Paper sizes
Paper sizes fall into two systems: the international ISO 216 standard (A3, A4, A5, A6) used worldwide, and the North American ANSI system (Letter, Legal, Tabloid) used in the US and Canada. Both are essential to know when designing for print.
All pixel dimensions below are at 300 DPI — the standard resolution for high-quality printing. For screen-only documents, 150 DPI is usually sufficient and results in roughly half the pixel dimensions.
Quick reference
| Format | Size | Pixels | Ratio | Max size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A0 | 841 × 1189 mm (33.11 × 46.81 in) | 9933 × 14043 px | 1:1.414 | — |
| A1 | 594 × 841 mm (23.39 × 33.11 in) | 7016 × 9933 px | 1:1.414 | — |
| A2 | 420 × 594 mm (16.54 × 23.39 in) | 4961 × 7016 px | 1:1.414 | — |
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm (11.69 × 16.54 in) | 3508 × 4961 px | 1:1.414 | — |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm (8.27 × 11.69 in) | 2480 × 3508 px | 1:1.414 | — |
| A5 | 148 × 210 mm (5.83 × 8.27 in) | 1748 × 2480 px | 1:1.414 | — |
| A6 | 105 × 148 mm (4.13 × 5.83 in) | 1240 × 1748 px | 1:1.414 | — |
| A7 | 74 × 105 mm (2.91 × 4.13 in) | 874 × 1240 px | 1:1.414 | — |
| US Letter | 215.9 × 279.4 mm (8.5 × 11 in) | 2550 × 3300 px | 17:22 | — |
| US Legal | 215.9 × 355.6 mm (8.5 × 14 in) | 2550 × 4200 px | 17:28 | — |
| US Tabloid | 279.4 × 431.8 mm (11 × 17 in) | 3300 × 5100 px | 11:17 | — |
A09933×14043px
A0 paper is 841×1189mm (33.11×46.81 inches). At 300 DPI, that's 9933×14043 pixels. A0 is the largest standard size in the ISO A series — it has an area of exactly 1 square meter. It's used for technical drawings, architectural plans, large posters, and scientific conference displays.
A0 is the base of the entire ISO 216 A-series paper system. It has an area of exactly 1 square meter (841×1189mm), and every other A-series size is derived by halving it: A1 is half of A0, A2 is a quarter, A3 is an eighth, and so on down to A10. This mathematical relationship makes the system elegant for scaling between sizes.
Dimensions
9933×14043
Aspect ratio
1:1.414
Formats
PDF, PNG, TIFF
Best practices
- •A0 has an area of exactly 1 square meter. Use 150 DPI (4967×7022px) for most applications.
- •Requires wide-format printing equipment. Check with your print shop for file format requirements.
- •300 DPI at A0 creates ~140 megapixel files — use 150 DPI unless the print will be viewed up close.
A17016×9933px
A1 paper is 594×841mm (23.39×33.11 inches). At 300 DPI, that's 7016×9933 pixels. A1 is half of A0 and close in size to the US 24×36" poster standard. It's commonly used for large posters, architectural drawings, and flip charts.
A1 is exactly half of A0 (folded along the long edge) and very close to the US standard poster size of 24×36 inches. At 23.39×33.11 inches, it's slightly narrower and shorter. For international poster printing and scientific conference presentations, A1 is often the specified size.
Dimensions
7016×9933
Aspect ratio
1:1.414
Formats
PDF, PNG, TIFF
Best practices
- •A1 is close to the US 24×36" poster size but not identical. Verify which size your print shop expects.
- •Use 150 DPI (3508×4967px) for posters and flip charts. 300 DPI for detailed technical drawings.
- •A1 is the standard flip chart pad size — design presentations with this in mind.
A24961×7016px
A2 paper is 420×594mm (16.54×23.39 inches). At 300 DPI, that's 4961×7016 pixels. A2 is half of A1 and twice A3 — a popular size for posters, framed art prints, and medium-format advertising displays. It's close to the US 18×24" medium poster format.
A2 sits between A1 (large poster) and A3 (desktop poster) in the ISO hierarchy. At 16.54×23.39 inches, it's close to the US 18×24" medium poster format. A2 is a popular choice for art prints, advertising posters in retail environments, and medium-format wall displays.
Dimensions
4961×7016
Aspect ratio
1:1.414
Formats
PDF, PNG, TIFF
Best practices
- •A2 is close to US 18×24" but not identical. Check frame and mat availability before designing.
