What Is GSM Or Gm/2? - Printerbase News Blog

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What is GSM? GSM, or gm/2 stands for ‘Grams Per Square Meter’.

This is the paper’s weight measurement, meaning a thicker paper will have a higher GSM. A thicker gm/2 typically brings a more prestigious feel to media and increases its longevity. The heavier the paper, the higher the number of grams per square metre – and, generally, the higher paper quality.  

Examples Of Suitable GSM

Office Paper

Internal office paper is typically 80 GSM which is rather thin. Usually, a paper weight between 100/120 GSM is best for documents and letters.

Flyers And Leaflets

Flyers and Leaflets are most often made using 160/200 GSM media. They still have the quality feel of thick paper. However, it is far cheaper to purchase and easier to fold into pockets and bags.

Cardstock

Greetings Cards typically opt for a higher thickness of around 300 for a more premium feel, this thickness can also hold its own weight allowing it to be propped open. Business cards are usually between 350 and 400 gsm or g/m2 and can often be laminated to produce an even better look and feel.

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• 70-90gsm – This is a thin paper that’s typically used for the lined inside pages of a notebook.
• 90-100gsm – This paper weight is most commonly used in household and office printers.
• 120-150gsm – Most thin flyers and takeaway menus are printed on this weight of paper as well as movie posters.
• 200-300gsm – This weight is stiffer but will still bend. It’s used a lot for magazine covers as well as higher-quality flyers
• 350-450gsm – This is a thick card-like stock that’s harder to bend. It’s used for a range of different print materials such as business cards, greetings cards, postcards and table talkers.

Issues With Using Paper Too Thick

Every printer has a limit on how thick the paper can be. If you use paper too thick for your printer… such as putting 300 GSM cardstock through a 220gsm rated printer it could cause a few issues, most commonly of which would be jamming however this, in turn, can lead to more issues reducing the lifespan of your printer.

Most inkjet printers will take paper up to 300gsm, but lasers very rarely extend over 220gsm, if you are looking for a laser printer which supports a specific gsm, take a look here

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Verdict

It’s important to know the maximum GSM your printer will support. However, it’s equally important to understand what GSM is to get the best out of your printer, and the highest quality in your prints.

GSM support is a major concern when printing on card, or specialist media, with these types of media being thicker than standard paper, luckily – we have a blog post including the Best Printers For Printing On Card

Verdict

It’s important to know the maximum GSM your printer will support. However, it’s equally important to understand what GSM is to get the best out of your printer, and the highest quality in your prints.

GSM support is a major concern when printing on card, or specialist media, with these types of media being thicker than standard paper, luckily – we have a blog post including the Best Printers For Printing On Card

Need Help or More Information ?

If you need any further help or more information, reach out to us by leaving a comment below or through one of the many ways on our Contact Us page. Alternatively you can contact us by Phone on 0800 170 7234 and 0161 308 5800 or by Live Chat on our main Website Monday to Friday and our team will be happy to help or answer with any questions you might have. You can also find all the various ways to connect with Us at the bottom of this page. Please share this post if you found it helpful.

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Adam Whitehead

Adam Whitehead establishes and builds strong working relationship with customers to ensure the best possible service Printerbase can offer. Adam Whitehead is currently our Online Support & Marketing Assistant and has very good all round knowledge of everything printer related. We enjoy reading Adams charismatic blog posts and so should you.

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