Text vs cover

All paper can generally be grouped into two categories: Text and Cover.

“Text” is the generic, all inclusive name for lighter, thinner paper. Text paper is flexible and can easily be rolled and folded. This can include paper such as Book, Bond, Writing, Ledger, and Offset paper (more on these later). Text paper is often used for items like flyers, letterheads, bookpages, notepads, etc.

“Cover” is a generic name for heavier and thicker papers. Cover paper is more durable than Text and and needs to be scored before folding. Cover paper can have texture and can have a glossy or matte appearance. Cover paper includes stocks such as Bristol, index, Tag, and Card paper (more on this later). Common items printed on Cover paper are postcards, invitations, presentation covers, lightweight packaging, and more.

what’s the difference between # (lb) and GSM?

While Text and Cover are the two main groupings that all paper types fall under, there are also two separate numbering systems that determine the specific weight a paper is. These numbering systems are the International Metric System and the North American System. The International Metric System uses grams per square meter (gsm or g/m2 or g/m²) while the North American System uses a pound rating (# or lb). 

The North American System is based on the weight of 500 sheets (also known as a ream of paper). So for example 80# cover is categorized as such because a ream of 80# cover would weigh 80 pounds. 

The North American System can be a bit confusing because the same pound number can be used for both heavier (Cover) and lighter (Text) paper. So, 80# Cover paper is almost twice as heavy as 80# Text. For Example. 80# Text weighs 104 g/m² while 80# Cover weighs 218 g/m². 

In order to classify each weight for both Text and Cover papers, the ream of paper is made up of 2 different sized papers. The Text stock papers get weighed at 25″ x 38″ sheets while the Cover stock papers are weighed at 20″ x 26″ sheets. 

The International Metric System bases their rating by the weight of a 1 meter by 1 meter sheet. So, a paper that is classified as 200g/m² would weigh 200g/m² when sized as a 1 x 1 meter piece. 

The International Metric System does not use the same numbers for both Cover and Text weight papers. The higher the number is, the more weight and generally the thicker the paper is.

Below we provided two charts with general descriptions of common paper types and how they are most commonly used. Feel free to download or save these assets for future use.

2. Weight

Paper comes in a huge variety of weights, the weight determines the thickness of the paper. Often a heavier-weight paper is used for things like greeting cards, bookmarks, and business cards, while lighter-weight paper is commonly used for letterhead, flyers, and notepads.

3. brightness

Paper brightness is measured on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being the brightest. The brightness of a paper impacts the contrast, how readable an item is, and how ink displays on it. In general, a brighter paper is of better quality than a less bright paper.

4. opacity

Opacity is how transparent a sheet of paper is. This is also measured on a scale of 0-100 with 0 being completely transparent (like tracing paper) and 100 being completely opaque. Opacity becomes especially important when something is printed on both sides of the paper.