Paper sizes
Paper sizes
Various relatively common sizes
Printers often support a range of similar paper sizes, often including:
- A4 (used in many places)
- 210 × 297mm
- Part of ISO 216's A series (see below)
- Letter (in the US and a few other places)
- 8.5" x 11" (215.9 x 279.4mm)
And also occasionally:
- Legal - 8.5" x 14" (216 × 356 mm)
- B5 (ISO and/or JIS)
- ISO: 176×250 mm
- JIS: 182×257 mm
- A5 (148 × 210 mm)
- “Ledger/Tabloid” (279 × 432 mm)
- Executive (190 × 254 mm), and
Scanners often support sizes up to ~A4/Letter, and usually a little more..
Photocopiers often support B4, A3, partially because that includes newspaper sizes.
A4, B5 and such are part of series:
- ISO 216 A series (JIS A series is identical) {{{1}}}
- 4A0 (1682×2378mm)
- 2A0 (1189×1682mm)
- A0 (841×1189mm, 1 m2) (posters, technical drawings)
- A1 (594×841mm) (flip charts, posters)
- A2 (420×594mm) (flip charts, drawings, diagrams, large tables)
- A3 (297×420mm) (newspapers, drawings, diagrams, large tables)
- A4 (210×297mm) (printers, magazines, letters, magazines, forms, catalogs, copying machine)
- A5 (148×210mm) (books, note pads)
- A6 (105×148mm) (books, postcards)
- A7 (74×105mm)
- A8 (52×74mm) (some playing cards, some business cards)
- A9 (37×52mm)
- A10 (26×37mm)
- ISO 216 B series, 'ledger'
- B0 (1000 × 1414mm)
- B1 (707 × 1000mm)
- B2 (500 × 707mm)
- B3 (353 × 500mm) (newspapers)
- B4 (250 × 353mm) (newspapers)
- B5 (176 × 250mm) (books)
- B6 (125 × 176mm) (books)
- B7 (88 × 125mm)
- B8 (62 × 88mm)
- B9 (44 × 62mm)
- B10 (31 × 44mm)
- JIS B sizes (JIS)
- B0 (1030 × 1456mm)
- B1 (728 × 1030mm)
- B2 (515 × 728mm)
- B3 (364 × 515mm)
- B4 (257 × 364mm)
- B5 (182 × 257mm)
- B6 (128 × 182mm)
- B7 (91 × 128mm)
- B8 (64 × 91mm)
- B9 (45 × 64mm)
- B10 (32 × 45mm)
- B11 (22 × 32mm)
- B12 (16 × 22mm)
Many others
See also
Relevant standars:
- ISO 216 defines the fairly well known A series (A4, A3, A5, etc.), and also related B, and C series
- ANSI defines letter, tabloid/ledger
- JIS P 0138-61 (Japanese) defines:
- The same A series as ISO 216
- a slightly different B series
Unsorted:
- http://www.printernational.org/american-paper-sizes.php
- http://www.prepressure.com/library/paper-sizes
- http://www.inkjetart.com/weight.html
- http://www.dpandi.com/paper/index.html
Weight/sturdiness
Paper comes in various weights/sturdinesses and finishes/textures. Laser printers are usually general-purpose in that regard, but some may not work so well with some - particularly once the paper feeding mechanism is somewhat worn.
On weights:
- In the US you will read figures like '20-pound', '24-pound' and such, which is a measure per ream, where a ream usually means 500 sheets of 17 by 22 inch - exactly four times the size of Letter (so a 500-page pack of 20 pound Letter weighs 5 pounds).
- In metric countries you often see something like '80 gram', which actually actually means 80 grams per square meter (g/m2, sometimes abbreviated gsm)
Printing paper is usually between 60g and 120g, and non-specialist stores that sell just one weight usually sell 80 grams / 20 pound. (..15 to 30 pound)
You could check your printer's manual for optimal choice for your printer. For example, our printer prefers 90grams / 24lb paper, although it will deal well enough with 80 grams / 20 pound paper.
Printing paper is often between 0.07 millimeters (0.0028 in) and 0.18 millimeters (0.0071 in) thick.
Related things
Holes
ISO 838:
- two holes of 6 ±0.5mm diameter,
- 80mm ±0.5mm apart
- 12±1 mm to the nearest edge of the sheet
- symmetrically around the center
- ...so good for A7 and larger
'888' is a nickname for the four-hole variation (all 80mm apart), which adds stability and lessens tearing in rings binders that have four rings. It is not standardized, but widely used.
Other standard sizes
- ISO 7810 defines sizes of identity cards, visas, banking/credit cards and such [1]