Resume Paper: What Weight, Color and Type to Use (and How to Print on It)

Quick answer: resume paper is a heavier, higher-quality paper used for printed resumes and cover letters. The standard choice is 24 lb to 32 lb bond, white or ivory, with 25% to 100% cotton content and a smooth or very light linen finish. It feels noticeably thicker than the 20 lb copy paper in most printers, and it holds ink without bleeding. You can buy it at office supply stores or online, and most home inkjet and laser printers handle it fine if you change one setting.

Most applications are digital now, so a printed resume shows up in fewer places: in-person interviews, career fairs, networking events, and jobs where you hand your resume to a person. In those moments the paper is part of the first impression. This guide covers what resume paper is, what weight and color to choose, where to buy it, and how to print on it at home without smudges or jams.

What Is Resume Paper?

Resume paper is a premium bond paper, the same family as standard printer paper, but made heavier and often with cotton fiber mixed into the wood pulp. Three things make it different from the paper already in your printer:

• Weight. Everyday copy paper is 20 lb. Resume paper is usually 24 lb, 28 lb or 32 lb, so it feels sturdier and doesn't show the text through from the back.
• Cotton content. Cotton fiber makes paper stronger, smoother and more durable when it gets handled and passed around. Packs list it as a percentage: 25%, 50% or 100% cotton.
• Finish and color. Resume paper comes in smooth, linen (fine crosshatch texture) and laid (fine parallel lines) finishes, usually in bright white, natural white, ivory or cream.

Most packs also carry a watermark (the maker's logo, visible when you hold the sheet up to light). It's a quality signal. Print so the watermark reads correctly, right side up, when you hold the page to the light.

What Does Resume Paper Look and Feel Like?

Next to copy paper, resume paper looks slightly warmer or brighter depending on the shade, feels stiffer in the hand, and has a softer, less "plasticky" surface. Linen finishes have a visible woven texture under raking light. Ivory and cream sheets look off-white, a little like a quality wedding invitation, but far more restrained. Nobody should notice the paper first. They should notice that the resume feels solid.

What Weight Paper Should a Resume Be?

Weight	How it feels	Best for
20 lb	Standard copy paper, thin	Drafts only. Fine for a backup copy, not ideal to hand over.
24 lb	Noticeably sturdier, still flexible	The safe default. Prints cleanly on almost any home printer.
28 lb	Crisp, premium	Interviews, career fairs, senior roles
32 lb	Thick, near the top of bond weights	Executive, legal and finance applications. Check your printer's tray limits.
65 lb+ cover / cardstock	Card-like and stiff	Not for resumes. Too thick to fold or staple, and it looks like a flyer.

Career site Monster recommends 24 lb as the best fit for most job seekers. Our take: 24 lb is the minimum, 28 to 32 lb if you want the page to feel premium and your printer handles it. If paper weights are confusing, our 20 lb vs. 24 lb vs. 32 lb paper guide explains what the numbers mean.

What Color Should Resume Paper Be?

• Bright white works in every industry, gives the sharpest contrast, and scans and photocopies cleanly if a recruiter digitizes it.
• Ivory, cream or natural white is the classic alternative. It looks warmer and more traditional, which suits law, academia and executive roles.
• Light gray or other tints are fine for creative fields if they match your personal brand. Avoid anything bright or dark that makes text harder to read or copies badly.

Whatever you pick, use the same paper for your resume, cover letter and reference sheet so the set looks matched.

Cotton Content: 25% vs. 100%

A 25% cotton sheet is the common premium step up from copy paper: smoother, stronger, and affordable. 100% cotton is the top tier, the same fiber family as fine stationery, and it feels softer and heavier at the same basis weight. It also costs a lot more per sheet. For most applications, 25% cotton at 24 to 32 lb hits the sweet spot. Spend more only if the role and the setting reward it.

Where to Buy Resume Paper

• Office supply stores (Staples, Office Depot/OfficeMax) carry resume paper in-store in 100-sheet packs, usually next to cardstock.
• Big-box stores (Walmart, Target) stock a smaller selection in the office aisle.
• Online. The widest choice of weights, finishes and cotton content is online. You can compare resume paper packs on Amazon, including Southworth and Neenah, the two best-known brands.

