Paper Sizes – A Handy Reminder!

It is important for anyone who is working with print to learn how the ISO system of paper measurement works. As we deal with print all the time, you can trust that we have these whipped, but we appreciate that to non-design bods these aren’t necessarily pieces of information that you will have the time or inclination to memorise, so, as we get asked quite a bit, I thought I’d write a quick blog and include a diagram explaining all.

The science bit: the ISO system was pioneered in Germany and has now been adopted throughout Europe. Essentially each size in the system is based on divisions of the largest sheet – A0.  So, A1 is half the size of A0; A2 is half the size of A1 and so on. The sizes are shown on the left of the diagram below.

If you’re really interested: in the trade we also use the SRA (super-register series) paper sizes, which allow extra margin to facilitate: the gripper edge and register marks, the ability to print full bleed images and to fold and trim marks so things can be finished accurately. It also allows, when printing full colour, for the colour control strip to be printed to ensure even ink distribution and balance across the press. The relative difference between the standard and SRA size is shown on the left below.

So, there you go, a quick and handy guide to refer to if you ever get in a muddle about standard paper sizes. Hope it helps.