A4 Paper 101: Quick guide to choosing A4 paper for your office
Have you ever been in a dilemma of choosing which A4 paper is the most suitable for your office?
You may think all papers are made equal but there are certain differences in
We are here to guide you through choosing the right A4 paper for your office usage.

1) Know Your Paper Lingo
Here’s a good opportunity to expand your vocabulary while picking up some A4 paper selection tips.
In order to know what type of A4 paper is the right choice for your company, you’ll need to know some A4 paper jargon so you know what you’re purchasing.
Reams
When it comes to units of quantifying paper, “reams” would be the main measurement unit you should pay attention to.
A ream of
Usually, one
GSM
GSM is an acronym for another measurement
‘GSM’ stands for grams per square meter which basically measures the density of a sheet of paper.
Opacity
A paper’s opacity means the amount of light that can be passed through a paper. In other words, it’s paper’s translucency.
The paper’s opacity plays a role when it comes to double-sided printing.
A
2) Paper Weight Matters

The most common A4
And if you think 10 grams makes no difference when it comes to selecting papers, think again.
Here’s a breakdown of the differences between two, and while we may be biased towards 80 gsm, we included valid reasons on why you should consider choosing the heavier of the two.
80 gsm A4 Paper
80 gsm is the standard weight for your printing needs. Using 80 gsm paper will do wonders in easing your printing and photocopying headaches.
70 gsm A4 Paper
Unless you service your office printer regularly, you might want to consider staying away from 70 gsm A4 paper. Papers with this density may be more suitable for sketching and writing purposes.
The lighter of the two most common A4

Due to its thinness, these papers may leave behind a residue of paper dust build up in your printer. Though they may not be the most printer friendly, 70 gsm would be your go-to paper density for copying.
3) Brands

You know the saying, “to each his own” which means everyone is entitled to their own preference and that applies to choosing the right A4 paper as well.
Your company may be loyal to using the same A4 paper brand for years, but here are some of the brands that are commonly used: Double A, PaperOne and IK Yellow.
4) The Selection Process

Now that you’re equipped with the right paper vocabulary and the knowledge of knowing the difference between 70 gsm vs 80 gsm A4 paper, you’re probably wondering, “how do I actually begin the selection process?“
Here’s a few questions to ask yourself before purchasing the right A4 paper for your office:
What are my printing needs?

Knowing what your printing needs are is important when it comes to selecting the right paper.
If you are in a company that’s very print intensive and prints the typical everyday documents such as invoices or purchase orders, it’s best to stick to an 80 gsm A4 paper.
You wouldn’t want your productivity to be halted by a paper jam because you decided to go with a 70 gsm A4 paper, which is the paper jam culprit.
How many reams should I get?
Typically, a box of paper contains 5 to 10 reams of paper. If you do the math, one

The amount you decide to purchase once again depends on your printing needs, but now you should narrow down the question to “how much do you typically print on a daily basis?”
This may depend on the industry your company is in.
Usually, accounting and law firms are heavy paper users. So if you’re working in those firms or in a department at a multi-national company, chances are you would need a box that has 10 reams of paper.
For smaller companies with 1-20 employees like start-ups and SMEs, you may want to purchase lesser reams.
How much am I willing to spend?

This is a vital question and you are actually spending slightly more for the thicker, 80 gsm A4 paper.
Generally, the price of 70 gsm A4 paper usually costs about RM 2.00 less per ream compared to its 80 gsm counterpart.e
The approximate RM 2.00 difference is a small amount to spend on when the
We hope this post eases the paper selection process for your company. Supplycart and its office experts are on hand to guide with your office necessities from stationery, pantry to many more office essentials!
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- Compare price from different vendors in a single glance.
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- Get insights on the spend over time across departments and branches.
Well that’s not all, explore ADAM for more.
