Paper GSM Explained: What Weight Should Your Bag Be?
A no-jargon guide to paper weight and what it means for durability, cost and feel.
GSM (grams per square meter) is the standard measurement of paper weight. It doesn't measure thickness directly, but for a given paper type it correlates strongly with durability and premium feel.
Paper bag ranges
80–120 gsm: too light for shopping bags; used for tissue paper. 120–150 gsm: F&B, coffee, lightweight retail. 150–200 gsm: standard retail bags. 200–250 gsm: heavy retail, boutique. 250–350 gsm: luxury shopping bags.
Box ranges
300–400 gsm cardstock: folding cartons. 1.5–3 mm greyboard: rigid boxes (measured in mm, not gsm).
How gsm affects cost
Cost scales roughly with weight. Doubling gsm roughly doubles paper cost, which is 40–60% of bag cost. Going from 150 to 250 gsm adds 20–30% to total bag price.
Perceived quality
Customers register weight in the hand within seconds. A 250 gsm bag feels significantly more premium than a 150 gsm bag. This is often the cheapest luxury upgrade you can make.
What to choose
For F&B: 120 gsm kraft is standard. For retail: 170–200 gsm is the sweet spot. For luxury: 250 gsm+ with lamination and structural rigidity.