Format, size, pages, paper, we'll give you the weight per book, the total for your print run and the carton count, using the same production data our bindery works to.
A typical paperback novel weighs about 325g; the same book as a hardback weighs just under 500g. Those figures are a 300-page B-format (198×129mm) book on 80gsm book paper, the most common UK fiction spec. From there, weight scales with three things: page area, page count and paper gsm. Typical figures from the calculator's own formula:
| Book | Spec | Approx. weight |
|---|---|---|
| Paperback novel | B-format, 300pp, 80gsm | ~325 g |
| Hardback novel (cloth case) | B-format, 300pp, 80gsm | ~495 g |
| A5 non-fiction paperback | A5, 200pp, 100gsm | ~335 g |
| Royal non-fiction paperback | Royal, 400pp, 80gsm | ~610 g |
| Royal non-fiction hardback | Royal, 400pp, 80gsm, cloth | ~850 g |
| A4 training manual, paperback | A4, 120pp, 100gsm | ~415 g |
| Square picture book, hardback | 210×210mm, 32pp, 150gsm | ~400 g |
| A4 photo book, hardback | A4, 160pp, 170gsm coated | ~1.27 kg |
All computed with the production formula below, PPC hardbacks weigh a few grams more than cloth (heavier case material), and every figure moves with your exact paper choice.
No averages, no guesswork, the same arithmetic our production job tickets use:
Spine width feeds the case maths, so the tool calculates it from your page count and paper along the way, the standalone spine calculator gives you that number on its own, and words to pages estimates the page count if you only have a manuscript so far.
Because grams become pounds, sterling, not avoirdupois. The thresholds worth knowing when you're selling or shipping books:
When you price a book in the quote calculator, delivery is worked out from these same weights automatically, per-carton, not flat-rate guesswork.
Weight is a design decision. To lighten a book: fewer pages (tighter typesetting: see how word count maps to pages), a lighter stock (80gsm rather than 100gsm saves ~20% of the text weight), or a smaller trim. To add heft: often what a premium book wants, go the other way: heavier uncoated stock, a larger format, or a hardback case, whose boards add a satisfying 150 to 350g of shelf presence. Paper choice is the biggest lever either way; our paper weight guide covers how gsm feels in the hand.
A typical paperback novel (B-format, ~300 pages, 80gsm paper) weighs about 325g; the same book as a hardback just under 500g. Weight scales with page area × page count × paper gsm, use the calculator above for your exact spec.
Roughly 300 to 350g for a standard 300-page B-format novel on 80gsm paper. A 200-page A5 paperback runs ~250 to 340g depending on stock; a 400-page Royal paperback ~610g. Trim size, page count and gsm are the three drivers.
Add roughly 170 to 250g to the equivalent paperback for boards, case material and endpapers. A 300-page B-format hardback is just under 500g; a 400-page Royal hardback ~850g; an A4 photo book on 170gsm coated stock about 1.3kg. The 2.75mm greyboard boards are the biggest single addition.
Text block = (pages ÷ 2) × trim area in m² × paper gsm. Add the cover (~260gsm card on a paperback; case material + 2,750gsm boards + 100gsm endpapers on a hardback) and a 3 to 5g allowance for thread, glue and lamination. This tool runs exactly that formula with our bindery's production constants.
Postage and logistics: Royal Mail's large-letter band tops out at 750g and 25mm thickness, small parcel at 2kg, couriers bill by weight band, and print runs ship in ~20kg cartons. Per-book grams decide the postage on every sale, and what a box of stock weighs at an event.
More than anything except page count. The same 300-page A5 text block weighs ~375g on 80gsm but ~795g on 170gsm coated, over double. Heavier stock also thickens the spine, which can tip a book over the 25mm large-letter limit. Choosing gsm is covered in our paper weight guide.
The quote calculator prices your exact spec in 30 seconds, and works out delivery from these same weights.