Watercolor Paper Weights Explained

Paper weight is determined by two different methods.

Watercolor paper weights explained.

Watercolour paper is measured by the weight of 500 sheets of paper at imperial size 20 x 30 51 x 76 cm. The manufacturer weighs a ream of 500 sheets of paper in its uncut state and gives it a number to indicate the paper s weight. 638 gsm 300 lb. Which is what we will be comparing in today s study.

Weight indicates the quality and usually the price of the paper. For example the basis size or in other words the master sheet size of our watercolor papers is 22 x30. The 4 basic weights of watercolor paper is 90lb 140lb 300lb and 400lb. Watercolor paper is measured by how much it weighs per 500 sheets.

The lighter the weight the more buckling and warping you will encounter the higher the weight the thicker the papers and less as a result less warping. Typical weights for watercolor paper are. 1 measuring a ream of 500 sheets 22 x 30 in pounds lbs or 2 by measuring a single sheet in grams per square meter gsm or g m2. 190 gsm 90 lb or student grade 300 gsm 140 lb 356 gsm 260 lb and.

Standard watercolor paper weights. The standard weights of machine made paper for artists are. The heavier the paper the more it weighs and the more water it will take without buckling. Text paper on the other hand can vary from 50 to 100 pounds 74 to 148 g m 2 depending on the coating used white shimmer paper matte paper etc.

When you buy watercolor paper the first thing you should consider is its weight. Watercolor weighs at 140 pounds 300 g m 2 and is slightly heavier than other styles of paper due to its use in holding water. The basic premise is the bigger the number the thicker the paper. Paper weight in the us is stated in lbs.

Artists don t typically purchase 300 pounds of paper at a given time. And is determined by weighing 500 sheets a ream in the basis size of a particular paper. 90 pound paper is a student grade and is rather thin. The pound per ream is a reference to what a ream of 500 sheets of paper would weigh.