Converter
GSM, ounces and running weight, side by side
Indian mills quote GSM, US and UK buyers quote ounces per square yard, and some spec sheets give weight per running metre. Enter any one and see all four, at the width you are buying.
Convert fabric weight
Enter the figure from your spec sheet. Running weights depend on width, so set the width too.
- GSM
- 220g/m²
- Per square yard
- 6.49oz/yd²
- Per running metre
- 323g/m
- Per running yard
- 10.43oz/yd
How the conversion works
One ounce per square yard is 33.91 grams per square metre, so GSM times 0.0295 gives oz/yd². Both are weights per area and do not change with width. Running weights do: a metre off a wider roll carries more cloth, so grams per running metre is GSM times the width in metres.
Compare two quotes in GSM or oz/yd², not by running weight, unless both cloths are the same width. Most of our qualities run at 147 cm.
Common values
| oz/yd² | GSM |
|---|---|
| 4.5 oz | 153 GSM |
| 6 oz | 203 GSM |
| 6.2 oz | 210 GSM |
| 6.5 oz | 220 GSM |
| 7 oz | 237 GSM |
| 8 oz | 271 GSM |
| 9.5 oz | 322 GSM |
| 10 oz | 339 GSM |
| 12 oz | 407 GSM |
| 13 oz | 441 GSM |
| 15 oz | 509 GSM |
| 18 oz | 610 GSM |
| GSM | oz/yd² |
|---|---|
| 130 GSM | 3.8 oz |
| 150 GSM | 4.4 oz |
| 180 GSM | 5.3 oz |
| 200 GSM | 5.9 oz |
| 210 GSM | 6.2 oz |
| 220 GSM | 6.5 oz |
| 240 GSM | 7.1 oz |
| 250 GSM | 7.4 oz |
| 280 GSM | 8.3 oz |
| 300 GSM | 8.8 oz |
| 350 GSM | 10.3 oz |
| 440 GSM | 13.0 oz |
Questions
- What does 200 GSM mean in fabric?
- 200 GSM means one square metre of the fabric weighs 200 grams. It is a mid-weight cloth, about 5.9 oz/yd², typical of uniform shirting at the heavy end and light trouser suiting. 210 to 220 GSM (about 6.2 to 6.5 oz/yd²) is a common uniform trouser weight.
- How do I convert GSM to oz/yd²?
- Multiply GSM by 0.0295. 220 GSM is about 6.5 oz/yd². To go the other way, multiply oz/yd² by 33.91 to get GSM.
- What is the difference between GSM and grams per running metre?
- GSM is the weight of one square metre and does not change with width. Grams per running metre is the weight of one metre off the roll, so it depends on width: multiply GSM by the width in metres. A 220 GSM cloth at 147 cm weighs about 323 g per running metre.
- Why do some mills quote weight per running metre?
- Because it is what the buyer pays for and ships: fabric is sold by length, so a per-metre weight tells you the weight of an order directly. It only compares fairly between two cloths of the same width, which is why converting to GSM first is the safer habit.
- What GSM is uniform suiting?
- Most uniform suiting sits between about 180 and 260 GSM. Shirting runs lighter, roughly 100 to 160 GSM. Trousers and force wear sit at the heavier end because they have to hold a crease and resist abrasion.
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