- •Some desktop wide-format printers (17") can handle A2 — you may not need a print shop.
- •Use 300 DPI (4961×7016px) for art prints and detailed graphics. 150 DPI for advertising posters.
A33508×4961px
A3 paper is 297×420mm (11.69×16.54 inches). At 300 DPI print resolution, that's 3508×4961 pixels. A3 is exactly twice the size of A4, making it ideal for posters, architectural drawings, large charts, and documents that need more visual space than standard A4.
A3 is part of the ISO 216 international standard paper series. Each A-series size is exactly half the area of the next larger size: an A3 sheet folded in half becomes two A4 pages, an A4 folded becomes two A5 pages, and so on. All sizes share the same √2:1 aspect ratio (~1.414:1), which is what makes this halving work perfectly.
Dimensions
3508×4961
Aspect ratio
1:1.414
Formats
PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF
Best practices
- •Design at 3508×4961px (300 DPI) for print-quality output — use 150 DPI for text-heavy documents.
- •A3 is exactly 2× A4 — design A3 layouts so they fold cleanly into A4 booklets.
- •Use CMYK color mode for professional printing. Include 3mm bleed if the design goes to the edge.
A42480×3508px
A4 paper is 210×297mm (8.27×11.69 inches). At 300 DPI, that's 2480×3508 pixels. A4 is the most widely used paper size in the world — the standard for documents, letters, forms, and magazines in every country except the US and Canada, which use Letter size.
A4 is the global default paper size used by printers, copiers, and document standards in over 200 countries. It's the default page size in most software (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and design tools) outside of North America. If you're designing a document for international distribution, A4 is the safe choice.
Dimensions
2480×3508
Aspect ratio
1:1.414
Formats
PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF
Best practices
- •Design at 2480×3508px (300 DPI) for print. Use 150 DPI (1240×1754px) for screen-only PDFs.
- •A4 is narrower than US Letter — design for A4 if your document needs to work internationally.
- •Use CMYK for print output. Standard margins are 25mm (1 inch) on all sides for most documents.
A51748×2480px
A5 paper is 148×210mm (5.83×8.27 inches). At 300 DPI, that's 1748×2480 pixels. A5 is exactly half of A4, making it the standard size for booklets, pocket notebooks, flyers, and small-format printed materials. It's the most common size for paperback books in many countries.
A5 is the workhorse of small-format printing. It's the standard for pocket planners, notebooks (like Moleskine-style journals), half-fold leaflets, small catalogues, and pocket-sized booklets. Many event programs, wedding invitations, and greeting cards are also A5 or close to it.
Dimensions
1748×2480
Aspect ratio
1:1.414
Formats
PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF
Best practices
- •Design at 1748×2480px (300 DPI) for print. A5 is exactly half of A4 — great for booklets.
- •For A5 booklets, design the spread at A4 size (2480×3508px) with two A5 pages side by side.
- •A5 is the standard for pocket planners, notebooks, and small-format marketing materials.
A61240×1748px
A6 paper is 105×148mm (4.13×5.83 inches). At 300 DPI, that's 1240×1748 pixels. A6 is the international standard postcard size and is commonly used for invitation cards, small flyers, pocket-sized leaflets, and index cards.
A6 is the standard size for postcards in most countries following ISO standards. It's also widely used for invitation cards (wedding, event, RSVP), small-format flyers, pocket reference cards, and recipe cards. At roughly 4×6 inches, it's a comfortable hand-held size.
Dimensions
1240×1748
Aspect ratio
1:1.414
Formats
PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF
Best practices
- •Design at 1240×1748px (300 DPI). A6 is 1/4 of A4 — gang four designs on an A4 sheet for efficient printing.
- •A6 is the international standard postcard size — most print shops have it as a default product.
- •Use larger text sizes than you would for A4 — 10pt minimum for body text at this small format.
A7874×1240px
A7 paper is 74×105mm (2.91×4.13 inches). At 300 DPI, that's 874×1240 pixels. A7 is the size of most mini notebooks, small greeting cards, and pocket reference cards. An A7 envelope (C7) fits an A7 card perfectly, making it popular for invitation RSVP cards and thank-you notes.
A7 is half of A6 and roughly the size of a playing card. It's commonly used for mini greeting cards, RSVP cards, pocket notebooks, small flyers, and price tags. The A7 envelope (C7, 81×114mm) is a standard product at most stationery suppliers.
