Paper size - wikipedia Paper size For sizing as the ingredient used in papermaking, see Sizing § Papermaking. A size chart illustrating the ISO A series and a comparison with American letter and legal formats. Comparison of some paper and photographic paper sizes close to the A4 size. Many paper size standards conventions have existed at different times and in different countries. Today, the A and B series of ISO 216, which includes the commonly used A4 size, are the international standard used by almost every country. However, in many countries in the Americas as well as in the Philippines, the North American series of paper sizes such as ' Letter ' is more prevalent. Paper sizes affect writing paper, stationery, cards, and some printed documents. The international standard for envelopes is the C series of ISO 269. Contents 1 International paper sizes 1.1 A series 1.2 B series 1.3 C series 1.4 Overview : ISO paper sizes 1.5 German extensions 1.6 Swedish extensions 1.7 Japanese B - series variant 1.8 Chinese extensions 1.9 Soviet variants 2 North American paper sizes 2.1 Loose sizes 2.1. 1 Common loose sizes 2.1. 2 Usage and adoption 2.1. 3 Variant loose sizes 2.1. 4 Standardized American paper sizes 2.1. 5 Architectural sizes 2.1. 6 Other sizes 2.2 Notebook sizes 2.3 Office sizes 2.4 Photography sizes 2.5 Postage sizes 2.6 Grain 3 Traditional inch - based paper sizes 3.1 Traditional British paper sizes 3.2 Demitab 4 Traditional French paper sizes 5 Transitional paper sizes 5.1 PA4 or L4 5.2 F4 5.3 A0a 5.4 Pliego 6 Other metric sizes 6.1 Envelope and insert sizes 6.2 Raw sizes 6.3 Drawing paper 7 Newspaper sizes 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links International paper sizes Map of the world showing adoption of ISO A4 ( blue ) vs. US - Letter ( red ) Main article : ISO 216 See Switching costs, Network effects and Standardization for possible reasons for differing regional adoption rates of the ISO standard sizes. The international paper size standard is ISO 216. It is based on the German DIN 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. There are different series, as well as several extensions. The following international paper sizes are included in Cascading Style Sheets ( CSS ) : A3, A4, A5, B4, B5. A series A size chart illustrating the ISO A series. The base A0 size of paper is defined as having an area of 1 m and a dimension ratio of 1 to √ 2, making the A0 paper size exactly 2 4 ( displaystyle ( sqrt ( ( 4 ) ) ( 2 ) ) ) m × 1 2 4 ( displaystyle ( \frac ( 1 ) ( sqrt ( ( 4 ) ) ( 2 ) ) ) ) m. Rounded to the nearest millimetre, that is 841 by 1,189 millimetres ( 33.1 in × 46.8 in ). Successive paper sizes in the series A1, A2, A3, and so forth, are defined by halving the preceding paper size across the larger dimension. This also effectively halves the area of each sheet. The most frequently used paper size is A4 measuring 210 by 297 millimetres ( 8.27 in × 11.7 in ). The significant advantage of this system is its scaling : if a sheet with an aspect ratio of √ 2 is divided into two equal halves parallel to its shortest sides, then the halves will again have an aspect ratio of √ 2. Folded brochures of any size can be made by using sheets of the next larger size, e.g. A4 sheets are folded to make A5 brochures. The system allows scaling without compromising the aspect ratio from one size to another -- as provided by office photocopiers, e.g. enlarging A4 to A3 or reducing A3 to A4. Similarly, two sheets of A4 can be scaled down and fit exactly on 1 sheet without any cutoff or margins. The behavior of the aspect ratio is easily proven : on a sheet of paper, let a be the long side and b be the short side ; thus, a / b = √ 2. When the sheet of paper is folded in half widthwise, let c be the length of the new short side : c = a / 2. If we take the ratio of the newly folded paper we have : b c = b a 2 = 2 a b = 2 2 = 2 ( displaystyle ( \frac ( b ) ( c ) ) = ( \frac ( b ) ( \frac ( a ) ( 2 ) ) ) = ( \frac ( 2 ) ( \frac ( a ) ( b ) ) ) = ( \frac ( 2 ) ( sqrt ( 2 ) ) ) = ( sqrt ( 2 ) ) ) Therefore, the aspect ratio is preserved for the new dimensions of the folded paper. Weights are easy to calculate as well : a standard A4 sheet made from 80 g / m paper weighs 5 g ( as it is ​ ⁄ of an A0 page, measuring 1 m ), allowing one to easily compute the weight -- and associated postage rate -- by counting the number of sheets used. The advantages of basing a paper size upon an aspect ratio of √ 2 were first noted in 1786 by the German scientist and philosopher Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. The formats that became A2, A3, B3, B4 and B5 were developed in France on proposition of the mathematician Lazare Carnot and published for judiciary purpose 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 vast variety of other paper formats. Even today, the paper sizes are called `` DIN A4 '' ( IPA : ( diːn. ʔaː. fiːɐ̯ ) ) in everyday use in Germany and Austria. The DIN 476 standard spread quickly to other countries. Before the outbreak of World War II, it had been adopted by the following countries : Belgium ( 1924 ) Netherlands ( 1925 ) Norway ( 1926 ) Finland ( 1927 ) Switzerland ( 1929 ) Sweden ( 1930 ) Soviet Union ( 1934 ) Hungary ( 1938 ) Italy ( 1939 ) During World War II, the standard was adopted by Uruguay ( 1942 ), Argentina ( 1943 ) and Brazil ( 1943 ), and afterwards spread to other countries : Spain ( 1947 ) Austria ( 1948 ) Iran ( 1948 ) Romania ( 1949 ) Japan ( 1951 ) Denmark ( 1953 ) Czechoslovakia ( now Czech Republic and Slovakia ) ( 1953 ) Israel ( 1954 ) Portugal ( 1954 ) Yugoslavia ( now Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia ) ( 1956 ) India ( 1957 ) Poland ( 1957 ) United Kingdom ( 1959 ) Ireland ( 1959 ) Venezuela ( 1962 ) New Zealand ( 1963 ) Iceland ( 1964 ) Mexico ( 1965 ) South Africa ( 1966 ) France ( 1967 ) Peru ( 1967 ) Turkey ( 1967 ) Chile ( 1968 ) Greece ( 1970 ) Rhodesia ( now Zimbabwe ) ( 1970 ) Singapore ( 1970 ) Bangladesh ( 1972 ) Thailand ( 1973 ) Barbados ( 1973 ) Australia ( 1974 ) Ecuador ( 1974 ) Colombia ( 1975 ) Kuwait ( 1975 ) By 1975, so many countries were using the German system that it was established as an ISO standard, as well as the official United Nations document format. By 1977, A4 was the standard letter format in 88 of 148 countries. Today the standard has been adopted by all countries in the world except the United States and Canada. In Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, and the Philippines, the US