| Have you ever really taken a look at the packs of | | | | misspent paper. |
| computer paper you buy? Or can you automatically | | | | A Fit for Any Envelope |
| eye the standard paper used for letters and academic | | | | The consistent aspect ratio of the ISO papers makes |
| purposes? You have more than likely heard of A5 or | | | | it easy to fit larger paper sizes into smaller envelopes. |
| Tabloid, but for many, the only two page sizes that | | | | This can be done by simply folding the larger papers in |
| really matter are A4 or Letter. But there exist a | | | | half (crease parallel to the shorter sides) until you |
| number of paper sizes that are relevant to our | | | | reach the desired size. The difference in the number |
| everyday lives, and knowing them can save you time | | | | of the page sizes equals the number of times you |
| and money when printing and copying. | | | | should fold it. So if you have a C4 or B4 envelope and |
| The Systems in Existence | | | | a sheet of A2 paper, you should fold it in half twice. |
| Though other paper size standards exist, there are | | | | The same method works for filing larger paper sizes in |
| two predominant systems in use today. They are the | | | | file folders of a smaller size. |
| international and North American systems. | | | | This works with the B and C envelope formats. |
| As the term implies, the international standard, also | | | | Another commonly used format is the DL format. A |
| known as the ISO 216 standard, is used throughout the | | | | DL format envelope will accommodate an A4 sheet |
| world. It is based on an aspect ratio of the square root | | | | folded in thirds or an A5 sheet folded in half lengthwise. |
| of two, like the side of a square and its diagonal. This | | | | North American Sizes |
| idea was originally proposed by the German scientist | | | | The North American paper sizes are based on |
| Georg Christoph Lichtenberg in 1786. In 1922, Dr. Walter | | | | traditional formats with arbitrary aspect ratios. The |
| Porstmann brought Lichtenberg's ideas into being in | | | | most popular formats of the traditional sizes are the |
| Germany. This new standard was known as the DIN | | | | Letter (8.5 x 11 inches), Legal (8.5 x 11 inches), and |
| 476 standard. The system became widely used during | | | | Tabloid (11 x 17 inches) formats. You more than likely |
| World War II. The most commonly used ISO paper | | | | use these formats in your everyday life. Letter is the |
| size is A4. | | | | standard for business and academic documents. The |
| The North American system is used primarily in the | | | | Legal format is used to make legal pads, and the |
| USA and Canada. The current sizes are based on | | | | Tabloid format is commonly used to make tabloids or |
| traditional sizes such as Letter (8.5 in x 11 in) and Legal | | | | smaller sized newspapers. Very little is known about |
| (8.5 in x 14 in). The names of North American sizes | | | | the origin of the traditional American paper formats. |
| have started with ANSI ever since the adoption of | | | | There have been a few attempts to standardize the |
| ANSI/ASME Y14.1 by the American National | | | | paper industry in America. President Hoover brought |
| Standards Institute in 1995. Though the sizes now begin | | | | about the Government size when he ordered that all |
| with ANSI, they are nevertheless based on the | | | | governmental documents and forms be printed on |
| traditional sizes. | | | | paper with the dimensions of 8 x 10 1/2 inches. The |
| ISO 216 | | | | usage of this format did not find its way to the general |
| The most convenient and distinguishing characteristic | | | | public, so President Reagan later made the Letter |
| of ISO paper is that each format has an aspect ratio | | | | format the standard again. |
| equal to the square root of two (1:4142) which makes | | | | In 1995, the American National Standards Institute |
| it simple to enlarge or reduce a document for printing | | | | adopted the ANSI/ASME Y14.1 standard. The different |
| on another ISO paper format. The most popular series | | | | formats of this system are denoted by ANSI followed |
| of the ISO standard is the A series. The most widely | | | | by a letter. Even though this standard exists, the |
| used paper of this series is the A4 format. All paper | | | | traditional sizes still remain the most widely used. |
| sizes of this series have a name that consists of an A | | | | This relatively young standard is based on the |
