Book Interior Paper: 75 GSM Sunlit vs 100 GSM White vs 130 GSM Art

Most self-publishers know about cover paper. Few know about interior paper. But interior paper is what readers actually touch — and the wrong choice can make a beautifully designed book feel cheap. Here are the three standard options in India.

75 GSM "Sunlit" or "Maplitho"

Lightweight, off-white, slightly textured paper. The default for most Indian novels and trade paperbacks.

• Feels like: a typical Penguin or HarperCollins paperback
• Reads well: easy on the eyes; the slight off-white tone reduces glare
• Best for: fiction, non-fiction, memoirs — any text-heavy book
• Avoid for: photo books (paper is too thin; photos show through to the next page)
• Cost: the cheapest of the three

100 GSM Bright White

Heavier, pure white, smooth. The default for premium novels and textbooks.

• Feels like: a premium textbook or a coffee table essay book
• Reads well: sharp text contrast, but bright white can cause glare under direct light
• Best for: textbooks, technical books, premium fiction, books with line illustrations
• Avoid for: books with many full-bleed photos (still not heavy enough)
• Cost: ~25% more than 75 GSM

130 GSM Art Paper (Coated)

Heavyweight, coated paper. The default for photo books, art books, and premium catalogues.

• Feels like: a coffee table photography book
• Photos: exceptional reproduction — vivid colour, sharp detail, no bleed-through
• Best for: photo books, art books, recipe books with food photography, brand monographs
• Avoid for: long-form text (the glossy/semi-glossy coating creates glare; tiring to read for hours)
• Cost: 2× the cost of 75 GSM

Page count considerations

Heavier paper means a thicker book at the same page count. A 300-page novel printed on:

• 75 GSM ≈ 18–20mm thick
• 100 GSM ≈ 25–28mm thick
• 130 GSM ≈ 32–38mm thick

For perfect-bound paperback, books over 35mm thick start to crack at the spine within a few months of regular reading. If your book has 400+ pages, stick with 75 GSM unless it's a hardcover photo book.

Quick recommendation

• Novel or text-heavy book? → 75 GSM Sunlit
• Premium novel or textbook? → 100 GSM Bright White
• Photo book / art book / coffee table? → 130 GSM Art
• Mixed (e.g. illustrated novel)? → 75 GSM with selective 130 GSM photo signatures