Guide to Paper Sizes and Dimensions or Formats for Printing

The International Standard, ISO 216
Common paper sizes such as A4 and A5 are familiar to all of us, but who or what sets these guidelines?

A cursory web search reveals that the German scientist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg's letter from October 25, 1786, has the earliest documented instance of basing size on aspect ratio. According to him, the aspect ratio of every size should equal the square root of two.

Put another way, a page's width and height relate to one another similarly to a square's side and diagonal. These page sizes, which are denoted by letters like A, B, and C, are used worldwide and are now referred to as the ISO paper sizes or the German DIN 476 standard. Imperial paper sizes were used in the UK before to this, and after 1971, we became the norm.

Many other nations, including France, had their own imperial sizes, and French paper was no exception. Greater control over the paper sizes used globally is made possible by the paper industry's global standardization of this. Before this, anyone printing on paper would need to consider not just the many materials that were available, but also the location and method of printing.

When cutting or folding paper in half, the aspect ratio is preserved, which is the primary benefit of the paper formats specified by the ISO 216 standard for printing. Now that you are somewhat aware of the origins of the current worldwide paper size standards, let's examine the various printing-compatible sizes.

Traditional British Paper Sizes

Before the new standard was widely utilized and recognized, this is what we usually used. They were never utilized for anything other than the creation of books. Foolscap Folio is also known as "Folio" or "Foolscap Folio," while Foolscap Quarto is known as "Kings."

ISO A: Typical Paper Sizes
We use metric or international paper sizes, if you're like us. The majority of you are probably already familiar with the standard paper measurement that starts with the letter "A." This A size paper is the normal business letter size used in English-speaking countries and is the most widely recognized paper measurement standard in the world, used practically everywhere except in American sizes. The paper size chart below shows the dimensions of the A series. The largest standardised A size in the A range is A0, and the smallest is A10.

Please remember that these are the normal trimmed sizes of the standard lengths and widths of the A series, rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Paper Sizes for ISO B
There are ISO B sizes in addition to 'A' sizes. While this B series follows the same pattern as A, with B0 being the largest and B10 being the smallest, their sizes are slightly larger in comparison. This series was created to offer a wide range of size alternatives for commercial printing.

Formats for ISO C Series Paper Sizes
You guessed it! There are ISO C sizes for printing, which come after A and B sizes. The C size in this series is most frequently used for envelopes, as it sits comfortably between the A and B sizes. Fitting larger sizes into smaller envelopes is made easier by the aspect ratio of ISO paper sizes. An ISO A4 folded in half into two A5s, for instance, would fit into a C5 envelope.

These are the sizes for businesses looking to purchase a variety of branded envelopes and a new set of stationery.

What is the standard printing size?
Now that you have a clear understanding of the sizes that are available, let's discuss some of the most popular sizes for printing. A4 sheets are by far the most common paper size available — you can find them everywhere! In addition to being the most common size for home office printers, this size is also utilized for letter paper, stationery, and pamphlets.

For the majority of everyday printing needs, it is the ideal size. What you are creating and where you are in the world will always determine the size you need. For instance, you may use an A4 if you want to create a leaflet, but you would use the next larger size in the A series to fold the sheets in half and collate them to create an A5 booklet.

Which Size Printing Should I Use?
Let's now discuss you and your printing endeavor. The item you're printing will determine exactly what size you need! We shall solely discuss A-series paper going forward because that is what we utilize to create your printed goods.

A0 Paper
With a completed size of 841 x 1189 mm, this is the largest A size that we provide. Since this product is the largest A size available, it is usually used for larger or broader printing where the idea is intended to be seen from a distance. For instance, we provide A0 printed signs, display boards, and posters with our A0 sheet printing service.

A1 Paper
With a completed size of 594 x 841 mm, this is the second largest A size that we offer. Since this product is one of the largest sizes available, it is usually utilized for large printing jobs where the idea needs to be visible from a distance. For this reason, we provide A1 printed posters, Display Boards, and signs in this size.