letter format is still in common use, despite their official adoption of the ISO standard. B series A size chart illustrating the ISO B series. In addition to the A series, there is a less common B series. The area of B series sheets is the geometric mean of successive A series sheets. So, B1 is between A0 and A1 in size, with an area of 0.707 m ( ​ ⁄ m ). As a result, B0 is 1 metre wide, and other sizes in the B series are a half, a quarter or further fractions of a metre wide. While less common in office use, it is used for a variety of special situations. Many posters use B - series paper or a close approximation, such as 50 cm × 70 cm ; B5 is a relatively common choice for books. The B series is also used for envelopes and passports. The B - series is widely used in the printing industry to describe both paper sizes and printing press sizes, including digital presses. B3 paper is used to print two US letter or A4 pages side by side using imposition ; four pages would be printed on B2, eight on B1, etc. C series A size chart illustrating the ISO C series. The C series is usually used for envelopes and is defined in ISO 269. The area of C series sheets is the geometric mean of the areas of the A and B series sheets of the same number ; for instance, the area of a C4 sheet is the geometric mean of the areas of an A4 sheet and a B4 sheet. This means that C4 is slightly larger than A4, and slightly smaller than B4. The practical usage of this is that a letter written on A4 paper fits inside a C4 envelope, and both A4 and C4 paper fits inside a B4 envelope. Some envelope formats with mixed sides from adjacent sizes ( and thus an approximate aspect ratio of 2 : 1 ) are also defined in national adaptations of the ISO standard, e.g. DIN C6 / C5 is 114 mm × 229 mm where the common side to C5 and C6 is 162 mm. Overview : ISO paper sizes ISO paper sizes in portrait view ( with rounded inch values ) Format A series B series C series Size mm × mm in × in mm × mm in × in mm × mm in × in 0 841 × 1189 33.1 × 46.8 1000 × 1414 39.4 × 55.7 917 × 1297 36.1 × 51.1 594 × 841 23.4 × 33.1 707 × 1000 27.8 × 39.4 648 × 917 25.5 × 36.1 420 × 594 16.5 × 23.4 500 × 707 19.7 × 27.8 458 × 648 18.0 × 25.5 297 × 420 11.7 × 16.5 353 × 500 13.9 × 19.7 324 × 458 12.8 × 18.0 210 × 297 8.27 × 11.7 250 × 353 9.84 × 13.9 229 × 324 9.02 × 12.8 5 148 × 210 5.83 × 8.27 176 × 250 6.93 × 9.84 162 × 229 6.38 × 9.02 6 105 × 148 4.13 × 5.83 125 × 176 4.92 × 6.93 114 × 162 4.49 × 6.38 7 74 × 105 2.91 × 4.13 88 × 125 3.46 × 4.92 81 × 114 3.19 × 4.49 8 52 × 74 2.05 × 2.91 62 × 88 2.44 × 3.46 57 × 81 2.24 × 3.19 9 37 × 52 1.46 × 2.05 44 × 62 1.73 × 2.44 40 × 57 1.57 × 2.24 10 26 × 37 1.02 × 1.46 31 × 44 1.22 × 1.73 28 × 40 1.10 × 1.57 i ( α A ⋅ 2 − i + 1 2 ) × ( α A ⋅ 2 − i 2 ), ( displaystyle left ( alpha _ ( A ) cdot 2 ^ ( - ( \frac ( i + 1 ) ( 2 ) ) ) \right ) \times left ( alpha _ ( A ) cdot 2 ^ ( - ( \frac ( i ) ( 2 ) ) ) \right ), ) α A = 1000 mm ⋅ 2 4 ( displaystyle alpha _ ( A ) = 1000 , ( \text ( mm ) ) cdot ( sqrt ( ( 4 ) ) ( 2 ) ) ) ( α B ⋅ 2 − i + 1 2 ) × ( α B ⋅ 2 − i 2 ), ( displaystyle left ( alpha _ ( B ) cdot 2 ^ ( - ( \frac ( i + 1 ) ( 2 ) ) ) \right ) \times left ( alpha _ ( B ) cdot 2 ^ ( - ( \frac ( i ) ( 2 ) ) ) \right ), ) α B = 1000 mm ⋅ 2 ( displaystyle alpha _ ( B ) = 1000 , ( \text ( mm ) ) cdot ( sqrt ( 2 ) ) ) ( α C ⋅ 2 − i + 1 2 ) × ( α C ⋅ 2 − i 2 ), ( displaystyle left ( alpha _ ( C ) cdot 2 ^ ( - ( \frac ( i + 1 ) ( 2 ) ) ) \right ) \times left ( alpha _ ( C ) cdot 2 ^ ( - ( \frac ( i ) ( 2 ) ) ) \right ), ) α C = 1000 mm ⋅ 8 8 ( displaystyle alpha _ ( C ) = 1000 , ( \text ( mm ) ) cdot ( sqrt ( ( 8 ) ) ( 8 ) ) ) The α variables are the distinct first terms in the three geometric progressions of the same common - ratio equal to the square root of two. Each of the three geometric progressions ( corresponding to the three series A, B, C ) is formed by all possible paper dimensions ( length and width ) of the series arranged in a decreasing order. This interesting arrangement of dimensions is also very useful - not only it forms a geometric progression with easy to remember formulae, it also has that each consecutive pair of values ( like a sliding window of size 2 ) will automatically correspond to the dimensions of a standard paper format in the series. The tolerances specified in the standard are ± 1.5 mm ( 0.06 in ) for dimensions up to 150 mm ( 5.9 in ), ± 2 mm ( 0.08 in ) for lengths in the range 150 to 600 mm ( 5.9 to 23.6 in ) and ± 3 mm ( 0.12 in ) for any dimension above 600 mm ( 23.6 in ). German extensions The German standard DIN 476 was published on 18 August 1922 and is the original specification of the A, B and C sizes. In 1991, it was split into DIN 476 - 1 for the A and B formats on the one hand and 476 - 2 for the C series on the other hand. The former has been withdrawn in 2002 in favor of adopting the international standard as DIN EN ISO 216, but part 2 has been retained and was last updated in 2008. The first and the second editions of DIN 476 from 1922 and 1925 also included a D series. DIN D series paper sizes in portrait view ( with rounded inch values ) Format D series Size mm × mm in × in 0 771 × 1090 30.4 × 42.9 545 × 771 21.5 × 30.4 385 × 545 15.2 × 21.5 272 × 385 10.7 × 15.2 192 × 272 7.56 × 10.7 5 136 × 192 5.35 × 7.56 6 096 × 136 3.78 × 5.35 7 068 × 096 2.68 × 3.78 8 048 × 068 1.89 × 2.68 The smallest formats specified originally were A13, B13, C8 and D8. DIN 476 : 1922 tiny formats ( with rounded inch values ) Format Size mm × mm in × in mm × mm in × in 11 18 × 26 0.71 × 1.02 22 × 31 0.87 × 1.22 12 13 × 18 0.51 × 0.71 15 × 22 0.59 × 0.87 13 09 × 13 0.35 × 0.51 11 × 15 0.43 × 0.59 DIN 476 provides for formats larger than A0, denoted by a prefix factor. In particular, it lists the formats 2A0 and 4A0, which are twice and four times the size of A0 respectively. However, ISO 216 : 2007 notes 2A0 and 4A0 in the table of Main series of trimmed sizes ( ISO A series ) as well : `` The rarely used sizes ( 2A0 and 4A0 ) which follow also belong to this series. '' DIN 476 overformats ( with rounded inch values ) Name mm × mm in × in 4A0 1682 × 2378 66.22 × 93.62 2A0 1189 × 1682 46.81 × 66.22 DIN 476 also used to specify slightly tighter tolerances than ISO 216 : ± 1 mm ( 0.04 in ) for dimensions up to 150 mm ( 5.9 in ), ± 1.5 mm ( 0.06 in ) for lengths in the range 150 mm to 600 mm ( 5.9 to 23.6 in ) and ± 2 mm ( 0.08 in ) for any dimension above 600 mm ( 23.6 in ). Swedish extensions Comparison of ISO 216 and Swedish