Paper size

Area	Paper and paper products for computing, office and school
title	Final paper sizes - C series
Brief description:	no
Latest edition	2008-02
ISO	-

Area	Office business
title	Writing paper and certain groups of printed matter - Final formats - A and B rows and marking of the machine direction
Brief description:	ISO paper sizes
Latest edition	2007-12
ISO	216

Paper formats A0 to A8, display model in the Science Museum in Barcelona : “The invasion of the square roots”, scale 1∶1

Standardized values for the width and height of sheets of paper - their paper format - were first specified by the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) on August 18, 1922 in the DIN standard DIN 476 . The ratio between width and height is the same for all sheet sizes, namely

{\ displaystyle 1: {\ sqrt {2}} \ ,.}

Only with this ratio does the next smaller sheet that is created by folding it in the middle over the long side remains geometrically similar to the original sheet .

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg specified this aspect ratio as early as 1786, and it was also used during the French Revolution . After that it was forgotten again for a long time, but was taken up again in 1910 by Wilhelm Ostwald and then distributed by Walter Porstmann and implemented as a DIN standard in 1922.

With its specifications for the A and B series, the German standard served as the basis for the European or international equivalent EN ISO 216 , which in turn has been adapted in almost all countries. There are mostly only differences in the permitted tolerances. As a purely national standard, DIN 476-2: 2008-02 final paper formats - C series is still valid.

history

Comparison of different formats scaled to the same width
3: 4 (quart format)
1: √2 (DIN format)
2: 3 (octave format)

Historically, there have been many different paper formats in circulation. These were always derived from the sheet format of the respective manufacturer. So-called quarto formats (i.e. a quarter of the bow, produced by dividing twice) or octave formats (analogously, one eighth of the bow) were then common. There was no standardization. In particular, the page proportions also differed from today's standard formats during this period. The usual format was 3∶4. If you fold such a sheet, you get a sheet with the proportions 2∶3, with a second fold again one with pages 3 usw.4, etc. So the quarto format usually had a format of 3∶4, the octave format of 2∶3.

Various aesthetic properties and suitability for specific purposes have been ascribed to these formats. The quarto format 34 was regarded as soft and friendly, the narrower octave format 2 als3 as more severe. When used as a book format , the larger and wider quarto format was preferred for bound books that are placed on a table. The more manageable format 2∶3, on the other hand, is suitable for books that you hold in your hand. Even today paperbacks typically have a narrow format close to the 2-3 aspect ratio.

At the beginning of the 20th century, dissatisfaction with this multitude of formats grew. It was impractical in many places. The German chemist Wilhelm Ostwald developed the so-called world format to save space in libraries by standardizing book sizes. The construction was based on the requirement for geometric similarity (i.e. the aspect ratio of all sizes should be identical) and the output from the smallest format I, the short side of which should measure 1 cm. The transition between the sizes takes place as usual by halving or doubling the pages. This format could not prevail because of the incompatibility with existing formats. Ostwald's assistant, the engineer Walter Porstmann, was more successful . As an employee of the standards committee of German industry , he developed DIN 476, the formats of the A to D series, which are still valid except for the D series. This was introduced in Germany in 1923. The only difference to the world format was the starting point for the absolute size. As usual, this forms the largest format, e.g. B. A0. Its area was determined, at A0 exactly one square meter. These normal formats quickly caught on internationally, with the exception of a few countries such as the USA and Canada, where they are not common.

It was argued against its introduction, for example, that although standardization is desirable, the advantage of the constant aspect ratio remains unclear. If you pay attention to the direction of the paper, two different sheets would be necessary as a starting point anyway. If only one sheet is output, the direction of the fibers would be wrong for every second format. The aspect ratio (1 ∶ 1.414) itself was z. Sometimes perceived as unaesthetic, as a “hybrid format” between the formats 2∶3 and 3∶4 described above. The absolute size of the normal formats also appeared to be arbitrary. It is not determined on the basis of the utility formats A4 and A5, but on the condition that the sheet A0 should have an area of one square meter. It is more of a coincidence that useful sizes are created when folded several times. A disadvantage arises e.g. B. also from the fact that the height of the A4 format protrudes 17 mm over the US letter format, which is uncomfortable when filing in North American folders. This criticism has not changed the spread of these formats for writing paper. In the course of the increased implementation of copy technology applications in everyday life, the constant aspect ratio has proven to be advantageous, since it allows enlargements or reductions without distortion and with proportionally constant margins. However, several old aspect ratios have been preserved in the books. ${\ displaystyle 1: {\ sqrt {2}}}$

