The thickness of paper is a crucial factor that can have a significant impact on the success of various applications in our daily lives. Whether it's printing documents, creating artworks, or packaging products.

Every creative project that Vaessen Creative helps you with requires a different paper thickness. For example, making a card requires thicker paper than wrapping a gift.

What paper thicknesses are there, what you can do with them, and what characteristics to consider when using paper are discovered in this article.

Drawing, doodling, or folding origami, nothing is too crazy.

What paper thicknesses are there?

When it comes to paper thickness, we recognize the following thicknesses.

• 80g - 90g: Often used for home or office use in printers, as well as for stationery and brochures.
• 135g: Thin and light, suitable for promotional materials such as flyers, leaflets, and posters.
• 170g: Recommended for business folders and promotional materials at trade shows and showrooms. Provides a professional look.
• 250g: Ideal for printed materials that need to stand out and is often used to give brochures a more substantial appearance.
• 300g - 400g: Mainly used for printed materials that need to be extremely sturdy, such as business cards.

How do you indicate paper thickness?

The thickness of paper is measured and indicated using grammage and sometimes caliper. Here is an explanation of both measurement methods:

Grammage (g/m²):

• Definition: Grammage, also known as paper weight or basis weight, is the most commonly used measure of paper thickness. It indicates how many grams of paper are used per square meter.
• Measurement method: To calculate grammage, a square meter of paper is weighed. The resulting value in grams is the grammage of that specific paper.
• Indication: Grammage is usually expressed in g/m² (grams per square meter). For example, 80 g/m² means that a sheet of that paper weighs 80 grams per square meter.

Caliper (thickness measurement):

• Definition: Caliper is a measurement of the thickness of a single sheet of paper, usually expressed in thousandths of an inch (mils) or thousandths of a millimeter (microns).
• Measurement method: To measure caliper, a single sheet of paper is placed in a measuring instrument that can accurately measure its thickness. The result is the caliper value.
• Indication: Caliper is often indicated in mils (1 mil = 1/1000 inch) or microns (1 micron = 1/1000 millimeter). For example, 10 mils or 254 microns indicates that the paper is 0.010 inches or 0.254 millimeters thick.

In most cases, grammage is used to indicate paper thickness because it is a uniform measure that can be easily compared. However, caliper measurements can be useful in situations where the precise thickness of a single sheet of paper is important, as in some technical applications.

It is important to note that the relationship between grammage and caliper is not always one-to-one because it can depend on the density of the paper. So, a higher grammage does not always mean a greater caliper thickness, and vice versa. Therefore, it is advisable to check the specific unit of measurement to understand the thickness of a particular paper.

Which Paper Thickness Should You Use?

Craft Paper or Cardstock

• Thickness: Varies, typically medium to thick paper, cardboard, or cardstock.
• With craft paper or cardstock, you can create beautiful cards and crafting projects. Check out the video below to see how a unique card is created using different colors of cardstock.

Folding Paper or Origami Paper

• Thickness: Usually thin, similar to lightweight printer paper.
• Create beautiful origami figures like this handy pen holder:

Drawing Paper and Sketch Paper

• Thickness: Varies, generally medium to thick. Drawing paper or a sketchbook should be of good quality.

Watercolour Paper

• Thickness: Medium to thick, specially designed watercolour paper for wet media like watercolour paint.
• With the watercolour technique and the right paper, you can create true works of art. This beautiful card with a bokeh effect is also made with watercolour paper:

Cardstock and Cardboard Letters

• Thickness: Thick and sturdy, suitable for 3D craft projects.

Decoupage Paper

• Thickness: Decoupage paper is thin, making it easy to apply to different surfaces.

Craft Sheets and Patterned Paper

• Thickness: Generally of medium thickness, similar to standard craft paper.
• In our collection, you’ll find numerous beautiful patterned craft sheets. For example, make this DIY advent calendar with a different pattern on each pocket!

Crepe Paper

• Thickness: Thin, with a crinkled texture for adding texture and relief to artworks.

The thickness of the paper is important because it affects the strength and durability of your craft projects. It’s always a good idea to experiment with different thicknesses to see which best suits your project.