PAPER SIZES

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International Paper Sizes
International Paper Sizes by Lee Mawdsley

Easy to Understand the World of International Paper Sized

Have you ever wondered what an A4 notebook size is? You may hear sheet sizes, paper size or notebooks sized referred to as ‘B1’ or ‘A2’, and wonder where those terms came from and what they mean.  We’ll break it down here to satisfy your curiosity.

We also have some paper size charts and visuals, that you can download, to help you too!

Paper size are defined by the International Standards Organization [ISO].   The ISO for paper standards is referred to as ISO 216, and is based on the German Deutsches Institut für Normung 476 standard for paper sizes.

ISO paper sizes are all based on a single aspect ratio of the square root of 2, or approximately 1:1.4142. The advantages of using an aspect ratio of √2 were first noted in 1786 by the German scientist and philosopher Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. The formats for A2, A3, B3, B4 and B5 were developed in France on proposition of the mathematician Lazare Carnot, and published for judiciary purposes in 1798 during the French Revolution. Early in the 20th century, Dr Walter Porstmann turned Lichtenberg’s idea into a proper system of different paper sizes. Porstmann’s system was introduced as a DIN standard (DIN 476) in Germany in 1922, replacing a variety of other paper formats.

A Series Paper Sizes

A-Series International Paper Sizes by Lee Mawdsley

‘A’ SERIES PAPER SIZES FORMAL DEFINITION

ISO 216:2007  defines A paper sizes:

  • A series is the most common paper size range used in English-speaking countries.
  • A2 is the most common size, measuring 210mm x 297mm (8.27 inches x 11.7 inches).
  • The length divided by the width is 1.4142
  • The A0 size has an area of 1 square meter:
    • Each subsequent size A(n) is defined as A(n-1) cut in half parallel to its shorter sides.
    • The standard length and width of each size is rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Download a Free Hi-Resolution PDF A-Series.

‘B’ SERIES PAPER SIZES FORMAL DEFINITION

B series paper size, while not as common as the A series, is also defined by ISO 216:2007:

  • B series specifies the trimmed sizes of writing paper and certain classes of printed material.
  • B series also specifies the indication of the machine direction for trimmed sheets.
  • The B’= series uses an aspect ratio of 1:√2.
  • The width and height of a B series sheet is the geometric mean of the corresponding A series:
    • B1 is between A0 and A1 in size.
  • B series is less common in ‘office’ use; it is more regularly used in commercial printing to describe the width of a press where multiple pages are laid on one larger sheet:
    • B3 paper is used to print two US letter or A4 pages side by side.
    • Four pages would be printed on a B2 sheet.
    • Eight pages would be printed on a B1 sheet.

Download a Free Hi-Resolution PDF B-Series.

B Series Paper Sizes

B-Series International Paper Sizes by Lee Mawdsley

C Series Paper Sizes

C-Series International Paper Sizes by Lee Mawdsley

‘C’ SERIES PAPER SIZES FORMAL DEFINITION

C series paper size are specifically used for envelope sizing. The C Series is the geometric means between the A series and B series formats. The C Series is and, is also defined by ISO 269:1985:

  • An A4 page will fit into a C4 envelope and an A5 page will fit into a C5 envelope.
  • The C series will have a  larger area than an A series but smaller than the B series.
  • The aspect ratio of C series envelopes is 1:√2.
  • This means when one folds an A4 page in half, parallel to its smaller sides, will fit nicely into a C5 envelope.
  • When the same A4 page is folded twice, it will fit into a C6 envelope, and so on.

Download a Free Hi-Resolution PDF C-Series.

Additional Resources:

FORMAT
Width × Height (mm)
Width × Height (in)
A0 841 × 1189 mm 33.1 × 46.8 in
A1 594 × 841 mm 23.4 × 33.1 in
A2 420 × 594 mm 16.5 × 23.4 in
A3 297 × 420 mm 11.7 × 16.5 in
A4 210 × 297 mm 8.3 × 11.7 in
A5 148 × 210 mm 5.8 × 8.3 in
A6 105 × 148 mm 4.1 × 5.8 in
A7 74 × 105 mm 2.9 × 4.1 in
A8 52 × 74 mm 2 × 2.9 in
A9 37 × 52 mm 1.5 × 2 in
A10 26 × 37 mm 1 × 1.5 in
A11 18 × 26 mm 0.7 × 1 in
A12 13 × 18 mm 0.5 × 0.7 in
A13 9 × 13 mm 0.4 × 0.5 in
2A0 1189 × 1682 mm 46.8 × 66.2 in
4A0 1682 × 2378 mm 66.2 × 93.6 in
A0+ 914 × 1292 mm 36 × 50.9 in
A1+ 609 × 914 mm 24 × 36 in
A3+ 329 × 483 mm 13 × 19 in
 
FORMAT
Width × Height (mm)
Width × Height (in)
B0 1000 × 1414 mm 39.4 × 55.7 in
B1 707 × 1000 mm 27.8 × 39.4 in
B2 500 × 707 mm 19.7 × 27.8 in
B3 353 × 500 mm 13.9 × 19.7 in
B4 250 × 353 mm 9.8 × 13.9 in
B5 176 × 250 mm 6.9 × 9.8 in
B6 125 × 176 mm 4.9 × 6.9 in
B7 88 × 125 mm 3.5 × 4.9 in
B8 62 × 88 mm 2.4 × 3.5 in
B9 44 × 62 mm 1.7 × 2.4 in
B10 31 × 44 mm 1.2 × 1.7 in
B11 22 × 31 mm 0.9 × 1.2 in
B12 15 × 22 mm 0.6 × 0.9 in
B13 11 × 15 mm 0.4 × 0.6 in
B0+ 1118 × 1580 mm 44 × 62.2 in
B1+ 720 × 1020 mm 28.3 × 40.2 in
B2+ 520 × 720 mm 20.5 × 28.3 in
 
FORMAT
Width × Height (mm)
Width × Height (in)
C0 917 × 1297 mm 36.1 × 51.1 in
C1 648 × 917 mm 25.5 × 36.1 in
C2 458 × 648 mm 18 × 25.5 in
C3 324 × 458 mm 12.8 × 18 in
C4 229 × 324 mm 229 × 324 mm
C5 162 × 229 mm 6.4 × 9 in
C6 114 × 162 mm 4.5 × 6.4 in
C7 81 × 114 mm 3.2 × 4.5 in
C8 57 × 81 mm 2.2 × 3.2 in
C9 40 × 57 mm 1.6 × 2.2 in
C10 28 × 40 mm 1.1 × 1.6 in
 
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