What is Design for print - 1 Paper Sizes

A Series 

In the UK, the commonest sizes of sheet are based on one called "A0", which covers a total of one sqaure metre and measures 851 x 1189 mm. This can be cut in half along the long edge to produce an A1 sheet, which is 841 x 594 mm. This can be cut in half in the same way to produce an A2 and so on. An A4 sheet is the standard letter sized sheet. Sheet thickness os nased on the weight of a 1 metre sqaure, therefore an A4 page could be 90 gsm (grams per square metre) or 130 gsm. which would be correspondingly thicker.

Printers need somehting slightly bigger than a standard A4 sheet to compensate for bleed and to add trim marks so there are additional size standards, based on the A series which include set amount of trim. An RA4 meassures 215 x 305 mm and allows for a very small trim.

Size	Height x Width (mm)	Height x Width (in)
4A0	2378 x 1682 mm	93.6 x 66.2 in
2A0	1682 x 1189 mm	66.2 x 46.8 in
A0	1189 x 841 mm	46.8 x 33.1 in
A1	841 x 594 mm	33.1 x 23.4 in
A2	594 x 420 mm	23.4 x 16.5 in
A3	420 x 297 mm	16.5 x 11.7 in
A4	297 x 210 mm	11.7 x 8.3 in
A5	210 x 148 mm	8.3 x 5.8 in
A6	148 x 105 mm	5.8 x 4.1 in
A7	105 x 74 mm	4.1 x. 2.9 in
A8	74 x 52 mm	2.9 x 2.0 in
A9	52 x 37 mm	2.0 x 1.5 in
A10	37 x 26 mm	1.5 x 1.0 in

The dimensions of the A series paper sizes, as defined by ISO 216, are given in the table below in both millimetres and inches (cm measurements can be obtained by dividing mm value by 10). The A Series paper size chart to the right gives a visual explanation of how the sizes relate to each other - for example A5 is half of A4 size paper and A2 is half of A1 size paper.

B Series

Size	Height x Width (mm)	Height x Width (in)
B0	1414 x 1000 mm	55.7 x 39.4 in
B1	1000 x 707 mm	39.4 x 27.8 in
B2	707 x 500 mm	27.8 x 19.7 in
B3	500 x 353 mm	19.7 x 13.9 in
B4	353 x 250 mm	13.9 x 9.8 in
B5	250 x 176 mm	9.8 x 6.9 in
B6	176 x 125 mm	6.9 x 4.9 in
B7	125 x 88 mm	4.9 x. 3.5 in
B8	88 x 62 mm	3.5 x 2.4 in
B9	62 x 44 mm	2.4 x 1.7 in
B10	44 x 31 mm	1.7 x 1.2 in

C Series

Size	Height x Width (mm)	Height x Width (in)
C0	1297 x 917 mm	51.5 x 36.1 in
C1	917 x 648 mm	36.1 x 25.5 in
C2	648 x 458 mm	25.5 x 18.0 in
C3	458 x 324 mm	18.0 x 12.8 in
C4	324 x 229 mm	12.8 x 9.0 in
C5	229 x 162 mm	9.0 x 6.4 in
C6	162 x 114 mm	6.4 x 4.5 in
C7	114 x 81 mm	4.5 x. 3.2 in
C8	81 x 57 mm	3.2 x 2.2 in
C9	57 x 40 mm	2.2 x 1.6 in
C10	40 x 28 mm	1.6 x 1.1 in

The dimensions of the C series envelope sizes, as defined by ISO 216, are given in the table below in both millimetres and inches

US paper Sizes

Size	Width x Height (mm)	Width x Height (in)	Aspect Ratio	Nearest ISO
A	216 x 279 mm	8.5 x 11.0 in	1:1.2941	A4
B	279 x 432 mm	11.0 x 17.0 in	1:1.5455	A3
C	432 x 559 mm	17.0 x 22.0 in	1:1.2941	A2
D	559 x 864 mm	22.0 x 34.0 in	1:1.5455	A1
E	864 x 1118 mm	34.0 x 44.0 in	1:1.2941	A0

ANSI (American National Standards Insitute) defined a regular series of paper sizes based around the Letter (8.5" x 11") format, with this becoming the A sizes and larger sizes being B,C,D & E. Surprisingly these ANSI standard sizes were defined in 1995 well after the ISO standard sizes.

Unlike the ISO standard sizes which have the single aspect ratio of 1:root2, ANSI standard sizes have two aspect ratios 1:1.2941 and 1:1.5455 which means that enlarging and reducing between the sizes is not as easy as with the ISO sizes and leaves wider margins on the enlarged/reduced document.