Lexmark Laser Printers manual Grain Orientation, Card Stock Weights Comparison Guide

Use the following table to compare the weights of various types of card stock.

Card Stock Weights Comparison Guide

			Basis Weight (lbs/ream)
				Printing	Index
	Bond	Offset	Cover	Bristol	Bristol	Tag
Metric	431.8 x	635 x	508 x	571.5 x	647.7 x	609.6 x
Equivalent	558.8 mm	965.2 mm	660.4 mm	889 mm	774.7 mm	914.4 mm
(g/m2)	(17 x 22 in.)	(25 x 38 in.)	(20 x 26 in.)	(22.5 x 35 in.)	(25.5 x 30.5 in.)	(24 x 36 in.)
75	20	50	—	—	—	50
90	24	60	—	—	—	—
105	28	70	—	—	—	—
108	29	—	40	—	—	—
118	31	80	—	—	—	—
120	32	—	—	—	67	74
131	35	90	—	—	—	—
135	36	—	50	—	—	—
148	39	100	—	—	—	—
163	43	—	60	—	90	100
176	47	120	65	—	—	—
199	53	—	—	110	110	—
203	54	—	—	—	—	125

Card stocks weights may vary ± 5%.

Depending on the printer, material thicker than 0.30 mm (0.012 in.) may present feed reliability problems, and material thicker than 0.17 mm (0.007 in.) may reduce print quality. Contact your supplier to determine the weight of any card stock you currently use.

See the individual printer specifications in this document for more information about the card stock weights your printer supports.

Grain Orientation

Grain refers to the alignment of the paper fibers in a sheet of paper. Grain is either grain short, running the width of the paper, or grain long, running the length of the paper.

The orientation of the grain contributes to the rigidity of card stock and affects feed reliability. The recommended grain orientation depends on the weight of the stock and whether the printer feeds the stock short-edge first or long-edge first. For lighter card stocks, grain long is recommended to reduce potential curl problems. Curl may decrease the ability of the form to move reliably through the printer.

Grain Orientation

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