Standard International Paper Sizes
The International Organisation for Standardisation series of metric sizes for stationery and printed matter is tabulated.
The A sizes are the principal dimensions. The A0 designation indicates the basic size, and numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 etc., the number of times the A0 size has to be divided to produce them.
Paper Sizes
Finished size including bleed
| Paper Size | Finished Size | with 3mm Bleed |
|---|---|---|
| A0 | 841mm x 1189mm | 847mm x 1195mm |
| A1 | 594mm x 841mm | 600mm x 847mm |
| A2 | 420mm x 594mm | 426mm x 600mm |
| A3 | 297mm x 420mm | 303mm x 426mm |
| A4 | 210mm x 297mm | 216mm x 303mm |
| A5 | 210mm x 148mm | 216mm x 154mm |
| DL | 210mm x 99mm | 216mm x 105mm |
| A6 | 148mm x 105mm | 154mm x 111mm |
| A7 | 105mm x 74mm | 11mm x 80mm |
| BUSINESS CARDS | 85mm x 55mm | 91mm x 61mm |
Standard Paper Folds & Envelope Sizes
| Size | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| C3 | 324 x 458mm |
| C4 | 229 x 324mm |
| DL | 110 x 210mm |
| C5 | 162 x 229mm |
| C6 | 114 x 162mm |
Paper Weight
What does gsm mean with paper weight?
gsm is the abbreviation for gram per square metre – it is basically the WEIGHT of the paper per square metre. Whilst different stocks have different weights – it is very closely aligned with paper thickness
| Weight (gsm) | Best Uses |
|---|---|
| 80gsm | Budget photocopier paper |
| 100gsm | Budget letterhead paper |
| 120gsm | Standard letterhead paper |
| 150gsm | Commonly used for flyers |
| 170gsm | Slightly thicker paper for folded leaflets or flyers |
| 250gsm | Card – often used as brochure covers or documents like orders of service |
| 350gsm | Thick card suitable for Invitations, business cards, postcards or thick brochure covers |
| 450gsm | Very thick card used for business cards and postcards |
What is a micron?
Another popular term used to measure thickness is micron – most commonly found in printing thicker card, often plastic – like credit card / membership cards
Micron measure the thickness in millimeters, commonly shortened to mm
500 micron is 0.5mm thick
1000 micron is 1mm thick
250gsm card is approximately 300 micron, so is 0.3mm thick