Paper Weight Explained: gsm vs lb, With a Chart

Six papers drawn to scale and labelled with weight: Tomoe River 52 g/m², Rhodia No. 16 80 g/m², Midori MD Paper Pad 80 g/m², Strathmore 400 Sketch 60 lb (89 g/m²), Hammermill Copy Plus 20 lb (75 g/m²) and Neenah cardstock 65 lb (176 g/m²) — Six papers to one scale, from 52 to 176 g/m².

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Tomoe River S 52 gsm Loose-Leaf Paper, A5, Blank, White, 100 sheets (Sanzen)Tomoe River	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$
Rhodia No. 16 DotPad, A5, top-stapled, black cover (16559C)Rhodia	France	France^*	Price range: $$
Midori MD Paper Pad A5, Blank, 90 sheets (15235006)Midori	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$
Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad, 9 x 12 in, 60 lb, 100 sheets (455-3)Strathmore	United States	United States^*	Price range: $$
Hammermill Copy Plus, 8.5 x 11 in, 20 lb, 92 bright (105007)Hammermill	United States	United States^*	Price range: $$
Neenah Bright White Cardstock, 8.5 x 11 in, 65 lb, 96 bright, 250 sheets (91904)Neenah	United States	United States^*	Price range: $$

Notes on these facts

Tomoe River S 52 gsm Loose-Leaf Paper, A5, Blank, White, 100 sheets (Sanzen): Made by Sanzen Paper Co., Ltd. (三善製紙, Kanazawa, Ishikawa). Made in Japan: Papeterie Makkura lists this A5 white pack (EAN 4909171851502) as made in Japan, and Pulp Addiction says the same for the A5 and A4 sheets. Yamamoto Paper's Japanese wholesale listing says Sanzen (三善製紙) makes the paper in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, and gives 生産地 (place of production) Japan for its Tomoe River S pad. We found no official Sanzen website. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Yamamoto Paper's Japanese listing says Sanzen began full-scale production of Tomoe River S in February 2022; the original Tomoegawa paper ended in 2021.
Rhodia No. 16 DotPad, A5, top-stapled, black cover (16559C): Made by Clairefontaine Rhodia (Exacompta Clairefontaine group); sold in the US by Exaclair. Made in France: Rhodia says all its notepads are manufactured at its plant near Mulhouse, Alsace; its 2024 French press kit places the plant at Illzach, on the edge of Mulhouse, since 1997. Retailers The Journal Shop, Dromgooles, Bruneau and Wonderpens also list the No. 16 as made in France. Source. Price: example listing. Released: 1934 is when Rhodia launched its stapled pad (Rhodia press kit); the dot ruling came later, and the black cover in 2007.
Midori MD Paper Pad A5, Blank, 90 sheets (15235006): Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo); the MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT. Made in Japan: Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store gives 原産国 (country of origin) Made in Japan for the A5, A4, A4 Square and Cotton pads. Retailers agree: Galen Leather lists origin Japan, and Hunter Paper Co., Jenni Bick and Totem Shop say made in Japan. Source. Price: example listing.
Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad, 9 x 12 in, 60 lb, 100 sheets (455-3): Made by Strathmore Artist Papers, a division of Dixon Ticonderoga (F.I.L.A. Group); owned by Pacon Corporation from 2006 until F.I.L.A. bought Pacon in 2018. Made in United States: Staples listings for the 5.5 × 8.5 in and 9 × 12 in pads carry a Made in America label, and Zoro lists the United States as the country of origin for a related 400 Series drawing pad. Strathmore's product page and Dixon's 2025 price list don't state the country. Source. Price: example listing.
Hammermill Copy Plus, 8.5 x 11 in, 20 lb, 92 bright (105007): Made by Sylvamo Corporation. Made in United States: Neither Hammermill's Copy Plus page and sell sheet nor Sylvamo's shop page states a country. PartsSource and PFStar list the country of origin as USA for 105007, and OfficeCrave and OnTimeSupplies list United States. Sylvamo says its Eastover, South Carolina, mill produces Hammermill paper. Source. Price: example listing.
Neenah Bright White Cardstock, 8.5 x 11 in, 65 lb, 96 bright, 250 sheets (91904): Made by Neenah (Mativ Holdings). Made in United States: Officecrave lists the country of origin of 91904 as US. Neenah's own sites don't list this consumer pack, and the Mission Linen listing we first cited no longer shows product details, so check the pack. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.