Aspect ratio 1∶√2

The aspect ratio of the paper format series A, B and C standardized in DIN 476 results from the specification that it should remain constant when the next smaller size is derived by halving the longer side (height ) to the new shorter side (width ): or . . Solving one of the equations gives and thus finally the constant factor . ${\ displaystyle h_ {i}}$ ${\ displaystyle b_ {i + 1}}$ ${\ displaystyle {\ frac {h_ {i}} {b_ {i}}} = {\ frac {h_ {i + 1} = b_ {i}} {b_ {i + 1} = {\ frac {1} {2}} h_ {i}}}}$ ${\ displaystyle {\ frac {h_ {i}} {b_ {i}}} = {\ frac {h_ {i-1} = 2b_ {i}} {b_ {i-1} = h_ {i}}} }$ ${\ displaystyle h_ {i} ^ {2} = 2b_ {i} ^ {2}}$ ${\ displaystyle {\ frac {h_ {i}} {b_ {i}}} = {\ sqrt {2}} \ approx 1 {,} 414, \ forall i \ in \ mathbb {N}}$

ISO and DIN paper formats

Overview

Allocating an arc of the series A .
The formats (classes 1 to 8, ...) result from halving the previous format.

There are four rows (A and B according to ISO and DIN, C and the original D according to DIN), each of which is divided into eleven classes, which are numbered from 0 to 10 in descending order.

Class 0 formats
format	Area in m²
B0	2 ^1/2^- = 1.414
C0	2 ^1/4^- = 1.189
A0	2 ⁰^{−0 /} = 1,000
D0	2 ^−1/4 = 0.841

The combination of these two properties results in the usual designation, e.g. B. A4 ( 210 × 297 mm ) or C6 ( 114 × 162 mm ), both highlighted in bold as an example in the table , "DIN" or "ISO" may be prefixed.

Both DIN and ISO standards list the formats that are larger than class 0. These are preceded by a numeric prefix, e.g. B. 2A0 for double A0. They are included in the table of the “ Main series of trimmed sizes (ISO-A series) ” with the comment “ The rarely used sizes [2A0 and 4A0] which follow also belong to this series ” .

The size of the formats is specified in whole millimeters. The tolerance is ± 1.5 mm for dimensions up to 150 mm, ± 2 mm for dimensions up to 600 mm and above ± 3 mm.

Dimensions of rows A to D ( mm × mm )
class	Row A	Row B	Row C	Row D	designation
4… 0	1682 × 2378
2… 0	1189 × 1682	1414 × 2000
… 0	0841 × 1189	1000 × 1414	917 × 1297	771 × 1091	Quadruple sheet
…1	0594 × 0841	0707 × 1000	648 × 0917	545 × 0771	Double arch
… 2	0420 × 0594	0500 × 0707	458 × 0648	385 × 0545	arc
… 3	0297 × 0420	0353 × 0500	324 × 0458	272 × 0385	Half arch
… 4	0210 × 0297	0250 × 0353	229 × 0324	192 × 0272	Quarter sheet (e.g. A4)
… 5	0148 × 0210	0176 × 0250	162 × 0229	136 × 0192	Sheet , eighth-note bow, octave format
… 6	0105 × 0148	0125 × 0176	114 × 0162	096 × 0136	Half sheet (e.g. C6)
… 7	0074 × 0105	0088 × 0125	081 × 0114	068 × 0096	Quarter sheet
…8th	0052 × 0074	0062 × 0088	057 × 0081		Eighth leaf
… 9	0037 × 0052	0044 × 0062	040 × 0057
... 10	0026 × 0037	0031 × 0044	028 × 0040

The nominal area of an A0 arc is one square meter , but the rounding of the side lengths to whole millimeters means that the real areas in the A-row deviate from one square meter or whole fractions. The same is true for whole multiples of √2 for the other series. Because of the permitted length tolerances, the real surfaces can deviate even further.

Nominal areas of rows A to D (m ² )
class	Row A	Row B	Row C	Row D
4… 0	4 = 2 ²
2… 0	2 = 2 ¹	2√2 = 2 ^1½
… 0	1 = 2 ⁰	√2 = ^2½	√√2 = 2 ^¼	¹ ⁄ _√√2 = 2^−¼
…1	¹ ⁄ ₂ = 2⁻¹	^√2 ⁄ ₂ = 2^−½	^√√2 ⁄ ₂ = 2^−¾	¹ ⁄ _2√√2 = 2^−1¼
… 2	¹ ⁄ ₄ = 2⁻²	^√2 ⁄ ₄ = 2^−1½	^√√2 ⁄ ₄ = 2^−1¾	¹ ⁄ _4√√2 = 2^−2¼
… 3	¹ ⁄ ₈ = 2⁻³	^√2 ⁄ ₈ = 2^−2½	^√√2 ⁄ ₈ = 2^−2¾	¹ ⁄ _8√√2 = 2^−3¼
… 4	¹ ⁄ ₁₆ = 2⁻⁴	^√2 ⁄ ₁₆ = 2^−3½	^√√2 ⁄ ₁₆ = 2^−3¾	¹ ⁄ _16√√2 = 2^−4¼
… 5	¹ ⁄ ₃₂ = 2⁻⁵	^√2 ⁄ ₃₂ = 2^−4½	^√√2 ⁄ ₃₂ = 2^−4¾	¹ ⁄ _32√√2 = 2^−5¼
… 6	¹ ⁄ ₆₄ = 2⁻⁶	^√2 ⁄ ₆₄ = 2^−5½	^√√2 ⁄ ₆₄ = 2^−5¾	¹ ⁄ _64√√2 = 2^−6¼
… 7	¹ ⁄ ₁₂₈ = 2⁻⁷	^√2 ⁄ ₁₂₈ = 2^−6½	^√√2 ⁄ ₁₂₈ = 2^−6¾	¹ ⁄ _128√√2 = 2^−7¼
…8th	¹ ⁄ ₂₅₆ = 2⁻⁸	^√2 ⁄ ₂₅₆ = 2^−7½	^√√2 ⁄ ₂₅₆ = 2^−7¾
… 9	¹ ⁄ ₅₁₂ = 2⁻⁹	^√2 ⁄ ₅₁₂ = 2^−8½	^√√2 ⁄ ₅₁₂ = 2^−8¾
... 10	¹ ⁄ ₁₀₂₄ = 2⁻¹⁰	^√2 ⁄ ₁₀₂₄ = 2^−9½	^√√2 ⁄ ₁₀₂₄ = 2^−9¾

