ISO AND US CUT PAPER SIZES

 

ISO PAPER SIZES

The Series A is used for Standard Printing and Stationery. The Series B is used for Posters, Wall-Charts etc.

A SERIES mm × mm Inch × Inch B SERIES mm × mm Inch × Inch
A0 841 × 1189 33.11 × 46.81 B0 1000 × 1414 39.37 × 55.67
A1 594 × 841 23.39 × 33.11 B1 707 × 1000 27.83× 39.37
A2 420 × 594 16.54 × 23.39 B2 500 × 707 19.68 × 27.83
A3 297 × 420 11.69 × 16.54 B3 353 × 500 13.90 × 19.68
A4 210 × 297 8.27 × 11.69 B4 250 × 353 9.84 × 13.90
A5 148 × 210 5.83 × 8.27 B5 176 × 250 6.93 × 9.84
A6 105 × 148 4.13 × 5.83 B6 125 × 176 4.92 × 6.93
A7 74 × 105 2.91 × 4.13 B7 88 × 125 3.46 × 4.92
A8 52 × 74 2.05 × 2.91 B8 62 × 88 2.44 × 3.46
A9 37 × 52 1.46 × 2.05 B9 44 × 62 1.73 × 2.44
A10 26 × 37 1.02 × 1.46 B10 31 × 44 1.22 × 1.73

Area of A0 = 1 Square meter
A0/A1 = AI/A2 = A2/A3 ...........A9/A10 = 2
Length = 1.414 * Width

Width of An = 2^(-1/4-n/2) and Height = 2^(1/4-n/2)


Area of B0 = 1.414 Square meter
B0/B1 = B1/B2 = B2/B3 ............B9/B10 = 2
B0/A0 = B1/A1 = B2/A2 ..........B10/A10

Width of Bn = 2^(-n/2) and Height = 2^(1/2-n/2)

The C series is used for folders, post cards and envelopes. C series envelope is suitable to insert A series sizes.

image of ISO paper size image of ISO paper size
C SERIES mm × mm Inch × Inch Japanese B Series mm × mm Inch × Inch
C0 917×1297 36.10×51.06 B0 1030 x 1456 40.55x57.32
C1 648×917 25.53×36.10 B1 728 x 1030 28.66x40.55
C2 458×648 18.05×25.53 B2 515x728 20.27x28.66
C3 324×458 12.76×18.05 B3 364x515 14.33x20.27
C4 229×324 9.02×12.76 B4 257x364 10.13x14.33
C5 162×229 6.38×9.02 B5 182x257 7.16x10.13
C6 114×162 4.51×6.38 B6 128x182 5.06x7.16
C7 81×114 3.19×4.51 B7 91x128 3.58x5.06
C8 57×81 2.25×3.19 B8 64x91 2.53x3.58
C9 40×57 1.59×2.25 B9 45x64 1.79x2.53
C10 28×40 1.12×1.59 B10 32x45 1.26x1.79

Width of Cn = 2^(-1/8-n/2) and Height = 2^(3/8-n/2)

The allowed tolerances are ±1.5 mm for dimensions up to 150 mm, ±2 mm for dimensions above 150 mm up to 600 mm, and ±3 mm for dimensions above 600 mm.

The A, B & C series are trimmed paper sizes. ISO also define format series RA and SRA for untrimmed raw paper, where SRA stands for 'supplementary raw format A'. These formats are only slightly larger than the corresponding A series formats. Sheets in these formats are  cut to the end format after binding. The ISO RA0 format has an area of 1.05 m2 and the ISO SRA0 format has an area of 1.15 m2. These formats also follow the sqrt(2)-ratio and half-area rule, but the dimensions of the start format have been rounded to the full centimeter. The common untrimmed paper formats that printers order from the paper manufacturers are

RA SERIES mm × mm Inch × Inch SRA SERIES mm × mm Inch × Inch
RA0 860×1220 33.86×48.03 SRA0 900×1280 35.43 × 50.39
RA1 610×860 24.01×33.86 SRA1 640×900 25.19×35.43
RA2 430×610 16.93×24.01 SRA2 450×640 17.71×25.19
RA3 305×430 12.00×16.93 SRA3 320×450 12.59×17.71
RA4 215×305 8.46×12.00 SRA4 225×320 8.85×12.59