Dimensions
874×1240
Aspect ratio
1:1.414
Formats
PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF
Best practices
- •A7 is roughly playing-card size. Use 8pt+ body text minimum — it's too small for fine print.
- •Don't confuse ISO A7 (74×105mm) with the US "A7 envelope" (5.25×7.25") — they're different.
- •A7 cards fit C7 envelopes (81×114mm). Great for RSVP cards, thank-you notes, and mini flyers.
US Letter2550×3300px
US Letter paper is 8.5×11 inches (215.9×279.4mm). At 300 DPI, that's 2550×3300 pixels. Letter is the standard paper size in the United States and Canada, used for business documents, school assignments, forms, and general correspondence. It's the default page size in North American software installations.
US Letter (8.5×11 inches) is the default paper size for printers, copiers, and software in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and several Latin American countries. Outside of these regions, A4 (210×297mm) is the standard. The two sizes are similar but not identical — Letter is slightly wider (8.5" vs 8.27") and shorter (11" vs 11.69") than A4.
Dimensions
2550×3300
Aspect ratio
17:22
Formats
PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF
Best practices
- •Design at 2550×3300px (300 DPI) for print. Letter is the default for US/Canadian printers.
- •For documents that work internationally, design at A4 size with wider margins — it fits on both Letter and A4.
- •Standard margins are 1 inch (2.54cm) on all sides for most business documents.
US Legal2550×4200px
US Legal paper is 8.5×14 inches (215.9×355.6mm). At 300 DPI, that's 2550×4200 pixels. Legal-size paper is 3 inches taller than standard Letter, providing extra space for contracts, legal agreements, and government forms where more content needs to fit on a single page.
US Legal paper is the same width as Letter (8.5 inches) but 3 inches taller (14 inches vs 11 inches). This extra length makes it the standard for contracts, legal agreements, court filings, and certain government forms. The name 'legal size' comes directly from its use in the legal profession.
Dimensions
2550×4200
Aspect ratio
17:28
Formats
PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF
Best practices
- •Design at 2550×4200px (300 DPI). Legal is 8.5×14" — same width as Letter but 3" taller.
- •Make sure your printer supports Legal size — select it manually in print settings.
- •Use the extra height for content, not density — keep margins and line spacing the same as Letter.
US Tabloid3300×5100px
US Tabloid paper is 11×17 inches (279.4×431.8mm). At 300 DPI, that's 3300×5100 pixels. Tabloid is exactly twice the size of Letter — it's the same sheet rotated and called "Ledger" when used in landscape orientation. Common for small posters, newsletters, and wide-format documents.
Tabloid (portrait, 11×17) and Ledger (landscape, 17×11) are the same physical paper, just oriented differently. The name 'tabloid' comes from tabloid newspapers that use this size. In the ANSI paper size system, it's designated ANSI B.
Dimensions
3300×5100
Aspect ratio
11:17
Formats
PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF
Best practices
- •Design at 3300×5100px (300 DPI). Tabloid is 2× Letter — folds perfectly into Letter-size booklets.
- •Tabloid in landscape orientation is called Ledger — same paper, different name.
- •This is the largest size most standard wide-format office printers can handle.
Frequently asked questions
What are the standard paper sizes?
Internationally: A3 (297×420mm), A4 (210×297mm), A5 (148×210mm), A6 (105×148mm). In the US/Canada: Letter (8.5×11"), Legal (8.5×14"), Tabloid (11×17").
What is the most common paper size?
A4 (210×297mm) globally. US Letter (8.5×11") in the United States and Canada.
How do I convert paper size to pixels?
Multiply the size in inches by your DPI. For example, A4 at 300 DPI: 8.27" × 300 = 2480px wide, 11.69" × 300 = 3508px tall.
How do A-series paper sizes relate to each other?
Each A-series size is exactly half the area of the next larger size. A0 has an area of 1 square meter. Folding any size in half gives the next size down (A3 folded = A4, A4 folded = A5). The scaling factor between consecutive sizes is √2 (≈71%), as defined by ISO 216.
What is the difference between A4 and US Letter?
A4 (210×297mm / 8.27×11.69") is slightly narrower and taller than US Letter (215.9×279.4mm / 8.5×11"). If a document needs to work in both formats, design for A4 (the narrower one) and let Letter add wider margins.
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Sources
Guide last verified: March 19, 2026. This hub summarizes 11 formats and cites 4 sources across this page and the linked format pages.
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