Key takeaways

To convert US pounds to gsm, multiply by 3.760 for bond (17 × 22 in basic size), 1.480 for text or book (25 × 38 in), 2.704 for cover (20 × 26 in) or 1.808 for index (25.5 × 30.5 in).
The same 75 gsm sheet is 20 lb bond, about 51 lb text and about 28 lb cover, so pound figures only compare within one grade.
Two papers both sold as 80 lb can differ almost twofold: 80 lb text is about 118 gsm, 80 lb cover about 216 gsm.
Fountain-pen papers here run from 52 g/m² (Tomoe River S) to 80 g/m² (Rhodia No. 16 and Midori MD Paper).
Tomoe River S is 52 g/m², about 35% lighter than 80 g/m² pad paper, yet retailers say it resists bleed-through because the sheet is coated and sized.

What does paper weight (gsm and lb) mean?

Paper weight in gsm (grams per square metre, also written g/m²) is how much one square metre of a single sheet weighs, so it compares any two papers directly; the US pound figure is the weight of a 500-sheet ream at a basic sheet size that changes with the paper’s grade. That is why pound figures only compare papers of the same grade.

So Hammermill Copy Plus is sold as 20 lb, which is 75 gsm, and Neenah Bright White cardstock as 65 lb, which is 176 gsm. The first is bond weight, the second cover weight.

This explainer uses published specs and conversion tables; we haven’t weighed or ink-tested the papers ourselves yet.

Why is “20 lb” bond lighter than “80 lb” cover?

Each US grade weighs its ream at a different basic sheet size, so the same paper gets a different pound number in each grade. The paper distributor Spicers lists the basic sizes as 17 × 22 in for bond, 25 × 38 in for text or book, 20 × 26 in for cover and 25.5 × 30.5 in for index.

A big basic sheet gives a big number. The same 75 gsm sheet is 20 lb as bond but about 51 lb as text and about 28 lb as cover, per Spicers’ table.

That is how two papers both called “80 lb” can differ almost twofold: 80 lb text is about 118 gsm, and 80 lb cover about 216 gsm.

How do you convert lb to gsm?

Multiply the pound figure by the factor for its grade: 3.760 for bond, 1.480 for text or book, 2.704 for cover and 1.808 for index. The factors are Spicers’; the table below is our arithmetic from them, rounded.

gsm	Bond (lb)	Text or book (lb)	Cover (lb)	Index (lb)	Example
52	14	35	19	29	Tomoe River S
75	20	51	28	41	Hammermill Copy Plus
80	21	54	30	44	Rhodia No. 16, Midori MD Paper
89	24	60	33	49	Strathmore 400 Sketch
90	24	61	33	50	24 lb copy paper
118	31	80	44	65	80 lb text
176	47	119	65	97	Neenah 65 lb cardstock
216	57	146	80	119	80 lb cover

The Japanese and French papers below list only g/m², the way their makers sell them.

How do the six example papers compare?

They run from 52 g/m² to 176 g/m², and only the three US papers carry a pound figure.

Paper	Sold as	gsm	Grade	Made for	Made in	Price band
Tomoe River S	52 g/m²	52	—	Fountain pens	Japan	$$
Rhodia No. 16 DotPad	80 g/m²	80	—	Writing	France	$$
Midori MD Paper Pad	80 g/m²	80	—	Writing	Japan	$$
Strathmore 400 Sketch	60 lb	89	Text	Dry media	United States	$$
Hammermill Copy Plus	20 lb	75	Bond	Copying, printing	United States	$$
Neenah Bright White	65 lb	176	Cover	Cards, printing	United States	$$

Price bands use our site-wide ranges ($ under $5, $$ $5–20, $$$ $20–75, $$$$ over $75), per ream or pad.

