Letter (paper size) "official" "Government Letter" size, , was used in government, while paper was standard in most other offices. In the U.S., paper density is usually measured in "pounds per ream" (of 500 sheets). Typical Letter paper has a basis weight of paper of – the weight of 500 sheets (a ream) of paper at and at 50% humidity. One ream of 20-pound Letter-sized paper weighs , and a single Letter-sized sheet of 20-pound paper weighs , which is equivalent to 75.19 g/m. Some metric information is typically included on American ream packaging. For example, 20-pound paper is also labeled as 75
Paper it is to be used on web printing presses, or cut into sheets for other printing processes or other purposes. The fibres in the paper basically run in the machine direction. Sheets are usually cut "long-grain", i.e. with the grain parallel to the longer dimension of the sheet. Continuous form paper (or continuous stationery) is cut to width with holes punched at the edges, and folded into stacks. All paper produced by paper machines as the Fourdrinier Machine are wove paper, i.e. the wire mesh that transports the web leaves a pattern that has the same density along the paper