Real areas of rows A to D (mm ² )
class	Row A	Row B	Row C	Row D
4… 0	3,999,796
2… 0	1,999,898	2,828,000
… 0	999,949	1,414,000	1,189,349	841.161
…1	499,554	707,000	594.216	420.195
… 2	249,480	353,500	296.784	209.825
… 3	124,740	176,500	148.392	104,720
… 4	62,370	88,250	74,196	52,224
… 5	31,080	44,000	37,098	26,112
… 6	15,540	22,000	18,468	13,056
… 7	7,770	11,000	9.234	6,528
…8th	3,848	5,456	4,617
… 9	1.924	2,728	2,280
... 10	962	1,364	1,120

Applications

For content in A format, an envelope of the corresponding C format is typically chosen, which in turn fits into an envelope in the B row. The maximum dimensions of letters in postal traffic are based on the B series.

A0, A1	Technical drawings , sea / maps , printed sheets , posting timetables , posters , film posters , election posters
A1, A2	Flip charts , wrapping paper, film posters, timetables, calendars , newspapers , master craftsman's certificate , technical drawings
A2, A3	Drawings, diagrams , large tables, calendars, cards, movie posters, technical drawings
B4, A3	Newspapers, notes , cards
A4	Stationery , forms , notebooks , magazines , technical drawings, printer paper
A5	Notepads, exercise books , brochures
D5	DVD cases
A5, A6, A7, A8	Index cards , rarely also A4 and A9
A6	Flyers , postcards , paperbacks , transfer slips , notebooks
B5, A5, B6, A6, A4	Books ( book format )
A7	Leaflets , pocket diaries , identity card (ID ‐ 2)
B7	Passport (ID ‐ 3)
B8, A8	Playing cards , business cards , labels
C4, C5, C6, B4	Envelopes

Derived formats

Strip formats, envelopes

Strip formats derived from the A row by division
designation	Dimensions ( mm × mm )	Aspect ratio	comment
¹ ⁄ ₄ A3	105 × 297	2√2∶1
¹ ⁄ ₃ A4	099 × 210	³ ⁄ ₂ √2∶1
¹ ⁄ ₄ A4	074 × 210	2√2∶1
¹ ⁄ ₈ A4	037 × 210	4√2∶1
¹ ⁄ ₃ A5	070 × 148	³ ⁄ ₂ √2∶1
¹ ⁄ ₆ DIN (standard)	198 × 210	³ ⁄ ₄ √2∶1	actually " ² ⁄ ₃ A4"
¹ ⁄ ₆ DIN (practice)	200 × 210	1.05∶1

Other sizes for envelopes
designation	Dimensions ( mm × mm )	Aspect ratio	comment
DL ( DIN long )	110 × 220	2∶1	see. ¹ ⁄ ₃ A4
C6 / C5	114 × 229	2∶1	short side of C6 with long side of C5, slightly larger than DL, holds a larger number of sheets

JIS-B series

Comparison of the DIN / ISO and the JIS-B series
format	Dimensions ( mm × mm )		Area (mm²)
format	DIN / ISO	JIS	DIN / ISO	JIS
B0	1000 × 1414	1030 × 1456	1,414,000	1,499,680
B1	0707 × 1000	0728 × 1030	707,000	749.840
B2	0500 × 0707	0515 × 0728	353,500	374.920
B3	0353 × 0500	0364 × 0515	176,500	187,460
B4	0250 × 0353	0257 × 0364	88,250	93,548
B5	0176 × 0250	0182 × 0257	44,000	46,774
B6	0125 × 0176	0128 × 0182	22,000	23,296
B7	0088 × 0125	0091 × 0128	11,000	11,648
B8	0062 × 0088	0064 × 0091	5,456	5,824
B9	0044 × 0062	0045 × 0064	2,728	2,880
B10	0031 × 0044	0032 × 0045	1,364	1,440

The Japanese standard JIS P 0138-61 adopts the A and C series from ISO and DIN, but defines a slightly different B series: JIS B0 has an area of 1.5 m², the arithmetic and non- geometric mean of the areas of A0 and 2A0, widths and heights are determined in the same way as A and rounded accordingly.

