GSM is grams per square metre — the weight of a sheet one metre square. It is a proxy for thickness, not a direct measure of it, but for a single family of stock like artboard it tracks closely enough to be useful.
What changes as the weight goes up
On our business cards the options are 310, 360, 400 and 450gsm artboard. Across that range the print quality is identical — same press, same inks, same colour. What changes is stiffness and the feel in the hand.
- 310gsm — the standard weight. Sturdy, holds its shape, and what most businesses order.
- 360gsm — a clear step up in stiffness without being unusual.
- 400gsm — noticeably substantial. Reads as a deliberate choice rather than a default.
- 450gsm — the heaviest. Genuinely thick, and visibly so from the edge.
Is heavier worth paying for?
Honestly: sometimes. A business card is one of the few marketing pieces a person physically holds, and weight is the first thing they register — before they read a word of it. If your cards are handed over in a context where that impression matters, heavier stock does real work.
If the cards are going in a fishbowl on a counter, into a conference tote or onto a noticeboard, it does not. Spend the difference on quantity or on a laminate instead.
One practical note: the jump from 310 to 360gsm is the least noticeable in the range. If you are going to pay more, 400 or 450gsm is where the money is actually felt.
Laminate affects thickness too
A matt or gloss laminate adds a film to one or both sides, which adds a little thickness and a lot of durability. A laminated 360gsm card can feel more solid than an unlaminated 400gsm one. Matt vs gloss laminate covers the difference between the two.
What GSM does not tell you
Two stocks at the same GSM can have quite different thicknesses depending on how bulky the fibre is — a high-bulk board is thicker per gram than a dense one. GSM is a reliable comparison within one stock family, and a poor one across different papers. Since our card stocks are all artboard, the comparison above holds.