Standard Printing Product Sizes
A comprehensive and helpful guide to the standard printing product sizes used for printing projects around the world
You may not realize, but different countries have developed different “standard” sizes for a number of printed products, such as paperback books, hardcover books, or leaflets. The reasons are historical, cultural, technological, and practical. We won’t go into all that here, but it’s important to understand the differences if you’re ordering a print job from another country. It’s the same for paper sizes, too, as well as the units used to measure paper weight.
Paper Sizes for Printing
In offset printing, we usually feed sheets of A1-sized paper into the press, having organized the pages on the sheet in “signatures” which will later be folded and cut. When we look at paper for printing, sizes are relative to this A1—which is the largest standard sheet—and determined by halving and halving again. So, for example, our famous A4 sheet is half the size of A3, which is half the size of A2, which is half the size of A1. Likewise, A5 is half the size of A4, and so on. This also means that we can fit “x” number of pages perfectly on any sized sheet, which keeps costs down for you compared to printing each page individually.
Now, while it’s true that different countries have different standards for products, there’s actually an international paper standard with regard to sizes. It’s called ISO 216 – except in the USA, Canada, and some Latin American countries, which determine their own paper sizes. So, paper sizes influence product sizes, as you can imagine. But standardization makes sense in terms of machinery manufacture, packing, storage, distribution, retail display, and use. So, let’s take a look at these standard dimensions for books, catalogs, magazines, booklets, calendars, and more.
North American Standard Printing Product Sizes
Standard Book Sizes:
- 8.5″ x 11″
- 6″ x 9″
- 8″ x 10″
- 5.5″ x 8.5″
Standard Catalog, Magazine and Booklet Sizes:
- 8.5″ x 11″
- 5.5″ x 8.5″
Standard Calendar Sizes:
- 8.5″ x 11″
- 12″ x 12″
Standard Poster Sizes:
- 36″ x 48″
- 24″ x 36″
- 18″ x 24″
- 12″ x 18″
Standard Presentation Folder Size:
- 9″ x 12″
Standard Tarot Card Size:
- 2.75″ x 4.75″
Standard Playing Card Size:
- 2.25″ x 3.5″
European and Australian Standard Printing Product Sizes
Standard Book Sizes:
- 210 mm x 297 mm
- 152 mm x 230 mm
- 148 mm x 210 mm
Standard Catalog, Magazine and Brochure Sizes:
- 210 mm x 297 mm
- 148 mm x 210 mm
Standard Calendar Sizes:
- 297 mm x 210 mm
- 300 mm x 300 mm
Standard Poster Sizes:
- 610 mm x 900 mm
- 450 mm x 600 mm
- 297 mm x 420 mm
Standard Presentation Folder Size:
- 230 mm x 310 mm
Standard Playing Card Size:
- 59 mm x 92 mm
Chinese Standard Printing Product Sizes
Standard Book Sizes:
- 210 mm x 285 mm
- 170 mm x 240 mm
- 142 mm x 210 mm
Standard Catalog, Magazine and Brochure Sizes:
- 210 mm x 285 mm
- 142mm x 210mm
Standard Calendar Sizes
- 297 mm x 210 mm
- 420 mm x 297 mm
- 300 mm x 300 mm
Standard Poster Sizes:
- 870 mm x 570 mm
- 570 mm x 420 mm
- 420 mm x 285 mm
Standard Presentation Folder Size:
- 225 mm x 300 mm
Standard Playing Card Size:
- 59 mm x 92 mm
To encompass every possible printing product size, Chinese paper manufacturers typically produce three base paper sizes from which all other sizes can be folded and cut. They are:
- 787 mm x 1092 mm
- 889 mm x 1194 mm
- 890 mm x 1250 mm
Custom Paper Sizes
While several reasons to stick to standard sizes exist—for example, it’s usually more cost-effective, meets retail and consumer expectations, and may be simpler to store and ship—you needn’t do so if you have another idea in mind. At QinPrinting, we can also help you print your book, catalog, brochure, flyer, or any other product according to your custom size and design.
We’re Here to Help!
If there’s anything else you’d like to know about paper sizes for your print project or customization options, talk to us. We’re passionate about paper, and our experts in the stock department will be happy to help you. We want you to have a great experience working with us and — most importantly — to get the best possible results. At QinPrinting, we offer a free paper sample manual for our clients, which includes all the samples of currently available paper options in our stock. Contact us today to get your free paper manual—you only pay the mailing cost. You’re welcome!
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