How this calculator works
Paper is counted in sheets, then bundled into traditional groups. The common modern series uses a 25-sheet quire, a 500-sheet ream, a 1,000-sheet bundle and a 5,000-sheet bale. The short series uses a 24-sheet quire and a 480-sheet ream, still found with handmade, tissue and blotting paper. The printer's or perfect ream is 516 sheets, and its bundle and bale follow from that. Because the three series differ, the calculator keeps all of them rather than pretending there is one universal ream.
Formula
sheets = entered value x F(unit), where F is the sheet count: quire 25, short quire 24, ream 500, short ream 480, printer's ream 516, bundle 1,000, short bundle 960, printer's bundle 1,032, bale 5,000, short bale 4,800 and printer's bale 5,160. A quantity in another unit is sheets ÷ F(that unit).
Worked example
1 ream is 500 sheets, 20 quires or 0.5 bundle. 1 printer's bale is 5,160 sheets, 10 printer's reams or 5 printer's bundles. 2 short reams are 960 sheets, which is exactly one short bundle.
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Frequently asked questions
How many sheets are in a ream?
The international standard ream is 500 sheets. The older short ream is 480 sheets and the printer's or perfect ream is 516 sheets, so the answer depends on the paper trade and the era.
Why is a printer's ream larger?
Printing paper was historically sold in a perfect ream of 516 sheets, which is 21 and a half short quires of 24. The extra sheets covered spoilage during printing and binding.
Is a quire always 25 sheets?
No. A standard quire is 25 sheets, a short quire is 24, and historical quires of 15, 18 and 20 sheets have also been used. This page uses the two common modern definitions.