reamage

Reamage is the total quantity of paper stock expressed in reams rather than individual sheets or weight. A ream is 500 sheets of paper at standard size, typically 20 lb bond or its equivalent in basis weight. When a print shop or paper merchant refers to reamage, they are quoting volume in units of 500-sheet bundles, making it easier to track inventory across different paper grades and sizes without constant unit conversion.

The term sees regular use in trade invoicing and warehouse management. A printer might order 100 reamage of 24 lb text stock in 8.5 by 11 inches, knowing this equals 50,000 sheets ready to feed into presses or cutters. Large format papers and specialty stocks are sometimes quoted by reamage even when the actual ream count differs from 500 sheets, since the convention provides a common reference point across the industry. Distributors maintain reamage tallies to monitor stock levels and reorder thresholds.

Reamage differs from weight-based measurement, which accounts for basis weight and sheet size. A ream of 20 lb bond 17 by 22 inches weighs roughly 3.3 pounds, but a ream of the same grade at 8.5 by 11 inches weighs about 0.8 pounds. Reamage ignores these differences, making it a straightforward count metric. Invoices often show both reamage and total weight so buyers can reconcile inventory either way.

Problems arise when reamage crosses stock types. A warehouse may track 50 reamage without distinguishing whether it is coated, uncoated, or text-weight paper, risking grabbing the wrong product for a job. Digital print environments that use cut-sheet feed systems rely on reamage counts to manage paper flow, since a feeder typically accepts reamage units or subdivisions thereof. Mismatched reamage counts between purchase orders and incoming deliveries can halt production if stock does not arrive in expected bundle sizes.

The word derives directly from ream, itself borrowed from Arabic rizmah meaning bundle. In a narrow sense, reamage is simply a plural noun marking quantity; in trade use, it has become a unit of measure akin to case or carton. Coil stock, rolls, and continuous forms do not typically use reamage; the term stays anchored to cut-sheet paper and similar flat products organized into standard bundles.