standard SIS 014711 paper sizes between A4 and A3 sizes. The Swedish standard SIS 014711 generalized the ISO system of A, B, and C formats by adding D, E, F, and G formats to it. Its D format sits between a B format and the next larger A format ( just like C sits between A and the next larger B). The remaining formats fit in between all these formats, such that the sequence of formats A4, E4, C4, G4, B4, F4, D4, H4, A3 is a geometric progression, in which the dimensions grow by a factor √ 2 from one size to the next. However, this SIS standard does not define any size between a D format and the next larger A format ( called H in the previous example ). Of these additional formats, G5 ( 169 × 239 mm ) and E5 ( 155 × 220 mm ) are popular in Sweden and the Netherlands for printing dissertations, but the other formats have not turned out to be particularly useful in practice and they have not been adopted internationally. The Swedish and German D series basically contain the same sizes, but are offset by one, i.e. DIN D4 equals SIS D5 and so on. SIS 014711 formulas, including hypothetical H series, n = 0... 9, r = √ 2, s = ​ ⁄ Designation Longer edge Shorter edge ( Hn ) r × s r × s Dn r × s r × s Fn r × s r × s Bn r × s r × s Gn r × s r × s Cn r × s r × s En r × s r × s An r × s r × s Japanese B - series variant The JIS defines two main series of paper sizes. The JIS A-series is identical to the ISO A-series, but with slightly different tolerances. The area of B - series paper is 1.5 times that of the corresponding A-paper ( instead of the factor √ 2 = 1.414... for the ISO B - series ), so the length ratio is approximately 1.22 times the length of the corresponding A-series paper. The aspect ratio of the paper is the same as for A-series paper. Both A - and B - series paper is widely available in Japan, Taiwan and China, and most photocopiers are loaded with at least A4 and either one of A3, B4 and B5 paper. There are also a number of traditional paper sizes, which are now used mostly by printers. The most common of these old series are the Shiroku - ban and the Kiku paper sizes. JIS paper sizes ( plus rounded inch values ) Format B series Shiroku ban Kiku Size mm × mm in × in mm × mm in × in mm × mm in × in 0 1030 × 1456 40.55 × 57.32 728 × 1030 28.66 × 40.55 515 × 728 20.28 × 28.66 364 × 515 14.33 × 20.28 257 × 364 10.12 × 14.33 264 × 379 10.39 × 14.92 227 × 306 8.94 × 12.05 5 182 × 257 7.17 × 10.12 189 × 262 7.44 × 10.31 151 × 227 5.94 × 8.94 6 128 × 182 5.04 × 7.17 127 × 188 5.00 × 7.40 7 91 × 128 3.58 × 5.04 8 64 × 91 2.52 × 3.58 9 45 × 64 1.77 × 2.52 10 32 × 45 1.26 × 1.77 11 22 × 32 0.87 × 1.26 12 16 × 22 0.63 × 0.87 Following Japanese paper sizes are included in Cascading Style Sheets ( CSS ) : JIS - B4, JIS - B5. Chinese extensions The Chinese standard GB / T 148 - 1997, which replaced GB 148 - 1989, documents the standard ISO series, A and B, but adds a custom D series. This Chinese format originates from the Republic of China ( 1912 -- 49 ). The D series is not identical to the Swedish D series. It does not strictly follow the same principles as ISO paper sizes : The aspect ratio is only very roughly √ 2. The short side of a size is always 4 mm longer than the long side of the next smaller size. The long side of a size is always exactly -- i.e. without further rounding -- twice as long as the short side of the next smaller size. SAC paper sizes ( with rounded inch values and raw sizes ) Format D series Aspect ratio Alias Untrimmed sizes Size mm × mm in × in mm × mm in × in 0 764 × 1064 29.9 × 41.9 1.3927 1K 787 × 1092 31.0 × 43.0 532 × 760 20.9 × 29.9 1.4286 2K 546 × 787 21.5 × 31.0 380 × 528 15.0 × 20.8 1.3895 4K 393 × 546 15.5 × 21.5 264 × 376 10.4 × 14.8 1. 4242 8K 273 × 393 10.7 × 15.5 188 × 260 7.4 × 10.2 1.3830 16K 196 × 273 7.7 × 10.7 5 130 × 184 5.1 × 7.2 1.4154 32K 136 × 196 5.4 × 7.7 6 92 × 126 3.6 × 5.0 1.3696 64K 98 × 136 3.9 × 5.4 Soviet variants The general adaptation of ISO 216 in the Soviet Union was GOST 9327 - 60. In its 1960 version, it lists formats down to A13, B12 and C8 and also specifies 1⁄2, 1⁄4 and 1⁄8 prefixes for halving the shorter side ( repeatedly ), e.g. 1⁄2A4 = 105 mm × 297 mm. A1, A2, A3, A4 and non-ISO sizes as GOST 3450 - 60 formats A standard for technical drawings from 1960, GOST 3450 - 60, introduces alternative numeric format designations to deal with very high or very wide sheets. These 2 - digit codes are based upon A4 = `` 11 '' : The first digit is the factor the longer side ( 297 mm ) is multiplied by and the second digit is the one for the shorter side ( 210 mm ), so `` 24 '' is 2 × 297 mm × 4 × 210 mm = 594 mm × 840 mm. Soviet formats with multiplied shorter side ( mm × mm ) n ( × 1 ) × 2 × 3 × 4 × 5 × 6 A0 841 × 1189 1682 × 1189 2523 × 1189 3364 × 1189 4204 × 1189 5045 × 1189 A1 594 × 841 = A0 1784 × 841 2378 × 841 2973 × 841 3568 × 841 A2 420 × 594 = A1 1261 × 595 1682 × 595 2102 × 595 2523 × 595 A3 297 × 420 = A2 892 × 420 1189 × 420 1487 × 420 1784 × 420 A4 210 × 297 = A3 631 × 297 841 × 297 1051 × 297 1261 × 297 A5 148 × 210 = A4 446 × 210 595 × 210 743 × 210 892 × 210 A2, A3, A4 and some of their derived non-ISO sizes as GOST 2301 - 68 formats GOST 3450 - 60 was replaced 8 years later by ESKD GOST 2301 - 68, but the numeric designations remained in popular use much longer. The new designations were not purely numeric, but consisted of the ISO label followed by an ' x ', or possibly the multiplication sign ' × ', and the factor, e.g. DIN 2A0 = GOST A0 × 2, but DIN 4A0 ≠ GOST A0 × 4, also listed are : A0 × 3, A1 × 3, A1 × 4, A2 × 3 -- A2 × 5, A3 × 3 -- A3 × 7, A4 × 3 -- A4 × 9. The formats... × 1 and... × 2 usually would be aliases for existing formats. North American paper sizes Loose sizes North American paper sizes Size in × in mm × mm Aspect ratio Letter ​ 8 ⁄ × 11 216 × 279 1.2941... Legal ​ 8 ⁄ × 14 216 × 356 1.6470... Tabloid 11 × 17 279 × 432 1. 54 Ledger 17 × 11 432 × 279 0.6470... Junior Legal 5 × 8 127 × 203 1.6 Half Letter, Memo ​ 5 ⁄ × ​ 8 ⁄ 140 × 216 1. 