The short answer first
If you want one safe choice: 150gsm to 170gsm silk (matt) coated text stock is the best all-round paper stock for brochures. It prints sharply on both sides, folds without cracking, feels substantial in the hand and stays light enough for cheap postage.
But “best” really depends on what the brochure has to do. A takeaway handout at a trade show, a direct mail piece paying postage per gram and a 12-page luxury property book all need different stocks. This guide breaks down every common weight, explains coated versus uncoated in plain language, shows what each choice actually does to your print bill, and gives you a short brief you can hand straight to a printer.
Brochure paper stock at a glance
Use this table as your starting point, then read the detail below before you commit.
| Weight (GSM) | US equivalent | Feel | Best use | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 to 120gsm | 70 to 80lb text | Thin, slightly see-through | Inserts, newsletters, high-volume leaflets, inside pages of thick booklets | 1.0x (baseline) |
| 130 to 150gsm | 90 to 100lb text | Light but opaque, magazine page | Mass handouts, flyers, multi-page brochure interiors, budget mailers | 1.1x |
| 170gsm | 115lb text | Firm, holds its shape when folded | The default for bi-fold and tri-fold double-sided brochures | 1.2x |
| 200 to 250gsm | 75 to 92lb cover | Card-like, stands up on a counter | Single-sheet sales sheets, premium tri-folds, booklet covers, menus | 1.4x to 1.6x |
| 300 to 350gsm | 110 to 130lb cover | Rigid cardstock | Luxury real estate pieces, covers for perfect-bound books, leave-behinds you want kept | 1.8x to 2.2x |
| 400gsm+ / duplexed | 150lb cover and up | Board, very rigid | Flat high-end cards, hospitality menus, invitation-style pieces | 2.5x+ |
Relative cost is paper cost only, indexed against a 100gsm sheet of the same size and quantity. Press time, finishing and setup do not change much with weight, so on short runs the real difference on the final invoice is smaller than the table suggests.
What GSM actually means (and why 300gsm is thicker than 200gsm)
GSM stands for grams per square metre. It is a measure of weight, not thickness, but within the same paper family, heavier almost always means thicker and stiffer. So yes, 300gsm is noticeably thicker and more rigid than 200gsm, roughly 50% more material.
The exception is bulk. An uncoated or textured 250gsm stock can feel thicker than a coated 300gsm, because coating compresses the fibres. If thickness matters more than weight (for postage reasons, for example), ask your printer for the caliper in microns, not just the GSM.
Text weight vs cover weight
Printers split brochure papers into two families:
- Text weight (roughly 90gsm to 170gsm): foldable, used for pages and single-fold brochures.
- Cover weight (roughly 200gsm to 350gsm): stiff, used for covers and standalone cards.
This is why US paper labels confuse people. 100lb text and 100lb cover are completely different products: 100lb text is about 148gsm, while 100lb cover is about 270gsm. Always confirm in GSM when you brief a printer.
Coated vs uncoated: which finish suits your brochure
Coating is a clay-based layer applied to the paper surface. It stops ink sinking into the fibres, which means punchier colour and crisper detail. Uncoated paper absorbs ink, so images look softer and colours look slightly muted.
| Finish | Look | Strengths | Weaknesses | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloss coated | Shiny, high contrast | Maximum colour vibrancy, cheapest premium look, slight moisture resistance | Glare under lights, shows fingerprints, hard to write on | Photo-led travel, retail, food and product brochures |
| Silk / matt coated | Smooth, low sheen | Good colour with no glare, easiest to read, feels modern | Matt can scuff on dark solids without lamination | Corporate, property, hospitality, anything text-heavy. The safest default. |
| Uncoated | Natural, tactile | Writable, warm feel, strong artisanal and sustainable signal | Flatter photos, ink spread, needs higher GSM for the same stiffness | Craft brands, architects, wineries, forms people fill in |
| Recycled / FSC uncoated | Slightly flecked, off-white | Environmental story, distinctive texture | 5% to 15% price premium, less white point | Brands with a sustainability message |
| Soft touch laminated | Velvety, deep blacks | Highest perceived value, scuff and tear resistant | Adds 20% to 40% to cost, not recyclable in every stream | Luxury property, private clients, premium hospitality |
Lamination is not the same as coating
Coating is part of the paper. Lamination is a plastic film applied after printing. On 300gsm and up, matt lamination is almost always worth it: it stops dark areas scuffing in transit and it makes creases far less likely to crack. If sustainability is a priority, ask about water-based varnish or biodegradable laminate instead.