The origin of the Japanese B-series lies in the fact that this format should be compatible with the Shiroku-ban already used, with its dimensions of 127 × 188 mm , which in turn had its origin in the officially used Mino-ban format of the Edo period . The Shiroku-ban became almost identical to the new JIS B6.

Raw formats

ISO / DIN series RA and SRA, DIN 5457 series for trimmed A_T, character area A_Z and untrimmed A_U
(in millimeters)
class	RA	SRA	AT	A_Z	A_U
0	860 × 1220	900 × 1280	841 × 1189	821 × 1159	880 × 1230
1	610 × 0860	640 × 0900	594 × 0841	574 × 0811	625 × 0880
2	430 × 0610	450 × 0640	420 × 594	400 × 0564	450 × 0625
3	305 × 0430	320 × 0450	297 × 0420	277 × 0390	330 × 0450
4th	215 × 0305	225 × 0320	210 × 0297	190 × 0267	240 × 0330

Since losses occur during trimming and folding, the RA and SRA raw formats were created (ISO 217). The R stands for "raw format", S for "secondary". In principle , RA0 has an area of 1.05 m², SRA0 1.15 m², but width and height are rounded to half a centimeter.

Special formats for laser and inkjet printing

Under the unofficial name A4 + (A4 plus) there is also an oversize format based on the DIN A4 format that is used in inkjet and laser printers . It is offered specifically to end customers by printer manufacturers and paper suppliers. Due to the lack of standardization of this oversize format, the formats differ slightly. Some A4-based formats have a uniform bleed of three millimeters per side ( 216 × 303 mm ) and, in some cases, corresponding tear-off edges. Some (American) providers also specify the A4 + format with the dimension 9½ × 13 in ( inch ) ( 241 × 330 mm ), which practically corresponds to the untrimmed A4U ( 240 × 330 mm ) sheet format from ISO 5457 for technical drawings .

In the photographic and printed advertising in accordance exist that also non-normalized oversize A3 + (A3 plus) , also under Super A3 or Super B known. The dimensions are usually chosen so that an A3 page can be printed out borderless on a printer from the paper manufacturer.

For the class of 17 ″ printers (usually referred to as A2 printers) there is an oversize format A2 + ( 432 × 648 mm with the usual 2: 3 aspect ratio for photos). This format is aimed at users who want to use the full width or flatness of their printer.

In the 36 "printer class , an oversize format ( 917 × 1189 mm ) called I / A0 or A0 big is sometimes used, which combines the height of an A0 sheet with a width of approx. 36.1 inches .

Remarks

Contrary to popular belief, the aspect ratio of the DIN formats does not correspond to the golden ratio , which is 1: 1.618 (DIN ratio 1: 1.414).
That the (1: √2) form is not only the right one for the task at hand, but also has "something pleasant and excellent over the ordinary", is a statement made by the physicist and aphorist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg in 1786 .
The DIN 476 was anticipated during the French Revolution . Paper formats existed with exactly the dimensions of this standard.
The weight of the paper is usually given as weight per square meter in order to obtain a format-independent information. Due to the simple aspect ratios, the mass of a standard A4 sheet of 80 g / m² is calculated too precisely
${\ displaystyle 80 \, {\ frac {\ text {g}} {{\ text {m}} ^ {2}}} \ cdot {\ frac {1} {2 ^ {4}}} \, {\ text {m}} ^ {2} = 80 \, {\ frac {\ text {g}} {{\ text {m}} ^ {2}}} \ cdot {\ frac {1} {16}} \ , {\ text {m}} ^ {2} = 5 \, {\ text {g}}}$ .
The paper volume : The volume of a paper shows the ratio of its thickness (mm) to the paper weight (g / m²). Paper can be made of different thicknesses with the same weight. Paper with a larger volume is more "handy". Starting from “normal volume” 1, the volumes increase in ¼ steps. 90g paper with volume 2 is twice as thick as 90g paper with volume 1.
When enlarging and reducing with a photocopier , the change in length and not the area must be specified: the next larger or next smaller format results from a scaling factor of 141% (√2) or 71% (√½), while 200% and 50% each skip one format .

Formats for special applications

In addition, there were and are of course other systems, for example with newspapers . Some old systems have survived, at least in part, to this day.

Machine formats

There is an industry standard for processing in printing machines that includes the following maximum paper sizes.

