When people talk about “text” vs “cover” weight paper, they’re referring to two different categories of thickness and stiffness—commonly used in printing and design.

 Text Weight (sometimes called “book” paper)

Thinner, more flexible

Used for inside pages of books, brochures, magazines, flyers

Feels like standard printer paper, but can vary in quality and thickness

Common weights: 60 lb, 70 lb, 80 lb, 100 lb text

 Think: easy to fold, good for reading, not very rigid

 Cover Weight (sometimes called “cardstock”)

Thicker, stiffer, more durable

Used for business cards, postcards, covers of booklets, greeting cards

Much harder to bend

Common weights: 65 lb, 80 lb, 100 lb, 120 lb cover

 Think: sturdy, holds shape, more premium feel

 Important: The weights aren’t directly comparable

This is where people get tripped up:

80 lb text ≠ 80 lb cover

Even though the numbers match, cover stock is much thicker

That’s because the “lb” rating is based on the weight of a specific number of sheets at a standard size—and text and cover use different base sizes.

 Simple rule of thumb

• Text = inside pages

• Cover = outer pages / anything needing stiffness

 Rough equivalence

80 lb text ≈ 50–60 lb cover (in feel)

100 lb text ≈ 65 lb cover