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Common Application Examples:

A0 & A1 Technical drawings, posters
A1 & A2 Flip charts
A2 & A3 Drawings, diagrams, large tables
A4 Letters, magazines, forms, catalogs, laser printer and copying machine output
A5 Note pads
 A6 Postcards
B5, A5, B6  A6 Books
C4, C5, C6 Envelopes for A4 letters: unfolded (C4), folded once (C5), folded twice (C6)
B4 & A3 Newspapers, supported by most copying machines in addition to A4
B8 & A8 Playing cards

Japanese Paper Sizes

Japan has adopted the ISO series A sizes, but its series B sizes are slightly different. These sizes are sometimes called JIS B or JB sizes.

A JB0 sheet has an area of 1.5 square meters. The area of each size is the arithmetic average of the areas of the A series page with the same number and the A series page with the next higher number. So for example, the area of a JB4 page is the average of the area of an A4 sheet and an A5 sheet. (In the ISO B series, the area of each sheet is the geometric mean of the A sizes, that is, the square root of the sum of their areas.)

JB SERIES mm × mm Inch × Inch JB SERIES mm × mm Inch × Inch
JB0 1030×1456 40.55×57.32 JB6 128×182 5.06×7.17
JB1 728×1030 28.66×40.55 JB7 91×128 3.59×5.06
JB2 515×728 20.27×28.66 JB8 64×91 2.53×3.59
JB3 364×515 14.33×20.27 JB9 45×64 1.8×2.53
JB4 257×364 10.13×14.33 JB10 32×45 1.27×1.8
JB5 182×257 7.17×10.13      

Japanese Traditional paper sizes

shiroku-ban

base size: 788 mm by 1091 mm (26 sun* × 36 sun)

4 × 6/4 264 by 379 ( × 12.5 sun)

4 × 6/5 191 by 259 (printing on half sheets)

4 × 6/5 189 by 262

kiku-ban

base size: 639 mm × 939 mm (21 sun × 31 sun)

Kiku 4, 227 mm × 306 mm

Kiku 5, 151 mm × 227 mm

* sun was a unit of length used in Japan and is equal to about 3.03 cm or 1.193 inches

The United States, Canada, and in part Mexico, are today the only industrialized nations in which the ISO standard paper sizes are not yet widely used.

US Engineering mm × mm Inch × Inch US Architecture mm × mm Inch × Inch
ANSI A 215.9×279.4 8.5×11 ARCH A 228.6×304.8 9×12
ANSI B 279.4×431.8 11×17 ARCH B 304.8×457.2 12×18
ANSI C 431.8×558.8 17×22 ARCH C 457.2×509.6 18×24
ANSI D 588.8×863,6 22×34 ARCH D 609.6×914.4 24×36
ANSI E 863.6×1117.6 34×44 ARCH E 914.4×1219.2 36×48
      ARCH E1 762×1067 30×32
      ARCH E2 660×965 26×38
      ARCH E3 686×991 27×39
US Misc. mm × mm Inch × Inch US Misc. mm × mm Inch × Inch
Letter 215.9×279.4 8.5×11 Folio 215.9×330.2 8.5×13
Legal 215.9×355.6 8.5×14 Quarto 215×275 8.46×10.8
US Govt 203.2×279.4 8×11 Tabloid 279.4×431.8 11×17
Statement 139.7×215.9 5.5×8.5 Ledger 279.4×431.8 11×17
Executive 184.2×266.7 7.25×10.5 Foolscap 342.9×431.8 13.5×17
Junior Legal 203.2×127 8.0×5.0 Organizer J 70×127 2.75×5
Compact 108×171 4.25×6.75 Post 394×489 15.5×19.5
Crown 381×508 15×20 Demy 445×572 17.5×22.5

 

 

http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/iso-paper.html (A very good reference on paper sizes)


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