. Most office printers will still feed it; most will complain.

All paper weights, and why lb figures disagree · Paper sizes