Match the stock to the job
1. Direct mail brochures
Recommendation: 150gsm to 170gsm silk, or 100lb gloss cover if you are going oversized and want to dominate the mailbox.
Postage brackets are decided by grams, so run the maths before you choose. A flat A4 sheet is 0.0624 square metres, so the weight per sheet is simply GSM x 0.0624:
- A4 at 130gsm = about 8.1g
- A4 at 170gsm = about 10.6g
- A4 at 250gsm = about 15.6g
- A4 at 350gsm = about 21.8g
Add an envelope at 5g to 8g. If your postal tier breaks at 20g or 50g, that single decision can cost or save more than the paper itself across 5,000 pieces.
2. Event, counter and street handouts
Recommendation: 130gsm to 150gsm gloss or silk. These get picked up, skimmed and often binned, so you are buying attention, not longevity. Anything heavier is money spent on a piece with a 90-second lifespan. Order 10% to 15% over your estimate because handouts always run out faster than planned.
3. Tri-fold and bi-fold sales brochures
Recommendation: 170gsm silk, machine scored. This is the industry workhorse for a reason. Below 150gsm a tri-fold flops in the hand and the back page shows through. Above 200gsm the folds thicken up and the piece will not sit flat in a rack.
4. Product sheets, spec sheets and price lists
Recommendation: 200gsm to 250gsm silk, single sheet. Stiff enough to survive a briefcase, light enough to file. If customers will annotate them, choose uncoated 200gsm so a ballpoint actually works.
5. Luxury real estate and high-value leave-behinds
Recommendation: 300gsm to 350gsm cover with soft touch or matt lamination, or a 170gsm silk interior wrapped in a 350gsm cover for multi-page books.
At this level the paper is part of the pitch. A 350gsm soft touch property brochure costs several times a basic flyer per unit, but on a single high-value sale the cost is irrelevant. Consider spot UV on the logo, foil on the address or a short-run uncoated textured stock for a more understated feel.
6. Hospitality menus and in-venue brochures
Recommendation: 300gsm to 400gsm, laminated or synthetic. Anything handled by dozens of people a day and exposed to spills needs either lamination or a waterproof synthetic stock. For venues updating prices or seasonal dishes often, keep the stock lighter (250gsm) and treat the print as disposable, or move the frequently changing content to a digital menu and keep the printed piece for the evergreen story.
7. Multi-page booklets (8 to 32 pages)
Recommendation: 130gsm to 150gsm silk interior + 250gsm to 300gsm cover. Keeping the inside pages lighter controls both weight and cost, while the heavier cover does the quality signalling. For saddle-stitched booklets over 24 pages, ask the printer about creep so your outer margins stay even.
What paper weight really costs
Here is a realistic picture for a double-sided A4 tri-fold, full colour, 2,000 copies, using typical commercial litho pricing. Figures are indicative and will vary by country, run length and supplier.
| Stock | Indicative unit cost | Cost for 2,000 | Perceived quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 130gsm gloss | 0.09 | 180 | Basic |
| 170gsm silk | 0.11 | 220 | Professional |
| 250gsm silk, scored | 0.17 | 340 | Premium |
| 350gsm + matt lamination | 0.28 | 560 | Luxury |
| 350gsm + soft touch + spot UV | 0.41 | 820 | High-end |
The practical takeaway: moving from 130gsm to 170gsm is a small cost for a large jump in perceived quality. Moving from 250gsm to 350gsm with special finishes is where the money starts to disappear fast, so reserve it for pieces tied to high-value decisions.
Three cost levers that matter more than GSM
- Quantity. Litho setup is fixed. Doubling the run rarely doubles the price. Under about 500 copies, digital printing is cheaper and the stock choice matters less to the total.
- Size. Designing to a standard trimmed size (A4, A5, DL, 8.5 x 11) avoids wasting a third of every parent sheet.
- Finishing. Lamination, die cutting, foiling and hand folding often cost more than upgrading the paper would have.
