Paper Grain Direction Calculator
Determine optimal paper grain direction for folding, assess fold quality, stiffness, and crack risk for your print project.
Inputs
Results
Recommended Grain
1
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Fold Direction, Print Run Size, and Paper Weight (GSM).
- Set Sheet Size.
- Review the Recommended Grain result.
- Use Stiffness Rating (/ 10) and Fold Quality Score (/ 10) to inform your decision.
- Use the chart to visualize the results and explore different scenarios by adjusting inputs.
What each input means
- Fold Direction
- 1 = fold parallel to grain (recommended), 2 = fold perpendicular to grain.
- Print Run Size
- Total number of pieces in the print run.
- Paper Weight (GSM)
- Paper weight in grams per square meter. 80=copy, 120=brochure, 300=cover stock.
- Sheet Size
- 1 = letter (8.5x11), 2 = tabloid (11x17), 3 = A3, 4 = A4.
What each result means
- Recommended Grain
- 1 = long grain, 2 = short grain.
- Crack Risk
- Higher = more likely to crack at fold. Score 7+ = scoring recommended.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersFold Direction = 1, Print Run Size = 5000, Paper Weight (GSM) = 120, Sheet Size = 1 = 4 input(s) provided
- Calculate Recommended GrainRecommended Grain1 = 1
- Calculate Stiffness RatingStiffness Rating4 = 4
- Calculate Fold Quality ScoreFold Quality Score9 = 9
Related Calculators
The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.
Print Sheet Layout Calculator
Calculate how many pages fit on a press sheet, optimizing imposition layout with bleed and gutter allowances.
Printing & PublishingPaper Caliper / Spine Width Calculator
Calculate book spine thickness, total book thickness, cover wrap width, and estimated weight from page count and paper caliper.
BookbindingPaper Grain Direction Calculator
Determine correct paper grain orientation for bookbinding and calculate how many grain-correct pages you can cut from a parent sheet.
Printing & PublishingPress Run Waste Calculator
Calculate total waste sheets for a print run including makeready, running waste, and finishing waste from folding and binding.
OrigamiWet Folding Paper Prep Calculator
Methylcellulose concentration for wet folding by paper type.
More in Creative, Media & Design.