54 Government Letter 8 × ​ 10 ⁄ 203 × 267 1.3125 Government Legal ​ 8 ⁄ × 13 216 × 330 1.5294... The United States, Canada, and the Philippines primarily use a different system of paper sizes compared to the rest of the world. The current standard sizes are unique to those countries, although due to the size of the North American market and proliferation of both software and printing hardware from the region, other parts of the world have become increasingly familiar with these sizes ( though not necessarily the paper itself ). Some traditional North American inch - based sizes differ from the Imperial British sizes described below. Common loose sizes Letter, Legal and Ledger / Tabloid are by far the most commonly used of these for everyday activities, and the only ones included in Cascading Style Sheets ( CSS ). The origins of the exact dimensions of Letter size paper ( 8 ⁄ in × 11 in or 216 mm × 279 mm ) are lost in tradition and not well documented. The American Forest and Paper Association argues that the dimension originates from the days of manual paper making, and that the 11 - inch length of the page is about a quarter of `` the average maximum stretch of an experienced vatman 's arms. '' However, this does not explain the width or aspect ratio. Outside of North America, Letter size may also be known as `` American Quarto ''. If one accepts some trimming, the size is indeed one quarter of the old Imperial paper size known as Demy, 17 ⁄ in × 22 ⁄ in ( 444 mm × 572 mm ). Usage and adoption Latin - American inch - based paper sizes Size Equivalent mm × mm in × in Ratio Carta Letter, ANSI A 216 × 279 81⁄2 × 11 1.291 6 Oficio, Folio Government Legal 216 × 330 81⁄2 × 13 1.52 7 Extra Tabloide Arch B 305 × 457 12 × 18 1.5 US paper sizes are currently standard in the United States and are the most commonly used formats at least in the Philippines, most of Mesoamerica and Chile. The latter use US Letter, but their Legal size is one inch shorter than its US equivalent. Mexico and Colombia, for instance, have adopted the ISO standard, but US Letter format is still the system in use throughout the country. It is virtually impossible to encounter ISO standard papers in day - to - day uses, with Carta ( Letter ), Oficio ( Government - Legal ) and Doble carta ( Ledger / Tabloid ) being nearly universal. In Canada, US paper sizes are a de facto standard. The government, however, also uses ISO paper sizes. Variant loose sizes There is an additional paper size, 8 in × 10 ⁄ in ( 203 mm × 267 mm ), to which the name Government - Letter was given by the IEEE Printer Working Group ( PWG ). It was prescribed by Herbert Hoover when he was Secretary of Commerce to be used for US government forms, apparently to enable discounts from the purchase of paper for schools, but more likely due to the standard use of trimming books ( after binding ) and paper from the standard letter size paper to produce consistency and allow `` bleed '' printing. In later years, as photocopy machines proliferated, citizens wanted to make photocopies of the forms, but the machines did not generally have this size paper in their bins. Ronald Reagan therefore had the US government switch to regular Letter size, which is both half an inch longer and wider. The former government size is still commonly used in spiral - bound notebooks, for children 's writing and the like, a result of trimming from the current Letter dimensions. By extension of the American standards, the halved Letter size, 5 ⁄ in × 8 in ( 140 mm × 203 mm ), meets the needs of many applications. It is variably known as Statement, Stationery, Memo, Half Letter, Half A ( from ANSI sizes ) or simply Half Size. Like the similar - sized ISO A5, it is used for everything from personal letter writing to official aeronautical maps. Organizers, notepads, and diaries also often use this size of paper ; thus 3 - ring binders are also available in this size. Booklets of this size are created using word processing tools with landscape printing in two columns on letter paper which are then cut or folded into the final size. Standardized American paper sizes A size chart illustrating the ANSI sizes, superimposed on an `` ANSI E '' sheet. In 1996, the American National Standards Institute adopted ANSI / ASME Y14. 1 which defined a regular series of paper sizes based upon the de facto standard 8 ⁄ in × 11 in ( 216 mm × 279 mm ) Letter size which it assigned `` ANSI A '', intended for technical drawings, hence sometimes labeled `` Engineering ''. This series is somewhat similar to the ISO standard in that cutting a sheet in half would produce two sheets of the next smaller size and therefore also includes Ledger / Tabloid as `` ANSI B ''. Unlike the ISO standard, however, the arbitrary base sides forces this series to have two alternating aspect ratios. For example, ANSI A is less elongated than A4, while ANSI B is more elongated than A3. The Canadian standard CAN2 - 9.60 - M76 and its successor CAN / CGSB - 9.60 - 94 `` Paper Sizes for Correspondence '' specified paper sizes P1 through P6, which are the ANSI paper sizes rounded to the nearest 5 mm. All custom Canadian paper size standards were withdrawn in 2012 and the respective ISO standards took their places. Canadian custom paper size standards Title Original Release Replacement Release Withdrawal Paper Sizes for Correspondence CAN2 - 9.60 - M76 1976 - 04 CAN / CGSB - 9.60 - 94 1994 - 07 2012 - 04 Paper Sizes for Printing CAN2 - 9.61 - M76 1976 - 04 CAN / CGSB - 9.61 - 94 1994 - 07 2012 - 04 Paper Sizes for Single Part Continuous Business Forms CAN2 - 9.62 - 81 1981 - 12 CAN / CGSB - 9.62 - 94 1994 - 07 2012 - 04 Drawing Sheet Sizes CAN2 - 9.64 - M79 1979 - 04 CAN / CGSB - 9.64 - 94 1994 - 07 2012 - 04 Common Image Area for Paper Sizes P4 and A4 CAN2 - 200.2 - M79 1979 - 04 2012 - 03 With care, documents can be prepared so that the text and images fit on either ANSI or their equivalent ISO sheets at 1 : 1 reproduction scale. ANSI and CAN paper sizes US size in × in mm × mm Ratio Canadian size ( mm × mm ) Similar size ( mm × mm ) N / A CAN P6 107 × 140 ISO A6 105 × 148 N / A CAN P5 140 × 215 ISO A5 148 × 210 ANSI A ​ 8 ⁄ × 11 216 × 279 1.2941 CAN P4 215 × 280 ISO A4 210 × 297 ANSI B 11 × 17 279 × 432 1.5455 CAN P3 280 × 430 ISO A3 297 × 420 ANSI C 17 × 22 432 × 559 1.2941 CAN P2 430 × 560 ISO A2 420 × 594 ANSI D 22 × 34 559 × 864 1.5455 CAN P1 560 × 860 ISO A1 594 × 841 ANSI E 34 × 44 864 × 1118 1.2941 N / A ISO A0 841 × 1187 Other, informal, larger sizes continuing the alphabetic series illustrated above exist, but they are not part of the series per se, because they do not exhibit the same aspect ratios. For example, Engineering F size is 28 in × 40 in or 711 mm × 1,016 mm with ca. 1.4286 : 1 ; it is commonly required for NAVFAC drawings, but is generally less commonly used. Engineering G size is 22 ⁄ in ( 572 mm ) high, but it is a roll format with a variable width up to 90 in ( 2,286 mm ) in increments of 8 ⁄ in ( 216 mm ). Engineering H through N sizes are also roll formats. Such huge sheets were at one time used for full - scale layouts of aircraft parts, automotive parts, wiring harnesses and the like, but are slowly being phased out, due to widespread use of computer - aided design ( CAD ) and computer - aided manufacturing ( CAM ). Some visual arts fields also continue to use these paper formats for large - scale printouts, such as for displaying digitally painted character renderings at life - size as references for makeup artists and costume designers, or to provide an immersive landscape reference. Architectural sizes A size chart illustrating the Architectural sizes. In addition to the system as listed above, there is a corresponding series of paper sizes used for architectural purposes defined in the same standard, ANSI / ASME Y14. 