ISO Paper sizes and specifications
ISO Paper
Standards - Technical Definition
Standard paper sizes like ISO A4 are widely used all over
the world today. In the ISO paper size system, the height-to-width
ratio of all pages is the square root of two (1.4142 :
1). In other words, the width and the height of a page
relate to each other like the side and the diagonal of
a square. This aspect ratio is especially convenient for
a paper size. If you put two such pages next to each other,
or equivalently cut one parallel to its shorter side into
two equal pieces, then the resulting page will have again
the same width/height ratio.
The ISO paper sizes are based on the metric system. The square-root-of-two
ratio does not permit both the height and width of the pages to be
nicely rounded metric lengths. Therefore, the area of the pages has
been defined to have round metric values. As paper is usually specified
in g/m², this simplifies calculation of the mass of a document if
the format and number of pages are known.
ISO 216 defines the A series of paper sizes based on these simple
principles:
 The height divided by the width of all formats is the square root
of two (1.4142).
Format A0 has an area of one square meter.
Format A1 is A0 cut into two equal pieces. In other words, the height
of A1 is the width of A0 and the width of A1 is half the height of
A0.
All smaller A series formats are defined in the same way. If you cut
format An parallel to its shorter side into two equal pieces
of paper, these will have format A(n+1).
The standardized height and width of the paper formats is a rounded
number of millimeters.
For applications where the ISO A series does not provide an adequate
format, the B series has been introduced to cover a wider range of
paper sizes. The C series of formats has been defined for envelopes.
The width and height of a Bn format are the geometric mean
between those of the An and the next larger A(n-1) format.
For instance, B1 is the geometric mean between A1 and A0, that means
the same magnification factor that scales A1 to B1 also scales B1
to A0.
Similarly, the formats of the C series are the geometric mean between
the A and B series formats with the same number. For example, an (unfolded)
A4 size letter fits nicely into a C4 envelope, which in turn fits
as nicely into a B4 envelope. If you fold this letter once to A5 format,
then it will fit nicely into a C5 envelope.
B and C formats naturally are also square-root-of-two formats.
ISO Paper Sizes
| A series formats |
| Size |
mm |
inches |
| 4A0 |
1682 × 2378 |
66 1/4 × 93 5/8 |
| 2A0 |
1189 × 1682 |
46 3/4 × 66 1/4 |
| A0 |
841 × 1189 |
33 × 46 3/4 |
| A1 |
594 × 841 |
23 3/8 × 33 |
| A2 |
420 × 594 |
16 1/2 × 23 3/8 |
| A3 |
297 × 420 |
11 3/4 × 16 1/2 |
| A4 |
210 × 297 |
8 1/4 × 11 3/4 |
| A5 |
148 × 210 |
5 7/8 × 8 1/4 |
| A6 |
105 × 148 |
4 1/8 × 5 7/8 |
| A7 |
74 × 105 |
2 7/8 × 4 1/8 |
| A8 |
52 × 74 |
2 × 2 7/8 |
| A9 |
37 × 52 |
1 1/2 × 2 |
| A10 |
26 × 37 |
1 × 1 1/2 |
| B series formats |
| Size |
mm |
inches |
| B0 |
1000 × 1414 |
39 3/8 × 55 3/4 |
| B1 |
707 × 1000 |
27 3/4 × 39 3/8 |
| B2 |
500 × 707 |
19 3/4 × 27 3/4 |
| B3 |
353 × 500 |
13 7/8 × 19 3/4 |
| B4 |
250 × 353 |
9 7/8 × 13 7/8 |
| B5 |
176 × 250 |
7 × 9 7/8 |
| B6 |
125 × 176 |
4 7/8 × 7 |
| B7 |
88 × 125 |
3 1/2 × 4 7/8 |
| B8 |
62 × 88 |
2 1/2 × 3 1/2 |
| B9 |
44 × 62 |
1 3/4 × 2 1/2 |
| B10 |
31 × 44 |
1 1/4 × 1 3/4 |
| C series formats |
| Size |
mm |
inches |
| C0 |
917 × 1297 |
36 × 51 |
| C1 |
648 × 917 |
25 1/2 × 36 |
| C2 |
458 × 648 |
18 × 25 1/2 |
| C3 |
324 × 458 |
12 3/4 × 18 |
| C4 |
229 × 324 |
9 × 12 3/4 |
| C5 |
162 × 229 |
6 3/8 × 9 |
| C6 |
114 × 162 |
4 1/2 × 6 3/8 |
| C7 |