A 100-sheet pack is plenty for most job searches, and resume paper keeps for years if it's stored flat and dry.

Can Staples or FedEx Print My Resume on Resume Paper?

Yes. Print shops like Staples, The UPS Store and FedEx Office can print on resume-grade paper from a file you upload or bring on a USB drive. It costs more per page than printing at home, but it's a good option if you only need a handful of copies or your printer is low on ink. Our list of places to print documents near you compares costs.

How to Print a Resume on Resume Paper at Home

1. Check your printer's paper limits. Most home inkjets accept up to about 24 to 28 lb bond in the main tray; many take heavier stock from a rear or single-sheet feed. Laser printers often list a maximum in g/m² (24 lb is about 90 gsm, 32 lb is about 120 gsm).
2. Load the paper the right way. Most inkjets print on the side facing down in the front cassette, or facing up in a rear tray. Test with plain paper marked with an "X" if you're not sure.
3. Set the paper type. In the print dialog, open Printer Properties or Show Details and choose Heavyweight, Bond, Thick plain paper or Premium plain paper. This slows the feed and adjusts ink or toner fusing so the text doesn't smear.
4. Choose a higher quality setting. Pick High or Best, not Draft. Here's what the quality settings actually change.
5. Print a test page on plain paper first. Check margins, page breaks and fonts before you use the good sheets. If your resume is in Word, our guide to printing a Word document covers hiding comments and tracked changes first.
6. Let inkjet prints dry. Give each page a minute before stacking, especially on cotton or textured paper, which absorbs ink more slowly.

Inkjet or laser for resumes?

Both work. Laser prints are sharp and smudge-proof as soon as they leave the printer, which is ideal for text. Inkjets are fine too, but heavily textured linen can make small text look slightly soft. If you're using an inkjet, a smooth finish gives the crispest result. Our inkjet vs. laser paper guide explains the difference in coatings.

Resume Paper Printing Problems and Fixes

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Paper won't feed or double-feeds	Stock too heavy for the tray, or sheets sticking together	Fan the stack, load fewer sheets, use the rear or manual feed. See printer won't pick up paper.
Text smears	Paper type set to plain; ink not dry	Set paper type to heavyweight/bond and let pages dry before stacking. See why ink smudges.
Faded or streaky text	Low ink or clogged nozzles	Run a nozzle check and cleaning. See fixing faded or streaky prints.
Paper jams	Curl from humidity or stock too thick	Flatten the paper, use single-sheet feed. See how to fix a paper jam.
Watermark upside down	Sheet loaded flipped	Hold a blank sheet to the light, note the orientation, and load the rest the same way.

Is Resume Paper Worth It?

For an emailed application, no; paper doesn't matter in a PDF. For anything you hand to a person, a few dollars of better paper is one of the cheapest ways to look prepared. If you're printing a stack for a career fair, crisp black text matters as much as the paper, so make sure your cartridge isn't running low. Find the right remanufactured or compatible cartridges for your exact model in our find ink by printer directory. Orders by 4 PM ET ship the same day, and shipping is free over $50.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best paper to print a resume on?

White or ivory bond paper, 24 to 32 lb, with 25% or more cotton content and a smooth or light linen finish. It looks professional, prints cleanly and works with most home printers.

Is resume paper necessary?

Not for online applications. It's worth it for interviews, career fairs and networking, where someone physically holds your resume.

Can I print a resume on regular printer paper?

Yes, and nobody will reject you for it, but 20 lb copy paper feels thin next to other candidates' resumes. If you use regular paper, choose a bright, 24 lb sheet if you have one.

What weight is resume paper?

Usually 24 lb, 28 lb or 32 lb bond (about 90 to 120 gsm). Standard copy paper is 20 lb (75 gsm).

Should a resume be printed on white or ivory paper?

Either is professional. White gives the most contrast and copies best; ivory looks more traditional. Avoid strong colors unless you're in a creative field.

Which side of resume paper do you print on?

Print so the watermark reads correctly when you hold the page up to light. On linen paper, the textured side is usually the front.

Can you print resume paper on an inkjet printer?

Yes. Choose a heavyweight or premium plain paper setting, use a high-quality mode, and let the pages dry a minute before stacking.