ISO 216

ISO 216 specifies international standard (ISO) paper sizes used in most countries in the world today. The standard defines the "A" and "B" series of paper sizes, including A4, the most commonly available size. Two supplementary standards, ISO 217 and ISO 269, define related paper sizes; the ISO 269 "C" series is commonly listed alongside the A and B sizes.

All ISO 216, ISO 217 and ISO 269 paper sizes (except DL) have the same aspect ratio, 1:√2, at least to within the rounding to whole numbers of millimetres. This ratio has the unique property that when cut or folded in half widthwise, the halves also have the same aspect ratio. Each ISO paper size is one half of the area of the next larger size.

History

The advantages of basing a paper size upon an aspect ratio of √2 were already noted in 1786 by the German scientist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, in a letter to Johann Beckmann. The formats that became A2, A3, B3, B4 and B5 were developed in France, and published in 1798 during the French Revolution.

Paper size

Many paper size standards conventions have existed at different times and in different countries. Today, there is one widespread international ISO standard (including A4, B3, C4, etc.) and another standard used mainly in North America (including letter, legal, ledger, etc.). The paper sizes affect writing paper, stationery, cards, and some printed documents. The standards also have related sizes for envelopes.

Grain

Most industry standards express the direction of the grain last when giving dimensions (that is, 17 × 11 inches is short grain paper and 11 × 17 inches is long grain paper), although alternatively the grain alignment can be explicitly indicated with an underline (11 × 17 is short grain) or the letter "M" for "machine" (11M × 17 is short grain). Grain is important because paper will crack if folded across the grain: for example, if a sheet 17 × 11 inches is to be folded to divide the sheet into two 8.5 × 11 halves, then the grain will be along the 11-inch side. Paper intended to be fed into a machine that will bend the paper around rollers, such as a printing press, photocopier, or typewriter, should be fed grain side first so that the axis of the rollers is along the grain.