Short answer: is 200gsm paper or card?
A 200gsm sheet sits on the border between heavy paper and light card. Many suppliers describe it as thin card or lightweight cardstock, while others still call it heavy paper. There is no single official cutoff, so the label depends on the seller. In practice, 200gsm is stiff enough to hold a shape better than printer paper but still folds easily, which makes it a popular choice for layering, die cutting, tags and simple card inserts. For a card base that stands up on its own, many crafters move up to roughly 250gsm or more.
What GSM actually measures
GSM stands for grams per square metre. It tells you how much a one-metre-by-one-metre sheet of that paper would weigh. Because it is a weight per area, it lets you compare papers of different sizes on equal terms. A higher GSM generally means a denser, sturdier sheet.
GSM is the common metric measure in most of the world. In North America, you are more likely to see pounds, which use a different system (see below).
GSM is not the same as thickness
It is easy to treat GSM as a thickness rating, but it only measures weight. Two papers with the same GSM can differ in thickness. A fibrous, uncompressed sheet can feel thicker and softer, while a coated or heavily compressed sheet can be thinner but just as heavy. Thickness (caliper) is sometimes given in microns or points, where one point is a thousandth of an inch.
For crafting, this means the feel of a sheet can differ from what the number suggests. If you can, buy a small sample pack before committing to a big order.
Pounds, text weight and cover weight
In North America, paper weight is often given in pounds (lb). That figure is the weight of a ream of a particular uncut size, and the base size differs by paper type. This is why 100 lb text paper is not as thick as 100 lb cover. The two categories use different base sheet sizes, so the numbers cannot be compared directly.
The conversions below are approximate and vary slightly by source:
| Common name | Approximate GSM |
|---|---|
| 20 lb bond | about 75 gsm |
| 24 lb bond | about 90 gsm |
| 60 lb text | about 90 gsm |
| 80 lb text | about 120 gsm |
| 100 lb text | about 150 gsm |
| 65 lb cover | about 175 gsm |
| 80 lb cover | about 215 gsm |
| 110 lb cover | about 300 gsm |
Cover and board stocks are often described in points (pt) instead, which is a thickness measure.
A crafter’s guide to common GSM ranges
These ranges are general guides, and suppliers do not all use the same labels.
| Approximate range | Typical feel | Common craft uses |
|---|---|---|
| 70-90 gsm | Standard printer paper | Templates, practice folds, notes |
| 100-140 gsm | Heavier, more opaque paper | Stationery, letters, lightweight wrapping |
| 150-200 gsm | Heavy paper to light card | Flyers, inserts, tags, layering |
| 200-250 gsm | Thin to medium card | Die cutting, embellishments, card fronts |
| 250-300 gsm | Sturdy card | Greeting card bases, invitations |
| 300 gsm and above | Stiff card | Formal invitations, boxes, presentation covers |
If you want to compare everyday sheets such as office paper, our guides to bond paper vs normal paper and copier paper vs multipurpose paper cover the lighter end of this scale.
What GSM counts as card?
Different suppliers draw the line in different places. A common rule of thumb is that paper starts to be called card somewhere from about 200gsm upward, with 250gsm and above feeling clearly like cardstock. Some printers use a lower or higher threshold, and the stiffness also depends on the fibres and finish. When in doubt, check how the seller describes the product and whether samples are available.
Will 200gsm go through a printer?
Often it will, but not always. Home printers have different limits for the paper weight they can feed, and these are set by the manufacturer. Check the printer manual or specification sheet for the supported weight range and for any special feed path, such as a rear tray, for thicker stock. Forcing unsupported card through a printer can cause jams or damage the feed rollers, so it is safer to test a single sheet, use the recommended tray, and avoid papers the manual advises against. Laser printers use heat, so also avoid any sheets not labelled as suitable, such as coated, plastic-based or heavily textured stocks.
Choosing a weight for your project
- Card making: Many crafters use about 250-300gsm for the card base and lighter card or paper for layers and inserts. Lighter card around 200gsm works well for die-cut shapes and sentiments.
- Journaling and stationery: Mid-weight papers are often a comfortable balance, but suitability depends on your pens and inks. Test a scrap with the tools you plan to use.
- Flyers and handouts: Lighter weights are common. See standard paper weight for flyers.
- Books and booklets: Interior pages and covers use different weights. See choosing the right paper weight for a book.
- Folding: Heavier stock is more likely to crack along a fold, especially against the grain. Read about short grain vs long grain paper before scoring and folding thick card.
Handling heavier stock safely
Thicker card is harder to cut by hand. Use a sharp blade on a self-healing cutting mat, cut away from your body, keep fingers behind a metal ruler, and make several light passes rather than one forceful one. Replace dull blades, since they need more pressure and are more likely to slip. Keep craft knives and punches out of reach of children.
Quick recap
- GSM measures weight per area, not thickness.
- 200gsm is a borderline weight, often sold as thin card.
- Pound figures for text and cover paper are not directly comparable.
- Check your printer manual before feeding heavier stock.
- Test a sample before buying in bulk, especially for folding projects.