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 150–350g 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 300–350g for a standard 300-page B-format novel on 80gsm paper. A 200-page A5 paperback runs ~250–340g depending on stock; a 400-page Royal paperback ~610g. Trim size, page count and gsm are the three drivers.
Add roughly 170–250g 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 3–5g 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.