The Standard Paper Sizes: What You Need to Know

Paper is available in the market in different yet standard sizes, out of which the A4 paper size is considered the best paper size. Used in a wide variety of services and compatible with various envelope sizes, A4 paper is compatible with advanced printers. 

ISO 216 Paper Standard

Paper is extremely versatile. You can cut them in any shape or size by using scissors. However, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) set a standard for paper sizes to make things easier. This standard is called the ISO 216 standard. The paper size chart in the UK follows the ISO 216 standard.

There are 3 main series in the ISO 216 format for paper sizes: the A, B and C series.

The A series

The most popularly used paper size series, the A series is characterised by the √2 aspect ratio between its dimensions. The most interesting aspect of this series is that you can cut each size into half across the shorter dimension in order to produce its next smaller size in the series. 

For example, an A4 paper size (21 cm x 29.7 cm) could be halved to produce an A5 paper size (14.8 cm x 21 cm). You can see that the longer side of the A5 is the same as the shorter side of the A4 paper. 

The following table depicts the A series dimensions in inches, centimetres as well as in pixels at 300 PPI(pixels per inch):

Printing paper size chart:

The ANSI Paper Standard 

Various Uses of Different Paper Sizes in the A Series

You should know about the applications of each paper size in order to understand which one is the best suited for your needs. The following paragraph is your paper size guide for printing:

The A1 and A0 paper sizes are largely used for technical drawing, outdoor advertisements, and architectural prints due to their large size and superior visibility.

The A3, A4, and A5 paper sizes are the intermediate paper sizes. The A3 paper size is generally used for creating posters and canvas prints due to its large size (twice that of A4 paper). The A3 paper is useful as a visual aid in meetings and for pitching ideas to potential clients and investors. 

As we discussed at the start of the article, the A4 paper size is the most versatile one. Crafted for the first time during the French Revolution, the A4 paper size is the official standard for documents drafted by the UN. It is also compatible with the printers we use in homes and offices.

The A4 paper size is not only used for printing documents; it is also essential when it comes to forms, letters, exercise books used in school, magazines and textbooks.

Books, diaries, notebooks, greeting cards, brochures and so on are made with the A5 paper size in mind. Such products have been developed within the publishing and stationeries industries.

The small paper sizes ranging from A6 to A10 are lightweight thus making them handy. These paper sizes incorporate minimal words to convey the message. 

The A6 paper is used to print photographs and postcards. The A7 paper size is generally used to print flyers, stickers and leaflets. The A8 paper size is used for business cards, the A9 paper size is used to print labels and the smallest A10 paper size is used for printing small times like coupons, tickets or stamps.

FAQs

1. What are ANSI paper sizes?

The ANSI paper sizes include sizes from ANSI A to ANSI E sizes, and additional sizes half letter, junior legal, legal and ledger/tabloids.

2. How is the A series structured?

The A series paper sizes have a √2:1 dimensional ratio. Each size in the A series is derived by halving the previous size parallel to its shorter sides. For example, folding an A3 sheet in half produces two A4 sheets.

3. How many series are listed in the ISO 216 standard?

There are A, B and C series paper sizes in the ISO 216 standard. The A series is the most popular one, the B series provides sizes that fall between the A series sizes, while the C series is primarily used for envelopes that fit A series papers.