What Paper to Use for Printables
For most printables, ordinary 20 to 24 lb printer paper is fine. Move up to cardstock for anything that gets handled, shuffled or reused, such as game cards, bingo boards and reward charts. Choose a heavier, smooth, matte text paper for planners and journals you’ll write in, and skip glossy paper for anything you plan to write on.
The rest of this page explains the paper weights and matches them to each kind of printable.
Paper weights, decoded
In the US, paper is sold by pounds (lb). Most of the world uses grams per square meter (gsm). The catch is that the pound number depends on the type of paper, so an “80 lb” cardstock is far heavier than a “32 lb” printer paper.
| What it’s called | US weight | Metric | Feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday printer paper | 20 lb bond | 75 gsm | Standard copy paper |
| Heavier printer paper | 24 lb bond | 90 gsm | A little thicker, less show-through |
| Premium text paper | 28 to 32 lb bond | 105 to 120 gsm | Smooth and sturdy, good for writing |
| Light cardstock | 65 lb cover | 176 gsm | Stiff, still easy for most printers |
| Index cardstock | 110 lb index | 203 gsm | Firm, used for index cards |
| Heavier cardstock | 80 lb cover | 216 gsm | Card-like, good for games |
Conversions from papersizes.org. The last two rows show why the labels confuse people: cover and index papers are measured differently, so 110 lb index is actually a little lighter than 80 lb cover. When in doubt, compare the gsm.
Which paper for which printable
Coloring pages. Plain paper works for crayons and colored pencils. For markers, go up to 24 to 32 lb or light cardstock so the ink doesn’t bleed through to the page underneath.
Games, cards and bingo. Cardstock, 65 to 80 lb cover. Cards shuffle better, bingo boards stay flat on the table, and both survive a second game night. Plain paper is fine for a one-time party. Calling cards and game cards are the pieces worth printing on something sturdier, even if the rest isn’t.
Reward charts and routine cards. Cardstock, especially for cut-out picture cards a child will move around every day. For a chart you want to reuse, slip it into a sheet protector or laminate it and use a dry-erase marker.
Planners, journals and workbooks. A smooth, matte 24 to 32 lb paper. It takes pen well, shows less through the back, and holds up in a binder. If you’ll print on both sides, the heavier end of that range helps.
Large print activity pages. The printing notes in our large print brain games suggest 24 lb (90 gsm) paper so the next page doesn’t show through, plain white or cream, and never glossy, because glossy paper throws light back into the reader’s eyes.
Sewing patterns and templates. Heavier paper makes templates you can trace around more than once. The plush bunny pattern suggests 120 gsm or more.
Wall art. A heavy matte photo or fine art paper gives the best result at home. For large prints, or if your printer struggles with thick paper, a print shop is often the easier route. See how to print at a copy shop.
Printing cardstock at home
- Check your printer’s limit. The manual or the manufacturer’s website lists the heaviest paper each tray accepts. Stay under it.
- Use the straightest path. If your printer has a rear or manual feed slot, use it. Thick paper jams more often when it has to bend around the rollers.
- Tell the printer. Set the paper type to cardstock, heavy or thick paper in the print settings, so the printer adjusts its feed and ink.
- Feed a few sheets at a time. Load a small stack rather than a full tray, and let each page dry before stacking if you print in color.
Whatever paper you choose, print at actual size so cards and grids come out the size they were made. How to print at actual size shows where that setting lives.