The acronym ISO is used to denote the international convention in which the A4 paper size is included. The International Standards Organization has set the definitions for three series known as A, B and C. The proportion used in these series is a mathematical ratio long known to have special qualities for publishing purposes. The ISO standard also has advantages for working out the weight of multiple sheets for mailing.
Books, posters, writing paper, cards and other documents were printed in many nonstandard formats before this system was implemented. Theories about optimum page composition have been considered and debated at least as long as the printing press has existed. This standard, first proposed in France, but then forgotten, was again suggested by the German Georg Lichtenberg in the eighteenth century, and finally organized in that country early in the twentieth century.
This convention has come into use in the majority of countries in the world. By the year 1975, it had become so common that the International Standards Organization established this as the internationally accepted format. The exceptions are the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines, where the letter format (8.5 x 11) is used.
The name given to this standard, based on the metric system, is ISO 216. The basis for the standard is the sheets aspect ratio, or proportion, which is based on the square root of 2. This is a ratio that can be expressed as 1:1.4142. The base size of paper is called AO, which equals one square meter and has the dimensions 841 by 1,189 millimeters.
The B series is included in the ISO 216 division along with A, and the related type C is placed under the heading ISO 269.These series, all the same proportion, are further related as a geometric progression, meaning their dimensions increase by a factor of 2 1/8 according to the length of their sides. The A, B, and C variants are related as geometric means, so a B3 would be between the area of A2 and A3, and C1 ranges between A1 and B1. Thus, appropriate envelope dimensions exist for both A and B in the C range.
The unique quality of this square root of 2 proportion is that, when folded parallel to the short side into halves, the same shape is reproduced. Letter format sheets do not result in the same proportion when folded in a similar manner. When copying or scaling documents, for instance, two facing pages of a book or correspondence, the benefit of this shape is obvious, as they reduce to an exact fit.
Those who practice the paper folding art of origami also prefer this format, which they call A4, or silver rectangles. The latter refers to the silver ratio, which is a term for the 1 to 1.412 relationship. It is appropriate for this craft since the paper always folds equally.
Another benefit of the A4 paper size, and the A series generally, is that since it is in the metric system, and an A0 sheet is one square meter, it is far easier to calculate weights or masses than it is with standard letter size sheets. Any size in the A series breaks down to a fraction of a meter, making the calculations much simpler.
Books, posters, writing paper, cards and other documents were printed in many nonstandard formats before this system was implemented. Theories about optimum page composition have been considered and debated at least as long as the printing press has existed. This standard, first proposed in France, but then forgotten, was again suggested by the German Georg Lichtenberg in the eighteenth century, and finally organized in that country early in the twentieth century.
This convention has come into use in the majority of countries in the world. By the year 1975, it had become so common that the International Standards Organization established this as the internationally accepted format. The exceptions are the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines, where the letter format (8.5 x 11) is used.
The name given to this standard, based on the metric system, is ISO 216. The basis for the standard is the sheets aspect ratio, or proportion, which is based on the square root of 2. This is a ratio that can be expressed as 1:1.4142. The base size of paper is called AO, which equals one square meter and has the dimensions 841 by 1,189 millimeters.
The B series is included in the ISO 216 division along with A, and the related type C is placed under the heading ISO 269.These series, all the same proportion, are further related as a geometric progression, meaning their dimensions increase by a factor of 2 1/8 according to the length of their sides. The A, B, and C variants are related as geometric means, so a B3 would be between the area of A2 and A3, and C1 ranges between A1 and B1. Thus, appropriate envelope dimensions exist for both A and B in the C range.
The unique quality of this square root of 2 proportion is that, when folded parallel to the short side into halves, the same shape is reproduced. Letter format sheets do not result in the same proportion when folded in a similar manner. When copying or scaling documents, for instance, two facing pages of a book or correspondence, the benefit of this shape is obvious, as they reduce to an exact fit.
Those who practice the paper folding art of origami also prefer this format, which they call A4, or silver rectangles. The latter refers to the silver ratio, which is a term for the 1 to 1.412 relationship. It is appropriate for this craft since the paper always folds equally.
Another benefit of the A4 paper size, and the A series generally, is that since it is in the metric system, and an A0 sheet is one square meter, it is far easier to calculate weights or masses than it is with standard letter size sheets. Any size in the A series breaks down to a fraction of a meter, making the calculations much simpler.
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