Machine formats
Format class	Dimensions ( mm × mm )	designation
00	0350 × 0500	Small format
01	0460 × 0640
0b	0520 × 0720	Half format
1	0560 × 0830
2c	0640 × 0910
2	0610 × 0860
3	0650 × 0960
3b	0720 × 1020	Medium format
4th	0780 × 1120
5	0890 × 1260
6th	1020 × 1420
7th	1120 × 1620
7b	1200 × 1620	Large format
8th	1300 × 1850
9	1500 × 2050	Super large format
10	1620 × 2240

Packaging sheet

In the packaging area , formats are used that are derived from the bale format ( 75 × 100 cm ). These formats are not limited to sheets of paper, but are also used for other cuts, e.g. B. film used. A subsequent format is created by halving the long side.

Packaging sheet
Identifier	Common name	Dimensions ( mm × mm )	Usage examples
1/1	Whole sheet	0750 × 1000	Packaging papers, stuffing paper
1/2	Half arch	500 × 750	Bread tissue paper, bakery papers
1/4	Quarter arch	375 × 500	Fresh keeping paper in butchers, cheese factories
1/8	Eighth bow	250 × 375
1/16	Sixteenth-note arch	180 × 250
1/32	Thirty-second arch	125 × 180	Intermediate layers, e.g. B. with sausage, cheese, confectionery products
1/64	Sixty-fourth arc	090 × 125

Scheduling systems

With schedule systems (calendar and schedule ring binders), other formats are common, which have different names and perforations depending on the manufacturer. For example:

Scheduling systems
Surname	company	Dimensions
Surname	company	mm × mm	in × in
WT	tempus.	86 × 145
monarch	Franklin- Covey	216 × 279	8 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 11
Desk fax	Filofax	176 × 250
Classic	Franklin-Covey	140 × 216	5 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 8 ¹ ⁄ ₂
Compact	Franklin-Covey	108 × 171	4 ¹ ⁄ ₄  × 6 ³ ⁄ ₄
Compact	Time / System	85 × 169
Pocket	Time / System	100 × 172
	Franklin-Covey	89 × 152	3 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 6
	Filofax	81 × 120
Midi	Chronoplan	96 × 172
Personal, slimline	Filofax	95 × 171
Mini	Chronoplan	79 × 125
Mini	Filofax	67 × 105
partner	Time / System	75 × 130
M2	Filofax	64 × 103

Sheet music printing

Note print formats
Format class	Dimensions ( mm × mm )
Large score	420 × 680
	300 × 420
	300 × 400
	285 × 400
	300 × 390
	290 × 350
Quart format	270 × 340
Bach format	240 × 325
N4	231 × 303
octavo	170 × 270
Study score	170 × 240
Salon orchestra	190 × 290
Vocal score	190 × 270
Parisian format	190 × 272
Piano format	235 × 310
Grand March	135 × 190
March format	135 × 170

Library catalogs

The international library format 75 × 125 mm is common for index cards in library catalogs .

Formats in other countries

North America

The US sizes include the “Letter” format (ANSI A) for letters. By doubling it, the next larger format is created, alternating in the aspect ratios of around 1: 1.29 (ANSI A, C, E) and 1: 1.55 (ANSI B, D).

Letter format : Countries that primarily use A4 (blue) or letter (red) format

The paper formats common in North America do not follow a uniform pattern.

The US sizes A to E come from the ANSI / ASME Y14.1 standard. They originally have inch dimensions ( in for inch ). Other sizes are specified in ANSI X3.151-1987.

The Canadian sizes P1 – P6 from the CAN 2-9.60M standard are specified in millimeters and rounded to half a centimeter (except for P6). They approximately correspond to their inch counterparts. Its importance is also rather minor in Canada itself.

Both the North American ANSI series and the Canadian sizes do not have the advantages of the constant √2 ratio of the DIN series. With any starting ratio, this only reappears after every second fold. The alternating ratios are about 1.29 and 1.55. In addition to the USA and Canada, the letter format under the Spanish name "Carta" is also widespread in Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico) as well as in Mexico, Chile, Venezuela and Colombia. also in the Philippines.

Common North American paper sizes
Surname	ANSI	( in × in )	( mm × mm )	CAN	mm × mm
				P6	107 × 140
Invoice		5 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 8 ¹ ⁄ ₂	140 × 216	P5	140 × 215
Executive		7 ¹ ⁄ ₄  × 10 ¹ ⁄ ₂	184 × 267
Legal		8 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 14	216 × 356
Letter	A.	8 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 11	216 × 279	P4	215 × 280
Ledger, tabloid	B.	11 × 17	279 × 432	P3	280 × 430
Broadsheet	C.	17 × 22	432 × 559	P2	430 × 560
	D.	22 × 34	559 × 864	P1	560 × 860
	E.	34 × 44	864 × 1118
	F.	28 × 40	711 × 1016

The millimeter information in this table has been rounded to the nearest millimeter, as an exact conversion of the original inch values would result in a decimal place in many cases: For example, converting 22 ″ to millimeters by multiplying it by 25.4 results in exactly 558 , 8 mm and not 559 mm as specified in the table, which results in a difference of 0.2 mm between the exact conversion value and the rounded value in the table. This difference is important when, for example, software programs load PDF documents and are supposed to recognize the standard format of the loaded document. The software program must then take this possible rounding tolerance into account in order to be able to reliably recognize standard formats within these tolerances.

