Basis Weight Measurement Formula and Cycle
Basis weight measurement is the total
weight, in pounds, of a ream of paper. A ream of paper is 500 sheets and is the
standard ordering unit for paper. Because paper comes in different sizes and
widths, the basis weight of paper can vary from ream to ream. One way to
calculate basis weight involves using both metric and customary (inches) units
in a formula. To do this you will need a scale, a metric ruler and a normal
ruler.
Press the zeroing button on the scale
and wait until it reads 0. Place one sheet of paper on the scale, then take it
off to measure its length and width with the metric ruler. Multiply its length
and width to get its area in square meters. For example, if the paper is .2
meters by .7 meters, its area is .14 meters.
Divide the mass of the paper in grams by
its area in square meters. Using the example above, if the paper has a mass of
5 grams, you would divide 5 by .14 and get 35.7. Measure the length and width
of the paper in inches, then multiply the two numbers to find its basic area.
For example, if the paper was 17 inches by 22 inches, its basic area would be
374 square inches.
Multiply those two products. Using the
above numbers, 35.7 x 374= 13,351.8. Divide this number by 1,406.5. The
resulting number is the basis weight of the paper. Using the above numbers, the
basis weight measurement of the paper would be 9.49 pounds (13,351.8/1,406.5).
Before your business begins a
paper-based project, it's important to know the paper's weight. Fortunately,
with a little simple math and a few measurements, you can find out the weight
of your paper in grams per square meter, even if you don't have the original
packaging for your paper.
About Microns and Grams per Square Meter
(gsm)
The micron is a standard measurement of
length in the metric system that’s the equivalent of one-millionth of a meter. Gsm
stands for “grams per square meter.” When used in the context of measuring the
weight of paper it is also referred to as “grammage.” It is the equivalent of
0.001 kilograms per square meter.
The challenge is that there’s no real
direct one-to-one correlation between microns and gsm. That’s because microns
measure the thickness of paper, while grams per square meter measures the
weight of paper. For an example, two people can each weigh 140 pounds, but not
be the same at all. If one person is 5’10” tall, and the other is 5’1”, there
will be a significant difference between the two physical bodies in space.
Lastly, you can convert microns to gsm
with a few tools and a simple calculation on your basis weight measurement.
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