1, which is usually abbreviated `` Arch ''. This series also shares the property that bisecting each size produces two of the size below, with alternating aspect ratios. It may be preferred by North American architects because the aspect ratios ( 4 : 3 and 3 : 2 ) are ratios of small integers, unlike their ANSI ( or ISO ) counterparts. Furthermore, the aspect ratio 4 : 3 matches the traditional aspect ratio for computer displays. The size Arch E1 has a different aspect ratio because it derives from adding 6 inches to each side of Arch D or subtracting the same amount from Arch E. An intermediate size between Arch C and D with a long side of 30 inches ( 760 mm ) does not exist. US architectural standard paper sizes Names in × in mm × mm Ratio Arch A Arch 1 9 × 12 229 × 305 3 : 4 Arch B Arch 2 12 × 18 305 × 457 2 : 3 Arch C Arch 3 18 × 24 457 × 610 3 : 4 Arch D Arch 4 24 × 36 610 × 914 2 : 3 Arch E1 Arch 5 30 × 42 762 × 1067 5 : 7 Arch E Arch 6 36 × 48 914 × 1219 3 : 4 Arch E2 26 × 38 660 × 965 13 : 19 Arch E3 27 × 39 686 × 991 9 : 13 Other sizes This table may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia 's quality standards. The specific problem is : some entries repeat sizes defined elsewhere, some specify mere aliases, others are unsourced and there is no explanatory prose. Please help improve this table if you can. ( July 2016 ) Assorted sizes Name in × in mm × mm Ratio Organizer J ​ 2 ⁄ × 5 70 × 127 ≈ 1.8142 Marching band flip - folder ​ 6 ⁄ × ​ 5 ⁄ 171 × 133 ≈ 1.2857 Choral Octavo ​ 6 ⁄ × ​ 10 ⁄ 171 × 267 ≈ 1. 55 Fanfold 12 × 8.5 ​ 8 ⁄ × 12 216 × 304 ≈ 1.4118 US Std Fanfold 11 × ​ 14 ⁄ 279 × 377 ≈ 1.3513 Notebook sizes The sizes listed above are for paper sold loose in reams. There are many sizes of tablets of paper, that is, sheets of paper bound at one edge, usually by a strip of plastic or hardened PVA adhesive. Often there is a pad of cardboard ( also known as chipboard or greyboard ) at the bottom of the stack. Such a tablet serves as a portable writing surface, and the sheets often have lines printed on them, usually in non-repro blue, to make writing in a line easier. An older means of binding is to have the sheets stapled to the cardboard along the top of the tablet ; there is a line of perforated holes across every page just below the top edge from which any page may be torn off. Lastly, a pad of sheets each weakly stuck with adhesive to the sheet below, trademarked as `` Post-It '' or `` Stick - Em '' and available in various sizes, serve as a sort of tablet. `` Letter pads '' are 8 ⁄ by 11 inches ( 215.9 by 279.4 mm ), while the term `` legal pad '' is often used by laymen to refer to pads of various sizes including those of 8 ⁄ by 14 inches ( 215.9 by 355.6 mm ). There are `` steno pads '' ( used by stenographers ) of 6 by 9 inches ( 152.4 by 228.6 mm ). In countries where the ISO sizes are standard, most notebooks and tablets are sized to ISO specifications ( for example, most newsagents in Australia stock A4 and A3 tablets ). Office sizes US personal organizers ( Rounded Inches ) Company Name in × in mm × mm Holes Filofax M2 ​ 2 ⁄ × 4 64 × 103 3 holes Mini ​ 2 ⁄ × ​ 4 ⁄ 67 × 105 5 holes Pocket ​ 3 ⁄ × ​ 4 ⁄ 81 × 120 6 holes Personal, Slimline ​ 3 ⁄ × ​ 6 ⁄ 95 × 171 6 holes A5 ( 5 / × 8 / ) 148 × 210 6 holes Deskfax ( B5 ) ( 6 / × 9 / ) 176 × 250 9 holes A4 ( 8 / × 11 / ) 210 × 297 4 holes Franklin Planner Micro ( 1⁄8 - Letter ) ​ 2 ⁄ × ​ 4 ⁄ 67 × 108 Pocket ​ 3 ⁄ × 6 89 × 152 Compact ​ 4 ⁄ × ​ 6 ⁄ 108 × 171 Classic ( 1⁄2 - Letter ) ​ 5 ⁄ × ​ 8 ⁄ 140 × 216 Monarch ( Letter ) ​ 8 ⁄ × 11 216 × 280 Jeppesen Aeronautical Chart ( 1⁄2 - Letter ) ​ 5 ⁄ × ​ 8 ⁄ 140 × 216 7 holes FAA 3 holes at top US Index and business cards Name in × in mm × mm Ratio Index card 3 × 5 76 × 127 1. 6 4 × 6 102 × 152 1.5 5 × 8 127 × 203 1.6 International business card ​ 2 ⁄ × 3.37 53.98 × 85.6 1.586 US business card 2 × ​ 3 ⁄ 51 × 89 1.75 Japanese business card ca. ​ 2 ⁄ × ​ 3 ⁄ 55 × 91 1.6 54 Hungarian business card ca. 2 × ​ 3 ⁄ 50 × 90 1.8 The international business card has the same size as the smallest rectangle containing a credit card. However, credit card size, as defined in ISO / IEC 7810, also specifies rounded corners and thickness. Photography sizes Main article : Photo print sizes This table may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia 's quality standards. The specific problem is : Names need explanation, i.e. expansion of acronyms. Please help improve this table if you can. ( November 2015 ) US photographic paper sizes Name in × in mm × mm Ratio 2R ​ 2 ⁄ × ​ 3 ⁄ 64 × 89 1.4 - 3 × 5 76 × 127 1. 6 LD, DSC ​ 3 ⁄ × ​ 4 ⁄ 89 × 119 1. 3 ( 4 : 3 ) 3R, L ​ 3 ⁄ × 5 89 × 127 ≈ 1.4286 LW ​ 3 ⁄ × ​ 5 ⁄ 89 × 133 1.5 ( 3 : 2 ) KGD 4 × ​ 5 ⁄ 102 × 136 1. 3 ( 4 : 3 ) 4R, KG 4 × 6 102 × 152 1.5 ( 3 : 2 ) 2LD, DSCW 5 × ​ 6 ⁄ 127 × 169 1. 3 ( 4 : 3 ) 5R, 2L 5 × 7 127 × 178 1.4 2LW 5 × ​ 7 ⁄ 127 × 190 1.5 ( 3 : 2 ) 6R 6 × 8 152 × 203 1. 3 ( 4 : 3 ) 8R, 6P 8 × 10 203 × 254 1.25 S8R, 6PW 8 × 12 203 × 305 1.5 ( 3 : 2 ) 11R 11 × 14 279 × 356 1. 