If you've ever picked up two reams of A4 paper and wondered why one feels noticeably thicker than the other, the answer is GSM — grams per square metre. It's the single most useful number on the wrapper, and most people never check it.
What GSM Actually Tells You
GSM measures paper weight and, indirectly, thickness. Standard photocopy paper usually sits around 70 GSM. Anything above that starts to feel noticeably sturdier in hand, resists curling, and holds ink better without letting it seep through to the other side.
When 70 GSM Is the Right Call
For high-volume, everyday printing — school handouts, office memos, draft documents — 70 GSM like our BLC 70 GSM A4 Printing Paper is the practical choice. It's lighter, so you get more sheets per ream at a lower cost, and for single-sided or internal printing, the thinner weight isn't noticeable.
When You Should Go Heavier
Double-sided printing is where 70 GSM starts to show its limits — text or images can be faintly visible through the page (called ghosting), especially with laser printers running high toner density. If you regularly print reports, contracts, or anything double-sided that needs to look clean on both sides, stepping up in weight avoids this. It's also worth it for anything going to a client or being kept long-term, since heavier paper handles repeated handling better.
Colour Paper Follows the Same Logic
The same GSM thinking applies to colour paper for craft projects, presentations, or classroom activities. Our 120GSM Color Papers are noticeably firmer than standard printing paper, which matters for folding, cutting, or gluing without the paper tearing.
A Quick Way to Decide
- Printing a lot, mostly single-sided, cost matters most — 70 GSM
- Printing double-sided, client-facing, or archiving — 80 GSM or higher
- Craft, presentation boards, or classroom projects — 120 GSM colour paper
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