What about the thickness? What means GSM? Does thickness even matters? Don’t worry, we will answer all these questions in this quick guide.
Watercolor paper is available in different thicknesses.
Thickness is indicated by the weight of the paper. The weight is labeled as gsm or g/m2 or lb. GSM refers to grams per square meter.
The thickness of watercolor paper is important because it has an influence on how much the paper buckles when wet and how quickly water is absorbed and dries.
These are the thickness available on the market:
- Thin
190 gsm / 90 lb
- Medium
300 gsm / 140 lb
- Thick
356 gsm / 260 lb
- Board
640 gsm / 300 lb
The ideal weight for watercolor paper seems to be 300 gsm since thicker paper tends to absorb quicker. Using thicker paper means you can avoid having to stretch the paper to prevent it from buckling. (For more details read The How-to: stretch watercolor paper post )
What are you waiting for ? Go use some watercolor paper !
-The ATSSI team