The letter format with 8 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 11 inches ( 216 × 279 mm ) is of particular importance here , as this also reaches Europe through correspondence. The sheet is about 6 mm wider and 18 mm shorter and, with an area of 602.7 cm², slightly smaller than the A4 sheet with 625 cm². The common sectional area of Letter / A or P4 and A4 is within the tolerance limits 21 × 28 cm and happens to have an aspect ratio of 3∶4 (diagonal 35 cm, area 588 cm²); this size is sometimes used as an international exchange or compromise format.

European users occasionally encounter the US letter format when it is set as the default for the print format in American software or through such printed or electronic documents (e.g. PDF ). The card slots in tank bags for motorcycles are also often designed for US letters.

North American architectural and engineering paper formats
Surname	Ing.	Arch.	Ing.	Arch.
Surname	in × in		mm × mm
A.	8 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 11	9 × 12	0216 × 279	229 × 305
B.	11 × 17	12 × 18	0279 × 432	305 × 457
C.	17 × 22	18 × 24	0432 × 559	457 × 610
D.	22 × 34	24 × 36	0559 × 864	610 × 914
E.	34 × 44	36 × 48	0864 × 1118	914 × 1219
F.	44 × 68		1118 × 1727

China

Chinese paper sizes
Surname	format	Dimensions in mm
Kai ( 开 , kāi )	1	764 × 1064
	2	532 × 760
	4th	380 × 528
	8th	260 × 370
	16	185 × 260
	32	130 × 185
	32 large	140 × 203

Japan

In Japan, in addition to the A-series and the Japanese B-series , the following formats are also used:

Surname	Dimensions in mm
Sango-ban ( 三五判 )	084 × 97
Shinsho-ban ( 新書判 )	103 × 182
Ko-B6-ban ( 小 B6 判 )	112 × 174
Kiku-ban ( 菊判 )	150 × 220
Shiroku-ban ( 四六判 )	127 × 188
Jūbako-ban ( 重箱判 )	182 × 206
AB-ban ( AB 判 ) Wide-ban ( ワイド判 , Waido-ban )	210 × 257

The Japanese postcard format Hagaki is sometimes used by color printers.

Surname	Dimensions in mm
Hagaki	0100 × 148
Hagaki 2 (folding card)	0200 × 148

The uncut sheets of paper have the following sizes according to JIS P 0202:

Surname	Dimensions in mm
A ‐ retsu homban ( A 列本判 )	0625 × 0880
Kiku-ban ( 菊判 )	0636 × 0939
B ‐ retsu homban ( B 列本判 )	0765 × 1085
Shiroku-ban ( 四六判 )	0788 × 1091
Hatoron-ban ( ハトロン判 )	0900 × 1200
not in JIS P 0202
AB-ban ( AB 判 )	0880 × 1085

From a sheet Kiku-ban be 4 × 4 sheets from a sheet Shiroku-ban cut 4 × 8 leaves. Sango-ban becomes A-retsu homban ; Jūbako-ban , Shinsho-ban , and Ko-B6-ban ("small B6") cut from B-retsu homban .

In the Edo period , the Tokugawa Shogunate government used a paper format called Mino-ban ( 美濃判 ), which was 13 sun × 9 sun ( 394 × 273 ). With the modernization of the country in the Meiji period , sheets in the untrimmed British crown format of 787 × 1092 were used, which were then cut into four sheets twice in the mino-ban . Since 8 sheets of paper were made in Mino-ban from such sheets , these sheets were called Daiyatsu-ban ( 大八つ判 , "large 8-piece paper format"). Later these sheets were cut into 32 sheets of 103 × 182 each , which were also first called Daiyatsu-ban . In the traditional length specification, this corresponded to approximately 4 (pronounced shi ) sun × 6 (pronounced roku ) sun , which is why the format was soon called Shiroku-ban . The same applies to the term Sango-ban , as its approximate size is 3 ( san ) sun × 5 ( go ) sun .

The Kiku-ban goes back to American uncut sheets of paper of this size. A trading company is said to have sold these under the brand name Dahlia ( Dahlia ). Back then, this flower was called Natsugiku ( 夏菊 , literally: "Summer Chrysanthemum ") in Japanese , which is said to have been shortened to Kiku (in Japanese, an earlier initial consonant can be voiced in word combinations: k → g). Another variant is that kiku is an abbreviation for newspaper ( 新聞 , shimbun ), since the second character can also be read as kiku .

AB-ban got its name from the use of the width of A4 as the width and the width of JIS B4 as the height.

