Generally, the heavier the paper, the more luxurious it will look and feel. Weight and thickness affect the paper’s texture, and level of opaqueness. Both are classified as 160gsm paper stock but look and feel very different. The other might be calendared, which involves compressing the paper with high-pressure rollers. One paper might be thick parchment stock, containing air and bulk. It is possible to use two papers at a weight of 160gsm that are very different.

Whereas, a Micron (short for micrometer) refers to the thickness. Technically defined, paper weight, or grammage, is “the weight of a sheet of paper with a surface area of one square metre”, or in simple terms, grams per square metre, hence the abbreviation to GSM. Paperweight is measured in GSM whereas paper thickness is measured in Micron. Many people confuse paper weight with paper thickness. But every type of paper has a weight, a processing type and finish. There are variations for different types of paper and many have different properties. These fibers are blended into a pulp with water, flattened, dried, and then cut into sheets. And this, in turn, meant that wider groups of the public were able to enjoy them.To make paper, cellulose fibers are extracted from natural sources, such as wood and cotton. Obviously, the more books that were produced, the cheaper they became. The print press houses were so common that by 1499 more than 2500 European cities had one also by this time 15 million books had been produced, which is a staggering amount. It can be said that Caxton was the important figure for printing in England and was therefore instrumental in getting English scholars heard around the world. He was an Englishman who was the first to bring the print press to England (1476) and was arguably the best printer of his day. One of the most influential printers was a man called William Caxton. He created the new printer's outfit which was a set of small types with round, cursive handwriting an invention which really took off after Gutenberg's death in 1468. People were now able to read the Bible and not only saw publications as a reminder of the past, but also as a sign for the future.Įven though Gutenberg had lost his invention to Fust, he was not finished. One year after the production of the Bible, Fust and former assistant to Gutenberg, Peter Schoffer, published the Mainz Psalter which featured red and blue text this Psalter was also the first book to have the printer's trademark and imprint along with the date of publication.Īt this point it is clear to see the impact that Gutenberg's invention had on the advancement for printing. Fust entered into this partnership as Gutenberg was finding it difficult to fund the printing press - something Fust would be able to help with.Īll seemed to be going well, until 1455 when Fust sued Gutenberg winning possession of all the equipment and the almost completed version of the Bible - this was completed in 1456. In 1450 Gutenberg entered into a partnership with Johan Fust and legal documents suggest this is when he began producing the Bible. This is what was known as a mass-produced indulgence but though only the wealthy could afford it, it was done on a large scale. Early productions from the printing press were slips of paper sold by the Catholic Church to remit temporal punishments in purgatory for sins committed.

Printpress paper types