Copier/Printer Color Materials Usage Guide

HOW TO ORDER PAPER LIKE A PRO
Contact your local authorized Xerox distributor, or call Xerox at 1-800-822-2200 in the USA,
or 1-800-668-0199 in Canada for our full line of media.
28 COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE
How Paper is Measured in Terms of Weights and Sizes
Papers are packed in reams, cartons, and on skids. The more paper
you buy, the less you pay per unit. For example, buying a partial or
“broken” carton costs more per unit than a full carton.
Terms used to describe paper weight
• Basis weight - In the United States and Canada, the basis
weight is equal to the weight measured in pounds of 500
sheets of paper cut to a specific size. For example: in
Business papers, the basis weight is 500 sheets of 17 x 22”
paper. Basis weight is also known as substance
(S or Sub) weight.
• Grams - In countries using ISO paper sizes, g/m
2
is the weight
in grams of one square meter of paper.
Refer to the Equivalent Paper Weights chart to obtain the
comparable basis and gram weight of papers.
Ways paper can be ordered
• Ream – 500 sheets
• Junior Carton – A case of ten reams.
• Carton – Unit of paper weighing approximately 150 pounds
(60 kilos). Cartons contain 500-5,000 sheets depending on
size and basis weight.
• Skid – Cartons stacked three or four high (depending on
weight) and wrapped in plastic. Skids in the USA and Canada
weigh about 2,500 lbs. (1,139 kilos). Skids from mills in the
rest of the world weigh 1,200 lbs. (540 kilos).
• Carload (CL) – Unit of paper that may weigh anywhere from
20,000 to 100,000 pounds depending on the mill. Printers buy
carloads for use as house sheets.