Comment by toss1
2 days ago
Ummm, not really, No.
The shorthand "gsm" is a completely standard alternative in some industries.
I work in advanced composites. Different weights and weaves of technical fabrics such as carbon fiber, kevlar, fiberglass, etc. are always specified in "gsm". For example, some common fabrics would be a "Carbon Fiber 3K 200gsm Twill" or a "High Modulus 12K 380gsm Carbon Fiber Plain Weave". (the "3K" and "12K" refer to the number of carbon fiber strands in each yarn in the weave, and the "Twill" and "Plain Weave" refer to the pattern in which the yarns are woven into a fabric.)
I'm sure "gsm" came to be commonly used instead of the more scientific "g/m²" or "g/m^2" because no one is doing that kind of math about the materials, and it is a lot easier to type "gsm" vs either of the other two which require at least a Shift for the caret or getting out the superscript font attribute.
Interestingly, sail cloth (for sail boat sails) is measured in ounces per square yard, and is just referred to by the weight with the square yard assumed - like "8oz Nylon mainsail" or "4oz ripstop spinnaker". (Or at least it used to be, my expertise here is more than 30 years out of date now.)