Units of paper quantity of 480 sheets, now known as a 'short' ream. Reams of 472 and 516 sheets are still current, but in retail outlets paper is typically sold in reams of 500. As an old UK and US unit, a perfect ream was equal to 516 sheets. Certain types of specialist papers such as tissue paper, greaseproof paper, handmade paper, and blotting paper are still sold (especially in the UK) in 'short' reams of 480 sheets (20 quires of 24 sheets). However, the commercial use of the word 'ream' for quantities of paper other than 500 is now deprecated by such standards
Units of paper quantity as ISO 4046. In Europe, the DIN 6730 standard for Paper and Board includes a definition of 1 ream of A4 80gsm (80 g/m) paper equals 500 sheets. The word 'ream' derives from Old French "reyme", from Spanish "resma", from Arabic "rizmah" "bundle" (of paper), from "rasama", "collect into a bundle". (The Moors brought manufacture of cotton paper to Spain.) Early variant rym (late 15c.) suggests a Dutch influence. (cf. Du. "riem"), probably during the time of Spanish Habsburg control of the Netherlands. The number of sheets in a ream has varied locally over the centuries, often according to the