Help With Paper Sizes - UK Paper Size Guide

The external frame size is always slightly larger.

The visible area is slightly less than the paper size. 

 

Metric paper sizes are also known as International Standard (ISO 216) or DIN (German Standard) paper sizes.

They are used in most of the countries in the world - the most important exception being North America.

 

In United Kingdom a few 'inch' sizes are used alongside metric sizes - see below.  However US 'letter' and 'legal' sizes are never used - they are universally replaced by A4 size.

 

Every 'A' size is double the previous size: A3 is twice the size of A4, and so forth. 

Remember that A8 is very small (about 2in x 3in) and A0 is big (nearly 3ft x 4ft). 

 

 

Metric name	Size in mm	Size in inches
A0	841 x 1188	33.1/8 x 46.3/4
A1	594 x 841	23.3/8 x 33.1/8
A2	420 x 594	16.1/2 x 23.3/8
A3	297 x 420	11.3/4 x 16.1/2
A4	210 x 297	8.1/4 x 11.3/4
A5	148 x 210	5.7/8 x 8.1/4
A6	105 x 148	4.1/8 x 5.7/8
A7	74 x 105	2.7/8 x 4.1/8
A8	52 x 74	2.1/8 x 2.7/8
1/3A4 (DL)	99 x 210	3.7/8 x 8.1/4
1/4A4 (Qtr.A4)	74 x 210	2.7/8 x 8.1/4

 

To calculate in cm use mm above and move the decimal point one space to the left:

210mm is 21cm.

 

Inch size	Size in mm	Paper name
20" x 30"	508 x 762	Double Crown
30" x 40"	762 x 1016	Quad or Quad Crown
25" x 40"	635 x 1016	Double Royal
40" x 60"	1016 x 1524	4 Sheet or Double Quad
	1200 x 1800	6 Sheet or Six Sheet
	3048 x 4064	48 Sheet (too big for a snap frame!)

 

We can offer B0, B1 and B2 size poster frames to special order.  These B sizes are popular in Continental Europe but in the UK they are not generally stock sizes.  There is some variance between European, American and Japanese B1 size.  Unless specified otherwise we produce B size frames to suit the following poster sizes:

 

B2 size     500 x 700mm (50x70 cm)

B1 size     700 x 1000mm (70x100 cm)

B0 size     1000 x 1400mm (100x1400 cm)

 

 

As with other UK suppliers, Green Magic does not stock frames to suit the standard North American paper sizes*.  

Popular US sizes are:

Letter size: 8 1/2in x 11in (216 x 279mm) - Similar to A4 (but wider and shorter)

Legal size: 8 1/2in x 14in (216 x 356mm) - No ISO equivalent (similar to legacy Foolscap)

Tabloid: 11in x 17in (279 x 432mm) - Similar to A3 (but narrower and taller)

Ledger is the landscape version of Tabloid.

 

* Certain types of frame can be manufactured to US sizes to special order.  Please enquire.

 

Note: US sizes are also used in Canada and parts of Central America.