IMSLP Forums

The regular paper I print on at home is 20 lb laser print/copy paper. If I were to print music from the IMSLP, and have it on similar handling paper to the professional printed music, what kind of paper should I use? My paper is too floppy and falls off the piano – so I guess should be heavier weight.

Part of the problem is the paper-weight nomenclature. Traditionally, publishers used a 70-pound stock for printing music. That translates into roughly 24-pounds for the smaller letter-sized sheets. The 70-lbs. refers to the weight of 500 sheets of the paper used by an offset press, which measures 25 x 38 inches. This is the USA system. Metric systems for paper-weights and sizes are used nearly everywhere else in the world.