The term Hatoron ( ハトロン ) in Hatoron-ban is an abbreviation of German " Patronenpapier ", written in Japanese as パトローネンパピアー ( Patorōnenpapiā ), although in the past the diacritical signs - here the circle ( handakuten ) over ハ - were written.

Historical formats

In places, e.g. For example, in libraries , formats from the 19th century are still in use today. Some values have changed by more than an inch over time.

Historical European formats

historical paper formats
designation	Dimensions in mm
Octave	142.5 × 225
quart	225 × 285
Folio	210 × 330
letter	270 × 420
Law firm , double portfolio	330 × 420
Propatria	340 × 430
Great Patria	360 × 430
bishop	380 x 480
Register, lions	400 × 500
Median I.	420 × 530
Median	440 × 560
post Office	460 × 560
Median II	460 × 590
Little Royal	480 × 640
Royal	480 × 650
Dictionary	500 × 650
Super royal	500 × 680
Imperial	570 × 780
Olifant	675 × 1082

Historic British-American formats

Unsystematic historical North American paper formats
Surname	in × in	mm × mm
post Office	15 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 19 ¹ ⁄ ₄	394 × 489
Large post	16 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 21	419 × 533
Elephant	23 × 28	584 × 711
medium	18 × 23	457 × 584
Crown	15 × 20	381 × 508
Double Crown	20 × 30	508 × 762
Royal	20 × 25	508 × 635
Quarto	8 × 10	203 × 254
Foolscap	8 × 13	203 × 330
Demy	17 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 22 ¹ ⁄ ₂	445 × 572
Double demy	22 ¹ ⁄ ₂  × 35	572 × 889
Quad Demy	35 × 45	889 × 1143
Dollar bill	2 ⁹ ⁄ ₁₆  × 6	076 × 178

Others

Since 1990 , the landscape format with 220 × 120 mm (+ half the spiral width) has largely established itself as the format for bike tour books with spiral binding to turn the pages. It fits in the lid pockets of many handlebar bags that also fit racing handlebars, as well as upright in (large) inside jacket pockets. Folded hiking maps have similarly large portrait formats with fan-folds . Exact, large street maps and city maps are intended for less windy surroundings and are therefore often higher, i.e. 11–12 × 25–27 cm . Plans with 10 × 16 cm and smaller are easy to chest and handbag.

Check cards as well as many other plastic and cardboard cards, such as telephone cards or business cards, measure ID ‐ 1 86 × 54 mm in accordance with ISO 7810 .

Punch cards with 187 × 83 mm were used in electronic data processing for data input and output until around 1985. They were occasionally used as an invoice or payment slip with a print.

The grammage of a sheet of paper in A4 format can be precisely determined by weighing 16 sheets, because A4 paper is one sixteenth of A 0, which is exactly one square meter.

In the paper and printing industry, the direction of stretching indicates whether a sheet of paper is cut lengthways or crossways from a paper web. The dimension in the stretching direction is underlined (e.g. 70 × 100 cm ). The stretching direction runs transversely to the running direction , because in the headbox in the paper machine the fibers are aligned in the longitudinal direction by the movement of the sieve and pulp stretches (swells) more in thickness than in length when moisture is absorbed.

literature

German Institute for Standardization V. (Ed.): DIN EN ISO 216: 2007-12 - Writing paper and certain groups of printed matter - Final formats - A and B rows and marking of the machine direction (ISO 216: 2007); German version EN ISO 216: 2007. Beuth-Verlag, Berlin 2007.
Fritz Ullmann: Encyclopedia of technical chemistry. Volume 8, Urban & Schwarzenberg, 1920, p. 681. (Historical European formats).

Web links

The paper format DIN A4. In: swetzel.ch.
Markus Kuhn: International Standard Paper Sizes. In: cam.ac.uk (English).
The Printer Working Group. A Program of the IEEE-ISTO: PWG 5101.1-2013 - PWG Media Standardized Names 2.0 (MSN2). In: pwg.org (PDF; English).
Convert paper format. In: convertworld.com.
British Association of Paper Historians: Old English Paper Sizes. In: baph.org.uk (old British paper sizes).