Bar chart of paper weight in g/m²: Tomoe River S 52, Hammermill Copy Plus 20 lb bond 75, Rhodia No. 16 80, Midori MD Paper 80, Strathmore 400 Sketch 60 lb text 89, any 80 lb text paper about 118, Neenah 65 lb cover 176, any 80 lb cover stock about 216 — Weights to scale in g/m²; the two dashed rows are both sold as "80 lb".

What paper weight resists fountain pen ink?

No weight on its own: sizing or coating, which keeps ink on the surface, matters as much as thickness. Ferris Wheel Press says feathering happens on paper that is too absorbent or not sized or coated enough, while enough thickness reduces bleed-through.

The pads sold for fountain pens here are 52 to 80 g/m². Rhodia and Midori MD pads are both 80 g/m², and Midori says MD Paper resists feathering and bleed-through.

Hammermill doesn’t market its 75 gsm Copy Plus for fountain pens, and we haven’t tried it. Wetter inks and broader nibs raise the risk on any paper, per Ferris Wheel Press.

How can thin Tomoe River (52 g/m²) still resist bleed-through?

Because the sheet is coated and sized to hold ink on top, rather than relying on bulk. Galen Leather says it is specially coated on both sides and was first developed for catalogue mailings, with enough density and sizing to take repeated use.

The trade-off is show-through. At 52 g/m² it is about 35% lighter than an 80 g/m² Rhodia page, so writing is visible from the other side, and Galen Leather says it dries more slowly than Rhodia and Clairefontaine paper.

Sanzen now makes it as Tomoe River S. Yamamoto Paper says the new sheet is about 5 microns thicker and firmer than Tomoegawa’s original.

Which paper weight should you choose?

Pick the weight by the job, then check the grade before comparing pound figures.

Copying and printing: 20 lb bond (75 gsm) is the everyday sheet; Hammermill’s Premium Multipurpose 24 lb is 90 gsm.
Fountain pens: a well-sized 52–80 g/m² paper such as Tomoe River, Rhodia or MD Paper.
Pencil and dry media: Strathmore sells its 60 lb (89 gsm) 400 Sketch for graphite, colored pencil, charcoal and pastel.
Cards and covers: cover stock such as Neenah’s 65 lb (176 gsm), more than twice the weight of copy paper.

Frequently asked questions

How do you convert lb to gsm?

Multiply the pound figure by the factor for its grade: 3.760 for bond, 1.480 for text or book, 2.704 for cover and 1.808 for index. So 20 lb bond is about 75 gsm and 65 lb cover about 176 gsm.

Is 20 lb paper the same as 75 gsm?

Yes, when it is 20 lb bond, the grade used for copy paper. Hammermill lists its 20 lb Copy Plus as 75 gsm and its 24 lb Premium Multipurpose as 90 gsm.

Why is 80 lb cover heavier than 80 lb text?

The pound figure is the weight of 500 sheets at a basic size, and cover's basic sheet (20 × 26 in) is much smaller than text's (25 × 38 in). The same 80 lb means about 216 gsm for cover and 118 gsm for text.

What gsm is cardstock?

Card is usually sold in cover weights. Neenah's 65 lb Bright White cardstock is 176 gsm, more than twice the 75 gsm of 20 lb copy paper.

What paper weight is best for fountain pens?

No single weight. Rhodia and Midori MD pads are 80 g/m² and Tomoe River S is 52 g/m², and all are sold for fountain pens. Sizing that keeps ink on the surface matters as much as weight.

Why doesn't thin Tomoe River paper bleed through?

Galen Leather says the sheet is coated on both sides and has enough density and sizing for handwriting. Ink sits on top instead of soaking in, though writing still shows through.

What is the difference between bleed-through and ghosting?

Bleed-through is ink passing through to the back of the sheet. Ghosting, or show-through, only means you can see writing from the other side; Ferris Wheel Press calls a little of it normal.

Sources (9)

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