Using 20 Pound Paper
Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Book Printing and other Self Publishing topics.
Using 20 Pound Paper
Do not use 20 pound paper for your self published book, and this is why. The poundage of text paper in the United States is determined by the weight of 500 sheets measuring 25 x 38 inches. That measurement of area is called the “basis size”. Five hundred sheets of 50 pound text paper measuring 25 x 38 weigh 50 pounds. Five hundred sheets of 60 pound text paper measuring 25 x 38 weigh 60 pounds, and so on. The weight of bond paper, used mostly in copy shops, is calculated using a different basis size—17 x 22 inches. Five hundred sheets of 20 pound bond measuring 17 x 22 weigh 20 pounds. Five hundred sheets of 24 pound bond measuring 17 x 22 weigh 24 pounds, and so on.
If you do the math to compare the two different systems of weight measurement, guess what you find out? The 20 pound bond is the same as 50 pound offset, and 24 pound bond is the same as 60 pound offset. Why two different basis sizes for text and bond paper were established, I don't know but that is how it works in every book printing company.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Jolyn Wells-Moran |