Technical traps to avoid
- Cracking on the fold. Anything over 170gsm must be creased or scored before folding, never folded cold. Dark ink across a fold makes cracking much more visible.
- Grain direction. Folds should run parallel to the grain. Ask for “long grain for the fold direction” and your printer will know exactly what you mean.
- Show-through. On double-sided designs under 150gsm, check the opacity rating. A heavy ink coverage design on 120gsm will ghost through.
- Rack fit. If the brochure goes into a display rack, heavy stock plus a tri-fold can jam the rack. Test a sample first.
- Home printers. Most desktop inkjets and laser printers top out around 200gsm to 250gsm through the manual feed tray. Check the duty spec before ordering a box of 300gsm.
How to brief your printer in 60 seconds
Copy this structure into an email and you will get an accurate quote first time:
- Finished size and fold: “A4 landscape, folded to DL, tri-fold roll fold.”
- Pages and sides: “Single sheet, printed 4/4 (full colour both sides).”
- Stock in GSM plus finish: “170gsm silk coated, FSC certified.”
- Finishing: “Machine scored and folded, no lamination.”
- Quantity and options: “Quote 1,000 / 2,500 / 5,000.”
- Deadline and delivery address.
- Ask for: “Please send a paper dummy or sample pack before I approve.”
That last point is the single most useful thing on the list. Always hold the paper before you sign off a large run. Screens lie about texture, weight and whiteness.
FAQ
What type of paper is usually used for brochures?
Most commercial brochures are printed on coated text or cover stock between 130gsm and 250gsm, with silk or gloss finish. 170gsm silk is the most common choice for folded, double-sided brochures because it balances stiffness, print quality and postage weight.
Which is thicker, 200gsm or 300gsm?
300gsm is thicker and considerably more rigid. GSM measures weight per square metre, and within the same paper type a higher GSM means a thicker sheet. 200gsm feels like a sturdy postcard; 300gsm feels like a business card or a book cover.
Is 40lb professional paper the same as cardstock?
No. 40lb bond or text paper is around 150gsm, which is brochure or flyer weight, not cardstock. True cardstock starts around 65lb cover (175gsm) and typically runs 80lb to 130lb cover (215gsm to 350gsm). The pound system uses different base sizes for text and cover papers, which is why GSM is the safer unit to specify.
What are the main types of paper used in print?
The ones that matter for brochures are: gloss coated, silk/matt coated, uncoated wove, uncoated textured (laid, linen, felt), recycled, kraft, cast-coated (very high gloss), synthetic/waterproof, carbonless and board. Everything else is a variation on these.
Is 170gsm good for a bi-fold brochure?
Yes. 170gsm is widely regarded as the sweet spot for double-sided bi-fold and tri-fold brochures. It is opaque enough to prevent show-through, stiff enough to hold a clean fold and light enough for standard postage rates.
Should I choose gloss or matt for a brochure?
Choose gloss if images sell the product and colour punch is the priority. Choose matt or silk if there is a lot of text, if the brochure will be read under bright lighting, or if you want a more restrained, premium look. Silk is the compromise most designers reach for.
What is the best paper weight for a brochure that will be mailed?
150gsm to 170gsm for standard mailers. Calculate the finished weight (GSM x sheet area in square metres, plus envelope) against your postal tiers before deciding. For a high-impact mailer where response rate justifies the spend, an oversized piece on 250gsm to 300gsm cover stands out in a mailbox.
Can I print brochures on 300gsm at the office?
Usually not reliably. Most office machines handle up to 160gsm through the main tray and up to about 200gsm to 250gsm through the bypass. Heavier stock needs a commercial digital press or litho, and it also needs proper creasing equipment to fold without cracking.
Final recommendation
If you remember nothing else:
- Volume handouts: 130gsm to 150gsm gloss or silk.
- Standard folded brochure: 170gsm silk, scored.
- Sales sheet or counter piece: 250gsm silk.
- Luxury or high-value leave-behind: 350gsm with matt or soft touch lamination.
- Booklet: 150gsm interior, 300gsm cover.
Request a sample pack, fold it with your own hands, and then brief your printer in GSM. That one habit will prevent nearly every expensive brochure mistake.