A2 Paper
At 420 x 594 mm in finished size, this is the third largest A size that we provide. Though not very large, it is nevertheless among the biggest sizes offered. This size is commonly used for wide printing, where the idea is intended to be viewed from a distance, in the same way as A0 and A1. For this reason, we provide A2 Printed Posters, display boards, and signs.

A3 Paper
A3 paper measures twice as large as ordinary A4 paper. Having a comfortable dimension of 297 x 420 mm. Although not overly enormous, this side's size modification allows for a wide variety of applications. That being said, they are still suitable for use as posters, and we also provide printed display boards in this size. Thanks to technological advancements, more people may now afford to have an A3 printer in their homes. For a long time, this has been a standard size in the restaurant sector. It works well for takeout, allowing them to print every option on the menu in a beautiful arrangement that makes us want to place an order.

A4 Paper

 Everyone can relate to an A4 sheet of paper as it is the most commonly utilized size! This is usually the size that is offered when we go to the grocery store and get that pack of paper for our home printers. Usually, we get bank statements or bills in this size, which is 210 x 297 mm. These are the ideal letter format, and most software can create documents in this size, if not all of them can print at this size. But don't get me wrong—this isn't the only use for this size.

The A4 size has a whole range of uses and we suppose that this is due to not only its size but also to the fact that in relation to us holding it in our hands, it seems to be the perfect size for a wide range of uses.

As we previously mentioned letters or printed Letterheads. Many Stapled Brochures or booklets are also great in this size allowing for the perfect balance between imagery and text. Grouping several A4s together can help create the perfect presentation booklet.

As a single sheet a printed A4 size can also be used as a perfect leaflet or menu handout, or an A4 Folded Leaflet.

Square Paper 210 mm
Even though it's not as common or conventional as an A4, this 210 × 210 mm square dimension is quite easy to explain. This has a lot of applications and is getting more and more common! This size is one that we print a lot of things in, such as leaflets and stapled brochures. Because of their scale, firms are better able to stand out from the competitors.

A5 Paper
It is half the size of an A4 piece of paper, measuring 148 x 210 mm. It will also be simple to relate to this size! At some point, every one of us has either had a leaflet or flyer of this size handed to us in the street or placed through our door. A perfect balance between too much and the appropriate quantity of information is made possible by their smaller size. When it comes to printing leaflets, you could almost consider these to be the Goldilocks size. used all around the world to promote a variety of companies, including plumbers, mechanics, and beauty parlors.

148 mm Square Paper
Despite not being as common or standard as an A5, this 148 × 148 mm square dimension is quite easy to explain. This has a lot of applications and is getting more and more common! This size allows businesses to stand out from the competition and helps them cut through the competition. We have printed and still print a lot of invitations and flyers in this size.

A6 Paper
These are the smallest size we provide online, measuring 105 x 148 mm, or a quarter of the size of a typical A4. To compare their size to an actual product—something that we can all identify with—a postcard. That's correct, the size of a standard postcard allows a modest amount of space for text and images—nothing too extravagant—perhaps emphasizing a single call to action, such as the launch of a new good or service.

How our sizes were measured.
We use the following method for measuring in all of the sizes mentioned above. The foundation for all sizes is a portrait orientation. We measure along and then up with the paper arranged in this manner. Walking up the stairs and along the corridor is an easy method to recall this. No, this did not originate with us, but it has stuck!

Is There Currently No Other Way to Measure Paper?
The answer to this, which is frequently asked, is no—other paper measurement systems are still in use today.

The North American paper size system is another widely used method. We are only able to display the sizes below because we do not utilize them in our company. As you can see here, US paper sizes include both their ANSI and a combination of sizes that are comparable to the ISO standard.

We also use paper in sizes that are greater than we require in our print business; these are referred to as untrimmed paper sizes. They have a little greater size than the B and A series. This is deliberate on the part of commercial printing equipment, enabling us and other printers to efficiently generate your papers.

Depending on whose machine we are using, we use two measures of the untrimmed sizes.