27 A3+, Super B 13 × 19 330 × 483 ≈ 1.46154 Postage sizes US Postal postcard size limitations Dimension Minimum ( inch ) Maximum ( inch ) Height ​ 3 ⁄ ​ 4 ⁄ Width 5 6 Thickness 0.007 0.016 This implies that all postcards have a width : height aspect ratio in the range 1.18 to 1.71. The only ISO 216 size in the post card range is A6. Grain Most industry standards express the direction of the grain last when giving dimensions ( that is, 17 × 11 inches is short grain paper and 11 × 17 inches is long grain paper ), although alternatively the grain alignment can be explicitly indicated with an underline ( 11 × 17 is short grain ) or the letter `` M '' for `` machine '' ( 11M × 17 is short grain ). Grain is important because paper will crack if folded across the grain : for example, if a sheet 17 × 11 inches is to be folded to divide the sheet into two 8.5 × 11 halves, then the grain will be along the 11 - inch side. Paper intended to be fed into a machine that will bend the paper around rollers, such as a printing press, photocopier or typewriter, should be fed grain side first so that the axis of the rollers is along the grain. Traditional inch - based paper sizes Traditional and standardized paper formats still relevant in the US Traditionally, a number of different sizes were defined for large sheets of paper, and paper sizes were defined by the sheet name and the number of times it had been folded. Thus a full sheet of `` royal '' paper was 25 × 20 inches, and `` royal octavo '' was this size folded three times, so as to make eight sheets, and was thus 10 × ​ 6 ⁄ inches. Common divisions and their abbreviations Name Abbr. Folds Leaves Pages Folio fo, f Quarto 4to 8 Sexto, sixmo 6to, 6mo 6 12 Octavo 8vo 8 16 Duodecimo, twelvemo 12mo 12 24 Sextodecimo, sixteenmo 16mo 16 32 Imperial sizes were used in the United Kingdom and its territories. Imperial paper sizes Name Classic British definitions Modern American adaptations in × in mm × mm Ratio in × in mm × mm Ratio Emperor 48 × 72 1219 × 1829 1.5 Quad demy 35 × 45 889 × 1143 1.2857 Antiquarian 31 × 53 787 × 1346 1.7097 Grand eagle ​ 28 ⁄ × 42 730 × 1067 1.4609 Double elephant ​ 26 ⁄ × 40 678 × 1016 1.4984 Atlas 26 × 34 660 × 864 1.3077 Colombier ​ 23 ⁄ × ​ 34 ⁄ 597 × 876 1.4681 Double demy ​ 22 ⁄ × ​ 35 ⁄ 572 × 902 1.5 7 ​ 22 ⁄ × 35 572 × 889 1. 5 Imperial 22 × 30 559 × 762 1.3636 Double large post 21 × 33 533 × 838 1.5713 Elephant 23 × 28 584 × 711 1.2174 same Princess ​ 21 ⁄ × 28 546 × 711 1.3023 Cartridge 21 × 26 533 × 660 1.2381 Royal 20 × 25 508 × 635 1.25 same Sheet, half post ​ 19 ⁄ × ​ 23 ⁄ 495 × 597 1.2051 Double post 19 × ​ 30 ⁄ 483 × 762 1.6052 Super royal 19 × 27 483 × 686 1.4203 Broadsheet 18 × 24 457 × 610 1. 3 Medium ​ 17 ⁄ × 23 470 × 584 1.2425 18 × 23 457 × 584 1.2 7 Demy ​ 17 ⁄ × ​ 22 ⁄ 445 × 572 1.2857 same Copy draught 16 × 20 406 × 508 1.25 Large post ​ 15 ⁄ × 20 394 × 508 1.2903 ​ 16 ⁄ × 21 419 × 533 1. 27 Post ​ 15 ⁄ × ​ 19 ⁄ 394 × 489 1.2419 ​ 15 ⁄ × ​ 19 ⁄ 394 × 489 1.2581 Crown 15 × 20 381 × 508 1. 3 same Pinched post ​ 14 ⁄ × ​ 18 ⁄ 375 × 470 1.2533 Foolscap ​ 13 ⁄ × 17 343 × 432 1.2593 Small foolscap ​ 13 ⁄ × ​ 16 ⁄ 337 × 419 1.2453 Brief ​ 13 ⁄ × 16 343 × 406 1.1852 Pott ​ 12 ⁄ × 15 318 × 381 1.2 Quarto 9 × 11 229 × 279 1. 2 Executive, Monarch ​ 7 ⁄ × ​ 10 ⁄ 184 × 267 1.4483 Traditional British paper sizes These sizes are no longer commonly used since the UK switched to ISO sizes. Many of these sizes were only used for making books ( see bookbinding ), and would never have been offered for ordinary stationery purposes. Previous British writing paper sizes Name in × in mm × mm Ratio Foolscap 8 × 13 203 × 330 1.625 Quarto 8 × 10 203 × 254 1.25 Imperial 7 × 9 178 × 229 1.2857 Kings ​ 6 ⁄ × 8 165 × 203 1.2307 Dukes ​ 5 ⁄ × 7 140 × 178 1. 27 Foolscap folio is often referred to simply as `` folio '' or `` foolscap ''. Similarly, `` quarto '' is more correctly `` copy draught quarto '' and `` Kings '' is an alias for `` Foolscap quarto ''. Demitab The demitab or demi - tab ( from the French `` demi '' or half tabloid ) is 5 ⁄ in × 8 ⁄ in ( 140 mm × 216 mm ), equal to one quarter of a sheet of 11 in × 17 in ( 279 mm × 432 mm ) tabloid size paper. In actual circulation, the size 8 in × 10 ⁄ in ( 203 mm × 267 mm ) is common for a demitab. Tabloid newspapers, which are `` generally half the size of a broadsheet '', also vary in size. To add to the lack of uniformity, broadsheets also vary in size. Traditional French paper sizes Before the adoption of the ISO standard system in 1967, France had its own paper size system. Some of these formats are still used today, and they are standardized by the AFNOR. Their names come from the watermarks that the papers were branded with when they were handcrafted, which is still the case for certain art papers. They also generally exist in double versions where the smallest measure is multiplied by two, or in quadruple versions where both measures have been doubled. AFNOR paper sizes Name Format ( cm × cm ) Use Cloche 30 × 40 Pot, écolier 31 × 40 Tellière 34 × 44 old French administration Couronne écriture 36 × 46 Couronne édition 37 × 47 Roberto 39 × 50 anatomic drawing Écu 40 × 52 Coquille 44 × 56 Carré 45 × 56 Cavalier 46 × 62 Demi - raisin 32, 5 × 50 drawing Raisin 50 × 65 drawing Double raisin 65 × 100 Jésus 56 × 76 Atlas des sentiers et chemins vicinaux Soleil 60 × 80 Colombier affiche 60 × 80 Colombier commercial 63 × 90 Petit Aigle 70 × 94 Grand Aigle 75 × 105 Plans cadastraux primitifs ( Napoleonic land registry ) 75 × 106 75 × 110 Grand Monde 90 × 126 Univers 100 × 130 Transitional paper sizes PA4 or L4 Hypothetic PA4 - based series Name mm × mm Ratio PA0 840 × 1120 3 : 4 PA1 560 × 840 2 : 3 PA2 420 × 560 3 : 4 PA3 280 × 420 2 : 3 PA4 210 × 280 3 : 4 PA5 140 × 210 2 : 3 PA6 105 × 140 3 : 4 PA7 70 × 105 2 : 3 PA8 52 × 70 ≈ 3 : 4 PA9 35 × 52 ≈ 2 : 3 PA10 26 × 35 ≈ 3 : 4 A transitional size called PA4 ( 210 mm × 280 mm or 8.27 in × 11.02 in ), sometimes dubbed L4, was proposed for inclusion into the ISO 216 standard in 1975. It has the height of Canadian P4 paper ( 215 mm × 280 mm, about ​ 8 ⁄ in × 11 in ) and the width of international A4 paper ( 210 mm × 297 mm or 8.27 in × 11.69 in ), i.e. it uses the smaller value among the two for each side. The table below, shows how this format can be generalized into an entire format series. The PA formats did not end up in ISO 216, because the committee decided that the set of standardized paper formats should be kept to the minimum necessary. However, PA4 remains of practical use today. In landscape orientation, it has the same 4 : 3 aspect ratio as the displays of traditional TV sets, some computer displays ( e.g. iPad ) and data projectors. PA4, with appropriate margins, is therefore a good choice as the format of presentation slides. As a compromise between the two most popular paper sizes globally, PA4 is used today by many international magazines, because it can be printed easily on equipment designed for either A4 or US Letter. That means it is not as much a paper size than a page format. The size 210 mm × 280 mm was documented in the Canadian standard CAN2 - 200.2 - M79 `` Common Image Area for Paper Sizes P4 and A4 ''. F4 See also : Foolscap folio § F4 Hypothetic F4 - based series Name mm × mm in × in Ratio F0 841 × 1321 33.1 × 52 1.5714 F1 660 × 841 26 × 33.1 1. 