| followed by a number. The larger that number, the | | | | traditional Letter format (ANSI A). The Letter format is |
| smaller the paper. | | | | comparable to the ISO A4 format in as much as it is |
| The basis for the whole system is the A0 format | | | | widely used for business and academic needs, but the |
| which has an area of one square meter. With an | | | | sizes do differ. |
| aspect ratio equal to the square root of two, a sheet | | | | The ANSI paper formats are similar to those of the |
| of A0 paper ends up being 841 x 1189 millimeters. | | | | ISO standard in that cutting a sheet in half will produce |
| Figuring out the dimensions of the subsequent paper | | | | two sheets of the next size. The difference lies in both |
| sizes does not require any real mathematical strain | | | | size and the aspect ratio. The ANSI sizes have an |
| since each ensuing size can be created by simply | | | | aspect ratio that alternates between 1.2941 and 1.5455. |
| folding the paper in half with the crease parallel to the | | | | This makes enlarging and reducing a page to fit other |
| shortest sides. If you do this with an A0 sheet of | | | | ANSI formats difficult and less systematic than with |
| paper, the resulting dimensions will be 594 x 841 | | | | the ISO layouts. You will more than likely end up with |
| millimeters, or the A1 format. Take note that the height | | | | margins differing from the original page. |
| of A1 is equal to the width of A0. | | | | The use of American paper sizes often leads to many |
| Two other ISO paper series exist - B and C. The B | | | | problems when it comes to the international exchange |
| series was brought into being to provide a wider range | | | | of documents and therefore has become less |
| of paper sizes, where as the C series is used only for | | | | common in universities where students are more often |
| envelopes. The B paper sizes are a bit larger than their | | | | held to international standards when attending |
| A series counterparts and are based on the geometric | | | | conferences or submitting articles to international |
| mean of two consecutive A series sheets. For | | | | journals. Luckily, documents can be prepared to be |
| example, B4 is between A3 and A4 in size, and B5 is | | | | printed on both ANSI and ISO paper formats. |
| between A4 and A5. | | | | Printing A4 Documents on Letter and Vice Versa |
| The C series was introduced to provide an envelope | | | | A business partner from Germany has just sent you a |
| with enough space for an A series sheet. The sizes of | | | | document in the A4 format that you need to print out. |
| the A series fit in C series envelopes of the same | | | | You print the document and notice that there are |
| number. That is, a sheet of A4 easily fits into a C4 | | | | some parts cut off at the top and bottom of each |
| envelope. The C sizes are just between the A and B | | | | page. This is due to the difference in size between the |
| series. All of them have a height-to-width ratio equal to | | | | A4 and Letter (ANSI A) formats. To print or copy an |
| the square root of two. | | | | A4 document on Letter, you should set the |
| Though these are the main formats of the ISO | | | | magnification factor to 94% since the Letter format is |
| standard, there are other sizes used for printed items | | | | 6% less tall than A4. If you plan on printing a Letter |
| such as labels, business cards, and so on. They are | | | | document on A4, you should set the magnification |
| often derived by cutting standard sizes into equal | | | | factor to 97% since A4 is 3% less wide. |
| parts. This often leads to sizes with an aspect ratio | | | | Something to Think About |
| other than the square root of two. | | | | Which paper type you use really depends on your |
| Simplified Enlargement and Reduction | | | | physical location. Some people should keep a supply of |
| Many copy machines have preset magnification | | | | both ISO and ANSI paper on hand. Such people include |
| factors for enlarging or reducing a copied document in | | | | university students and those who do business |
| order to print it on a different paper size. These | | | | internationally or often send mail abroad. Many of your |
| presets typically take the form of buttons labelled 'A3 | | | | local office supply stores carry both types of paper |
| to A4' and so forth. This eliminates wasted margins | | | | regardless of the country, but sometimes it may |
| and saves you the trouble of trying to guess the right | | | | require special ordering. |
| magnification factor, which can lead to a heap of | | | | |
