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What paper to print on, and when copier paper is not enough
Most of what is on this site is meant for the paper already in your tray. A few sheets want something heavier. This page says which, and how to read the numbers on the wrapper.
The short answer, sheet by sheet
| Sheet | Paper | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Planners, lists, trackers, lined and graph paper | Copier paper, 20 lb (75 gsm) | You write on it for a week and throw it away. |
| Anything printed on both sides | 24 lb (90 gsm) | Less of the back shows through. |
| Invoices, quotes, letterhead | 24 to 28 lb (90 to 105 gsm) | It goes to a customer, and the extra weight is felt in the hand. |
| Certificates | 65 lb cover (176 gsm) | It stands up in a frame and does not curl. |
| Invitations, reply cards, recipe cards | 65 to 80 lb cover (176 to 216 gsm) | A card has to survive the mail, or a kitchen. |
If you only ever buy one ream, buy ordinary copier paper. It is right for most of what is here.
Why the pound numbers make no sense
In the US, a paper's weight is what 500 sheets of it weigh. The catch is the size of those sheets, which changes with the kind of paper. Copier paper (called bond) is weighed in sheets of 17 by 22 inches. Cover stock is weighed in sheets of 20 by 26. Index card is weighed in sheets bigger again. So the numbers only compare within one kind. A 28 lb bond and a 70 lb text paper are nearly the same sheet. An "80 lb text" and an "80 lb cover" share a number, and the cover is almost twice as heavy.
The rest of the world uses gsm, grams per square meter, and it means the same thing for every kind of paper. Most US wrappers print it too, in small type. When two papers are hard to compare, find the gsm. Higher is heavier.
| On the wrapper | gsm | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 20 lb bond | 75 | Everyday copier paper |
| 24 lb bond | 90 | A better letter paper |
| 28 lb bond | 105 | Heavy letter paper |
| 32 lb bond | 120 | The heaviest paper that still feels like paper |
| 65 lb cover | 176 | Light card stock |
| 110 lb index | 199 | Index card |
| 80 lb cover | 216 | Card stock, the weight of a good greeting card |
| 100 lb cover | 270 | Heavy card, print-shop territory |
What your printer will take
Every printer has a limit, and it is in the manual under "paper weight" or "media". Many home inkjets stop somewhere near 200 gsm and some stop well short of it. We have not found a rule that holds across brands, so look yours up before you buy a pack of card.
If the printer has a rear slot or a manual feed, use it for card. The path through the printer is straighter from there, and a stiff sheet that has to bend around a roller is the one that jams. Feed card a sheet or two at a time.
Then tell the printer what it is holding. The print dialog has a paper type setting, and it should say "heavy", "card stock" or "matte" when that is what is in the tray. An inkjet slows down and gives the ink time to dry. A laser printer turns up the heat, which matters more: toner is melted onto the page, and thick paper needs more heat to hold it. Toner that rubs off a certificate under your thumb means the setting was left on plain.
Coated or not
Anything that gets written on should be uncoated. That covers planners, reply cards, recipe cards and any certificate that will be signed. A ballpoint skates on glossy paper and the ink smears for minutes afterward.
Matte coated inkjet paper is the middle ground. Color prints richer on it and it still takes a pen, which suits an invitation. Photo paper is for photos. And never put inkjet photo paper in a laser printer, because the coating can melt in the heat.