UK Paper Sizes

I have listed some of the most common paper sizes used on most printed material.

The best way to remember the sizes is ‘the higher the number the smaller the paper’. The ‘A’ sizes mentioned below are used to define the finished paper size in commercial printing. Every ‘A’ size is double the previous size. For example: folding A4 paper in half becomes A5 size, A5 folded in half becomes A6 etc...

You will find that the usual measurements for UK paper sizes are in millimetres (mm).

Sizes are width x height.

A3 (which is the most common size for posters)

PORTRAIT:          297mm x 420mm

LANDSCAPE:      420mm x 297mm

A4 (which is the usual size for letterheads)

PORTRAIT:          210mm x 297mm

LANDSCAPE:      297mm x 210mm

A5 (which is the usual size for folded cards)

PORTRAIT:          148mm x 210mm

LANDSCAPE:      210mm x 148mm

A6 (which is the usual size for postcards or smaller folded cards)

PORTRAIT:          105mm x 148mm

LANDSCAPE:      148mm x 105mm

DL (1/3 of A4) (which is the usual size for compliment slips)

PORTRAIT:          99mm x 210mm (Portrait is the best for leaflets)

LANDSCAPE:      210mm x 99mm (Landscape is the best for compliment slips)

OTHER:

Business Cards

These can be a mixture of sizes from 85mm x 54mm to 88mm x 55mm, portrait or landscape and come in a variety of different shapes and folds. Some printers have a preferred size they like to use.