27 F2 420 × 660 16.5 × 26 1.5714 F3 330 × 420 13 × 16.5 1. 27 F4 210 × 330 8.27 × 13 1.5714 F5 165 × 210 6.5 × 8.27 1. 27 F6 105 × 165 4.13 × ​ 6 ⁄ 1.5714 F7 82 × 105 ​ 3 ⁄ × 4.13 1. 27 F8 52 × 82 2.05 × ​ 3 ⁄ 1.5714 F9 41 × 52 ​ 3 ⁄ × 2.05 1. 27 F10 26 × 41 1.02 × ​ 3 ⁄ 1.5714 A non-standard F4 paper size is common in Southeast Asia. It is a transitional size with the shorter side from ISO A4 ( 210 mm ) and the longer side from British Foolscap ( 13 in, 330 mm ) and is sometimes known as ( metric ) foolscap or folio as well. In Indonesia and Philippines, F4 paper is 215 × 330 mm ( 8.5 × 13 in ). In Indonesia it is sometimes called Folio, while in Philippines it is sometimes also called Long Bond. A sheet of F4 can be cut from a sheet of SRA4 with very little wastage. The size is also smaller than its Swedish equivalent SIS F4 at 239 mm × 338 mm. A0a Although the movement is towards the international standard metric paper sizes, on the way there from the traditional ones there has been at least one new size just a little larger than that used internationally. British architects and industrial designers once used a size called `` Antiquarian '', 31 in × 53 in ( 787 mm × 1,346 mm ), as listed above, but given in the New Metric Handbook ( Tutt & Adler 1981 ) as 813 mm × 1,372 mm ( 32 in × 54 in ) for board size. This is a little larger than ISO A0, 841 mm × 1189 mm. So for a short time, a size called A0a of 1,000 mm × 1,370 mm ( 39.4 in × 53.9 in ) was used in Britain, which is actually just a slightly shorter version of ISO B0 at 1414 mm. Pliego Colombian metric paper sizes Size mm × mm aspect ratio ​ ⁄ pliego 250 × 350 1.4 ​ ⁄ pliego 350 × 500 1.412857 ​ ⁄ pliego 500 × 700 1.4 Pliego 700 × 1000 1.412857 The most common paper sizes used for commercial and industrial printing in Colombia are based upon a size referred to as pliego that is ISO B1 ( 707 mm × 1000 mm ) cut to full decimetres. Smaller sizes are derived by halving as usual and just get a vulgar fraction prefix : ​ ⁄ pliego and ​ ⁄ pliego. Other metric sizes Envelope and insert sizes Other DIN paper formats Name mm × mm in × in Ratio Notes ​ ⁄ A4 99 × 210 3.7 × 8.3 0.471 common flyer or stripe size unnamed 105 × 210 4.1 × 8.3 1 : 2 standard folded size of A4 office letters according to DIN 5008 ( previously DIN 676 ) DL 110 × 220 4.3 × 8.7 1 : 2 `` DIN lang '' ( DIN long ), DL is a common envelope size from DIN 678 - 1 often with 90 mm × 45 mm address window in the lower left, which also fits ​ ⁄ A4 well. Sometimes, it is erroneously labeled `` DLE '' instead, the E apparently standing for `` envelope ''. Raw sizes ISO 217 and ISO 5457 untrimmed sheet sizes Name mm × mm in × in Name mm × mm in × in Name mm × mm in × in RA0 860 × 1220 33.9 × 48.0 SRA0 900 × 1280 35.4 × 50.4 A0U 880 × 1230 34.6 × 48.4 RA1 610 × 860 24.0 × 33.9 SRA1 640 × 900 25.2 × 35.4 A1U 625 × 880 24.6 × 34.6 RA2 430 × 610 16.9 × 24.0 SRA2 450 × 640 17.7 × 25.2 A2U 450 × 625 17.7 × 24.6 RA3 305 × 430 12.0 × 16.9 SRA3 320 × 450 12.6 × 17.7 A3U 330 × 450 13.0 × 17.7 RA4 215 × 305 8.5 × 12.0 SRA4 225 × 320 8.9 × 12.6 A4U 240 × 330 9.4 × 13.0 Drawing paper ISO 5457 specifies drawing paper sizes with a trimmed size equal to the A series sizes from A4 upward. The untrimmed sizes are 3 to 4 cm larger and rounded to the nearest centimeter. A0 through A3 are used in landscape orientation, while A4 is used in portrait orientation. Designations for preprinted drawing paper include the base sizes and a suffix, either T for trimmed or U for untrimmed sheets. ISO 5457 drawing paper sizes ( mm × mm ) Format Trimmed sheet ( T ) Drawing space Untrimmed sheet ( U ) A0 841 × 1189 821 × 1159 880 × 1230 A1 594 × 841 574 × 811 625 × 880 A2 420 × 594 400 × 564 450 × 625 A3 297 × 420 277 × 390 330 × 450 A4 210 × 297 180 × 277 240 × 330 Newspaper sizes Main article : Newspaper format Comparison of some newspaper sizes with metric paper sizes. Approximate nominal dimensions are in millimetres. Newspapers have a separate set of sizes. Berliner Broadsheet Compact Rhenish Tabloid ( newspaper format ) In a recent trend many newspapers have been undergoing what is known as `` web cut down '', in which the publication is redesigned to print using a narrower ( and less expensive ) roll of paper. In extreme examples, some broadsheet papers are nearly as narrow as traditional tabloids. See also Book size Paper density Units of paper quantity -- ream, quire etc. New Zealand standard for school stationery PC LOAD LETTER Hole punch -- filing holes References ^ Jump up to : Belize, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Philippines, Puerto Rico, United States, Venezuela according to CLDR ( version 31 ), Territory Information, which is a data collection used by almost all software manufacturers. ^ Jump up to : `` size ''. Retrieved 25 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` Lichtenberg 's letter to Johann Beckmann ''. Cl.cam.ac.uk. 2006 - 02 - 07. Retrieved 2012 - 01 - 30. Jump up ^ `` Loi sur le timbre ( No 2136 ) ''. Bulletin des lois de la République ( in French ). Paris : French government ( 237 ) : 1 -- 2. 1798 - 11 - 03. Retrieved 2009 - 05 - 05. Jump up ^ `` A Paper Sizes - A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10 ''. Retrieved 25 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` B Paper Sizes - B0, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, B10 ''. Retrieved 25 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` Envelope Sizes - ISO C Series & DL Envelopes ''. Retrieved 25 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` Papper -- Formatserier A-G ''. Svensk standard. Swedish Standards Institute. Retrieved 30 October 2013. ( subscription required ) Jump up ^ `` Print format for dissertations '' ( PDF ). Karolinska University press. Jump up ^ Dave Barber : International paper sizes. A, B, C and D series, version of 2012 - 05 - 08 Jump up ^ `` 国家 标准 GB / T 148 - 1997 ''. Standardization Administration of China. 26 June 1997. Retrieved 13 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` Formaty '' Форматы ( Formats ). Мир Сварки ( in Russian ). Jump up ^ `` Formaty ( ESKD GOST 2.301 - 68 ) '' Форматы ( ЕСКД ГОСТ 2.301 - 68 ) ( Formats ). Единая Система Конструкторской Документации ( in Russian ). Jump up ^ Adobe Systems Incorporated ( 1996 - 02 - 09 ). `` PostScript Printer Description File Format Specification '' ( PDF ) ( 4.3 ed. ). San Jose, California. p. 191. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2008 - 07 - 23. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 06. ^ Jump up to : American Forest and Paper Association. `` Why is the standard paper size in the U.S. 81⁄2 '' x 11 `` ? ''. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Junior Legal Paper Size ''. Dimensions Guide. Archived from the original on July 4, 2010. Retrieved 2010 - 02 - 21. Jump up ^ Fyffe, Charles ( 1969 ). Basic Copyfitting. London : Studio Vista. p. 74. ISBN 0 - 289 - 79705 - 5. Jump up ^ `` Armada mil ''. Retrieved 2010 - 12 - 12. Jump up ^ de Leon, Rally. `` Request for inclusion of Page Size 8.5 '' × 13 `` ''. Retrieved 2008 - 08 - 11. Jump up ^ Kuhn, Markus. `` International standard paper sizes ''. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 06. Jump up ^ Technical drawing paper sizes in the United States at sizes.com Jump up ^ `` Filofax ''. Archived from the original on 2010 - 09 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Franklin Planner ''. Jump up ^ United States Postal Service. `` DMM 101 : Physical Standards ''. Section `` 6.3. 2 Postcard Dimensions ''. retrieved 2014 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Paper Grain & Smoothness : Do n't Go Against the Grain ''. Xerox Corp. A paper mill may indicate paper grain on carton and ream labels, product brochures, swatch books and price lists in several ways : 1. You may see the words Grain Long or Grain Short. 2. The dimension parallel to the grain may be underscored. For example, 8.5 x11 indicates long grain, while 11x17 indicates short grain. 3. `` M '' may be used to indicate machine direction, for example, 11Mx17 indicates short grain. Fold paper parallel to the grain direction. Paper folded against the grain may be rough and crack along the folded edge. The heavier the paper, the more likely roughness and cracking will occur. Jump up ^ `` Traditional sizes for writing paper in the United Kingdom ''. sizepaper.com ( formerly atsyn.com ). Retrieved 2013 - 04 - 16. Jump up ^ `` Book sizes, with reference tables ''. Jump up ^ `` Max Image Area ''. Horizon Publications. Jump up ^ Norme NF Q 02 - 000 : Dimensions des papiers d'écriture et de certaines catégories de papiers d'impression. Jump up ^ CNRTL. `` AIGLE : Définition de AIGLE '' ( in French ). Retrieved 22 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` L'origine des noms de papier '' ( in French ). Archived from the original on 2006 - 03 - 19. Jump up ^ CAN2 - 200.2 - M79 : `` Common Image Area for Paper Sizes P4 and A4 '' issued 1979 - 04 - 01, withdrawn 2012 - 03 - 01 Jump up ^ `` Press web ''. Naa.org. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved 2010 - 12 - 12. Further reading International standard ISO 216, Writing paper and certain classes of printed matter -- Trimmed sizes -- A and B series. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 1975. International standard ISO 217 : Paper -- Untrimmed sizes -- Designation and tolerances for primary and supplementary ranges, and indication of machine direction. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, 1995. Max Helbig, Winfried Hennig : DIN - Format A4 -- Ein Erfolgssystem in Gefahr. Beuth - Kommentare, Beuth Verlag, Berlin, 1998. ISBN 3 - 410 - 11878 - 0 Arthur D. Dunn : Notes on the standardization of paper sizes. Ottawa, Canada, 54 pages, 1972. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paper formats. Palme, Jacob ( May 1998 ). Making Postscript and PDF International. IETF. doi : 10.17487 / RFC2346. RFC 2346. https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2346. Retrieved 2012 - 06 - 22. -- Notably : About margin settings for using just the space common to both A4 and US Letter. IEEE - ISTO PWG 5101.1 - 2013 `` PWG Media Standardized Names 2.0 '' ( PDF ) Paper Sizes Explained by Matt Parker, BBC Number Hub ( YouTube video ) ' Paper thickness cross reference guide Paper History Manufacture / Papermaking Types Amate Bible Blotting Bond Cardboard Cartridge Coated paper Construction Cotton ( rag ) Crêpe Display Dó Asphalt Glassine India Korean Kraft Laid Manila Newsprint Oatmeal Onionskin Origami Baking Building Rice Rolling Scritta Paperboard Security Seed Copy Stone Tar Thermal Tissue Tracing Transfer Tree - free Wallpaper Washi Waterproof Wax Wood - free Wove Writing Xuan Materials China clay Fiber crop Paper chemicals Papyrus Wood pulp Specifications Grammage Density Paper sizes Units of paper quantity Surface chemistry of paper Wet strength Manufacture and process Bleaching of wood pulp Calender Conical refiner Deinking Paper pollution Environmental impact of paper Handmade paper Hollander beater Kraft process Organosolv Paper machine Paper recycling Papermaking Soda pulping Sulfite process Industry Paper industry In Europe In Canada In India In Japan In the United States Paper mill List of paper mills Category : Paper Commons GND : 4195469 - 5 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paper_size&oldid=854719649 '' Categories : Paper Mechanical standards Stationery Technical drawing Book design Hidden categories : CS1 : Julian -- Gregorian uncertainty CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) Pages containing links to subscription - only content CS1 Russian - language sources ( ru ) All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from July 2016 Wikipedia articles needing clarification from December 2017 Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from December 2016 Articles needing cleanup from July 2016 All pages needing cleanup Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from July 2016 Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from July 2016 Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from July 2016 Articles needing cleanup from November 2015 Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from November 2015 Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from November 2015 All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from December 2016 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Български Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Basa Jawa Latviešu Magyar മലയാളം Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Shqip Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Svenska தமிழ் Тоҷикӣ Українська Tiếng Việt 粵語 中文 34 more Edit links This page was last edited on 13 August 2018, at 09 : 32 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is the size of a typical poster
Answer: 50 cm × 70 cm