Buzz
Before paper is transformed into a random printout on your desk or wrapped around large rolls, it undergoes a detailed manufacturing process.
Kim Steele/Getty ImagesKey Takeaways
- The label "20-pound bond paper" refers to the weight of 500 sheets (a ream) of bond paper sized 17" x 22", which together weigh 20 pounds. However, when cut into four letter-size sheets, the weight of each ream is actually 5 pounds.
- Other paper types, such as Bristol, may have different standard sheet sizes, which can influence how paper weight is calculated.
- In contrast to the U.S. system, the metric system measures paper weight in grams per square meter.
The way paper is described in the United States can be quite complicated. To simplify, 500 sheets of bond paper measuring 17" by 22" weigh 20 pounds. The manufacturer typically cuts this large sheet into four letter-size sheets, so a 500-sheet ream of 20-pound bond paper ends up weighing 5 pounds.
If it were a paper other than bond, the standard sheet size used to determine the weight could vary. For instance, Bristol paper, which is heavier and stiffer (like the paper used in manila file folders), has a standard sheet size of 22.5" by 28.5".
Generally, the heavier the paper of a particular grade, the thicker it is. At an office supply store, you can find both 20-pound and 24-pound bond paper. The 24-pound bond paper is denser, thicker, and more opaque compared to the 20-pound version.
The metric system provides a much clearer method for measuring paper. A0 paper is one square meter in size, with one side measuring 84.1 cm and the other 118.9 cm (the longer side's length is the square root of 2 longer than the shorter side). A1 paper is half the size of an A0 sheet (still preserving the square root of 2 ratio). A2 paper is half the size of an A1 sheet, and so on. Additionally, paper weight is measured in grams per square meter, making it straightforward to calculate.