Individual evidence

↑ WDR Zeitzeichen , August 18, 2012.
^ ^A ^b Walter Porstmann : DIN Book 1: Normformate , Beuth-Verlag , 1930, p. 157.
↑ 1798: “Loi sur le Timbre” Official Journal of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
↑ The different rows of paper differ in the area of the original sheets.
↑ Jan Tschichold: Pleasing printed matter through good typography. Augsburg 2001, p. 111.
↑ Jan Tschichold: Arbitrary proportions of the book page and the type area. In: Selected essays on questions of the form of the book and typography. Basel 1975, p. 45 f.
↑ Markus Kohm: Type area constructions in comparison. (PDF; 417 kB), also as archiv.dante.de , p. 37.
^ Wilhelm Ostwald: The world formats: I. For printed matter . Seybold, Ansbach 1911.
↑ din.de: DIN formats .
^ Reichsbahndirektion in Mainz (ed.): Official Gazette of the Reichsbahndirektion in Mainz of October 13, 1923, No. 30. Announcement No. 586, pp. 401f.
↑ ^a ^b Jan Tschichold: Arbitrary proportions of the book page and the type area. In: Selected essays on questions of the form of the book and typography. Basel 1975, p. 50.
↑ Jan Tschichold: Pleasing printed matter through good typography. Augsburg 2001, pp. 112-115.
↑ ^a ^b ^c 本の判型 . In: まつやま書房 web. Matsuyama Shobo, accessed November 12, 2010 (Japanese).
^ Letter from Georg Christoph Lichtenberg to Johann Beckmann of October 25, 1786. In: Georg Christoph Lichtenberg: Briefwechsel. Volume 3: 1785-1792. CH Beck, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-406-30958-5 .
↑ Helmut Kipphan (Ed.): Handbuch der Printmedien. 1st edition. Springer, Heidelberg 2000, ISBN 3-540-66941-8 , p. 347.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d store.franklinplanner.com , accessed November 10, 2011.
↑ ^a ^b ^c filofax.de ( Memento from March 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on February 23, 2014.
↑ With any output format, two relationships are generally repeated alternately, and their product is always 2 (e.g. 1.29 × 1.55 ≈ 2).
^ Territory Information. CLDR version 31.0.1. In: Unicode Common Locale Data Repository. The Unicode Consortium, April 6, 2017, accessed August 19, 2017 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c 本のサイズ（判型）と本の種類 - 印刷物の規格について . KK Daiichi Insatsu ("Daiichi-Druckerei"), archived from the original on May 6, 2015 ; Retrieved November 12, 2010 (Japanese).
↑ ^a ^b 原紙のサイズ - 印刷物の規格について . KK Daiichi Insatsu ("Daiichi Printing House"), archived from the original on April 18, 2015 ; Retrieved November 12, 2010 (Japanese).

[1] WDR Zeitzeichen , August 18, 2012.

[DIN_Buch_1_1930-2] A ^b Walter Porstmann : DIN Book 1: Normformate , Beuth-Verlag , 1930, p. 157.

[3] 1798: “Loi sur le Timbre” Official Journal of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

[4] The different rows of paper differ in the area of the original sheets.

[5] Jan Tschichold: Pleasing printed matter through good typography. Augsburg 2001, p. 111.

[6] Jan Tschichold: Arbitrary proportions of the book page and the type area. In: Selected essays on questions of the form of the book and typography. Basel 1975, p. 45 f.

[7] Markus Kohm: Type area constructions in comparison. (PDF; 417 kB), also as archiv.dante.de , p. 37.

[8] Wilhelm Ostwald: The world formats: I. For printed matter . Seybold, Ansbach 1911.

[9] .de: DIN formats .

[10] Reichsbahndirektion in Mainz (ed.): Official Gazette of the Reichsbahndirektion in Mainz of October 13, 1923, No. 30. Announcement No. 586, pp. 401f.

[Tschichold2-11] Jan Tschichold: Arbitrary proportions of the book page and the type area. In: Selected essays on questions of the form of the book and typography. Basel 1975, p. 50.

[12] Jan Tschichold: Pleasing printed matter through good typography. Augsburg 2001, pp. 112-115.

[matsuyama-13] 本の判型 . In: まつやま書房 web. Matsuyama Shobo, accessed November 12, 2010 (Japanese).

[14] Letter from Georg Christoph Lichtenberg to Johann Beckmann of October 25, 1786. In: Georg Christoph Lichtenberg: Briefwechsel. Volume 3: 1785-1792. CH Beck, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-406-30958-5 .

[15] Helmut Kipphan (Ed.): Handbuch der Printmedien. 1st edition. Springer, Heidelberg 2000, ISBN 3-540-66941-8 , p. 347.

[fc-16] store.franklinplanner.com , accessed November 10, 2011.

[ff-17] x.de ( Memento from March 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on February 23, 2014.

[18] With any output format, two relationships are generally repeated alternately, and their product is always 2 (e.g. 1.29 × 1.55 ≈ 2).

[19] Territory Information. CLDR version 31.0.1. In: Unicode Common Locale Data Repository. The Unicode Consortium, April 6, 2017, accessed August 19, 2017 .

[daiichi_booksize-20] 本のサイズ（判型）と本の種類 - 印刷物の規格について . KK Daiichi Insatsu ("Daiichi-Druckerei"), archived from the original on May 6, 2015 ; Retrieved November 12, 2010 (Japanese).

[daiichi_gensi-21] 原紙のサイズ - 印刷物の規格について . KK Daiichi Insatsu ("Daiichi Printing House"), archived from the original on April 18, 2015 ; Retrieved November 12, 2010 (Japanese).