Guide to International Paper Sizes

Concise Tables of Measurements

To ensure accurate, economical printing when publications designed or typeset in one country are printed in a second country, it is necessary to know the standard paper sizes used in the second country. Because designers and publishers often do not have ready access to this information, EDS Inc., Editorial & Design Services, has published this concise guide, consisting of the four tables listed below. For additional sizes and complete inch-metric equivalents, see Expanded Tables of North American and UK/EU Paper Sizes and Japanese Papers for Printing. For office and business papers, see Desktop/Office Printer, Business & Imposetter/Large-Format Papers. See International Paper Sizes for additional information of interest to transnational publishers.

ISO and JIS Standard Paper Sizes (metric and Japan standards)		Nonmetric Traditional Paper Sizes Used in North America

Metricated Traditional Paper Sizes (used in the UK/EU and Japan)		Commonly Used Paper Sizes Listed by Country

Feedback and experience suggest that ISO (International Organization for Standardization) paper sizes--based on the earlier DIN (Deutsche Industrie Norm) sizes--are commonly used everywhere in the world except Canada and the United States. For an admirable explanation and summary of ISO paper-size standards, see Markus Kuhn's International Standard Paper Sizes Web page.

Japan has developed its own standards for paper sizes. While the JIS (Japan Industrial Standard) A series of sizes is identical to the ISO/DIN A series of sizes, the JIS B series is not identical to the ISO B series; and Japan has no series of envelope sizes comparable to the ISO/DIN C series.

In addition to ISO/DIN paper sizes, metricated traditional paper sizes are commonly used in some countries (e.g., Japan) and regions (e.g., the European Union).

ISO and JIS Standard Paper Sizes Trim sizes in mm; Width precedes height; Press-sheet sizes accommodate 3 mm head, foot, and fore-edge trim margins; To convert to approximate decimal inches, divide measures by 25.4, or see Expanded Tables of North American and UK/EU Paper Sizes and Japanese Papers for Printing for appropriate tables.

ISO & JIS A Sizes		ISO/DIN B Sizes		JIS B Sizes		ISO C Sizes
4A	1682 x 2378	4B	2000 x 2828			(postcards; folders; envelopes for ISO A sizes)
2A	1189 x 1682	2B	1414 x 2000			(postcards; folders; envelopes for ISO A sizes)
A0	841 x 1189	B0	1000 x 1414	B0	1030 x 1456	C0	917 x 1297
A1	594 x 841	B1	707 x 1000	B1	728 x 1030	C1	648 x 917
A2	420 x 594	B2	500 x 707	B2	515 x 728	C2	458 x 648
A3	297 x 420	B3	353 x 500	B3	364 x 515	C3	324 x 458
A4	210 x 297	B4	250 x 353	B4	257 x 364	C4	229 x 324
A5	148 x 210	B5	176 x 250	B5	182 x 257	C5	162 x 229
A6	105 x 148	B6	125 x 176	B6	128 x 182	C6	114 x 162
A7	74 x 105	B7	88 x 125	B7	91 x 128	C7	81 x 114
A8	52 x 74	B8	62 x 88	B8	64 x 91	C8	57 x 81
A9	37 x 52	B9	44 x 62	B9	45 x 64	C9	40 x 57
A10	26 x 37	B10	31 x 44	B10	32 x 45	C10	28 x 40

Metricated Traditional Paper Sizes Some common trim sizes for book work; Sizes in mm; Width precedes height; Press-sheet sizes accommodate 3 mm head, foot, and fore-edge trim margins; To convert to approximate decimal inches, divide measures by 25.4. For inch equivalents and additional sizes see Expanded Tables of North American and UK/EU Paper Sizes and Japanese Papers for Printing.

UK/EU		Japan
Metric Crown		Shiroku-ban (4 x 6)
quarto	189 x 246	Basic size	788 x 1091
octavo	123 x 186	4 x 6 /4	264 x 379
Metric Large Crown		4 x 6 /5	191 x 259*
quarto	201 x 258	4 x 6 /5	189 x 262
octavo	129 x 198	4 x 6 /6	127 x 188
Metric Demy		* Nonstandard size yielded by printing on half sheets
quarto	219 x 276	* Nonstandard size yielded by printing on half sheets
octavo	138 x 216	Kiku-ban
Metric Royal		Basic size	636 x 939
quarto	237 x 312	Kiku 4	227 x 306
octavo	156 x 234	Kiku 5	152 x 218*
Metric Paperback Formats		Kiku 5	151 x 227
A format	111 x 178	* Old standard size yielded by using formerly common trim margins
B format	129 x 198

Nonmetric Traditional Paper Sizes Used in North America Some common trim sizes for book work; Width precedes height; Press- sheet sizes accommodate 1/8" (3 mm) head, foot, and fore-edge trim margins; Decimal inches multiplied by 25.4 = approximate mm. N.B. Fractional mm measures must be rounded off to the nearest whole number. For additional sizes see Expanded Tables of North American and UK/EU Paper Sizes.

Inches	Ca. MM	Inches	Ca. MM
4 1/4 x 7	108 x 178	7 x 10	178 x 254
4 1/4 x 7 1/4	108 x 184	7 3/8 x 9 1/4	187 x 235
		7 1/2 x 8 3/8	190 x 213
5 1/4 x 8	133 x 203	7 1/2 x 9 1/8	190 x 232
5 1/4 x 8 1/2	133 x 216	7 1/2 x 10	190 x 254
5 3/8 x 8 3/8	137 x 213
5 1/2 x 8 1/2	140 x 216	8 x 10	203 x 254
5 7/8 x 8 1/4	149 x 210	8 1/4 x 10 1/2	210 x 267
		8 1/2 x 11	216 x 279
6 x 9	152 x 229
6 1/8 x 9 1/4	156 x 235	9 x 12	229 x 305
6 1/4 x 9 1/4	159 x 235
6 1/2 x 9 1/4	165 x 235	12 x 18	305 x 457

Commonly Used Paper Sizes Listed by Country

Argentina	ISO A and B series
Canada	Nonmetric traditional paper sizes
European Union	ISO A, B, and C series; Metricated traditional paper sizes
Japan	JIS A and B series; Metricated traditional paper sizes
United Kingdom	ISO A, B, and C series; Metricated traditional paper sizes
United States	Nonmetric traditional paper sizes

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