81 × 114 |
3 3/16 × 4 1/2 |
| C8 |
57 × 81 |
2 1/4 × 3 3/16 |
| C9 |
40 × 57 |
1 5/8 × 2 1/4 |
| C10 |
28 × 40 |
1 1/8 × 1 5/8 |
Magnification Factors
It is often necessary to either increase or reduce an
An page in size on a photocopier, digital printer,
or in a software application. In order to maintain an
accurate magnification you should always use the exact
percentages shown in the table below:
|
A0 |
A1 |
A2 |
A3 |
A4 |
A5 |
A6 |
A7 |
A8 |
A9 |
A10 |
| A0 |
100% |
71% |
50% |
35% |
25% |
18% |
12.5% |
8.8% |
6.2% |
4.4% |
3.1% |
| A1 |
141% |
100% |
71% |
50% |
35% |
25% |
18% |
12.5% |
8.8% |
6.2% |
4.4% |
| A2 |
200% |
141% |
100% |
71% |
50% |
35% |
25% |
18% |
12.5% |
8.8% |
6.2% |
| A3 |
283% |
200% |
141% |
100% |
71% |
50% |
35% |
25% |
18% |
12.5% |
8.8% |
| A4 |
400% |
283% |
200% |
141% |
100% |
71% |
50% |
35% |
25% |
18% |
12.5% |
| A5 |
566% |
400% |
283% |
200% |
141% |
100% |
71% |
50% |
35% |
25% |
18% |
| A6 |
800% |
566% |
400% |
283% |
200% |
141% |
100% |
71% |
50% |
35% |
25% |
| A7 |
1131% |
800% |
566% |
400% |
283% |
200% |
141% |
100% |
71% |
50% |
35% |
| A8 |
1600% |
1131% |
800% |
566% |
400% |
283% |
200% |
141% |
100% |
71% |
50% |
| A9 |
2263% |
1600% |
1131% |
800% |
566% |
400% |
283% |
200% |
141% |
100% |
71% |
| A10 |
3200% |
2263% |
1600% |
1131% |
800% |
566% |
400% |
283% |
200% |
141% |
100% |
Envelope Formats
The DL format is the most widely used business letter
format envelope size. DL probably originally stood for
“DIN lang” historically, but ISO 269 now explains this
abbreviation more diplomatically as “Dimension Lengthwise”
instead. Its size falls somewhat out of the system and
equipment manufacturers have complained that it is slightly
too small for reliable automatic enveloping. Therefore,
DIN 678 introduced the C6/C5 format as an alternative
for the DL envelope. For postal purposes, ISO 269 and
DIN 678 define the following envelope formats:
| Format |
mm |
Content Format |
| C6 |
114 × 162 |
A4 folded twice = A6 |
| DL |
110 × 220 |
A4 folded twice = 1/3 A4 |
| C6/C5 |
114 × 229 |
A4 folded twice = 1/3 A4 |
| C5 |
162 × 229 |
A4 folded once = A5 |
| C4 |
229 × 324 |
A4 |
| C3 |
324 × 458 |
A3 |
| B6 |
125 × 176 |
C6 envelope |
| B5 |
176 × 250 |
C5 envelope |
| B4 |
250 × 353 |
C4 envelope |
| E4 |
280 × 400 |
B4 |
North American Formats
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. Their formats are
as follows:
| Format |
mm |
inches |
| Letter |
216 x 280 |
8.5 x 11.0 |
| Legal |
216 x 356 |
8.5 x 14.0 |
| Executive |
184 x 267 |
7.25 x10.5 |
| Tabloid |
279 x 431 |
11 x 17 |
| Ledger |
431 x 279 |
10.5 x 7.25 |
Poster Formats
Quad - 1016mm x 762mm -
40in x 30in (landscape), the standard UK format.
Double Quad - 1016mm x 1524mm
- 40in x 60in, (portrait). A newer style, often rolled.
Also called a "Subway" size or a "4 Sheet".
One Sheet - 685mm x 1041mm
- 27in x 41in (portrait). The British one sheet has since
been mostly replaced with the Quad.
Large Posters and billboards are defined as follows:
4 Sheet
1016mm x 1524mm - 40in x 60in, (portrait).
This size is usually referred to as a 4 sheet poster and
is regulary used for outdoor advertising. Multiples of
this size are use to create large hoarding sizes; 48 sheet
and 96 sheet posters.
6 Sheet
More O Ferrall / Adshel / TDI / Primesites
1800mm x 1200mm
(60in x 40in)
Decaux 1750mm x 1185mm
48 Sheet
3048mm x 6096mm - 120in x 240in
A 48 sheet poster comprising 12 x 4 sheet (60in x 40in)
sections joined.
European equivalent: 3m x 6m.
96 Sheet
3048mm x 12192mm - 120in x 480in
A 96 sheet poster comprising of 24 x 4 sheet (60in x 40in)
sections joined.
European equivalent: 3m x 12m.
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