Paper sizes chart: A4, A5, B5 and Letter in mm and inches

The two most common paper sizes are A4 (210 × 297 mm, 8.27 × 11.69 in), used almost everywhere in the world, and US Letter (8.5 × 11 in, 215.9 × 279.4 mm), used in the US and Canada. For notebooks and planners, A5 (148 × 210 mm, 5.83 × 8.27 in) and Half Letter (5.5 × 8.5 in) are the favourites, and B5 is the classic size for school and study notebooks. The chart below gives every size in millimetres and inches.

Paper sizes chart in mm and inches

Size	Millimetres	Inches	Typical use
A3	297 × 420	11.69 × 16.54	Posters, two A4 pages side by side
A4	210 × 297	8.27 × 11.69	Standard printer and school paper outside North America
A5	148 × 210	5.83 × 8.27	Journals, planners, notebooks
A6	105 × 148	4.13 × 5.83	Pocket notebooks, postcards
B5 (ISO)	176 × 250	6.93 × 9.84	Notebooks, books
B6 (ISO)	125 × 176	4.92 × 6.93	Small notebooks
B5 (JIS)	182 × 257	7.17 × 10.12	School notebooks in Japan, Korea and China
B6 (JIS)	128 × 182	5.04 × 7.17	Notebooks and planners popular in Japan
US Letter	215.9 × 279.4	8.5 × 11	Standard printer paper in the US and Canada
US Legal	215.9 × 355.6	8.5 × 14	Contracts and forms
Tabloid / Ledger	279.4 × 431.8	11 × 17	Two Letter pages side by side
Half Letter	139.7 × 215.9	5.5 × 8.5	Planners and journals in North America
Composition	190.5 × 247.65	7.5 × 9.75	US composition notebooks

How the A and B series work

The A sizes follow the international standard ISO 216. Every A size has the same proportions, a ratio of 1:√2 (about 1:1.414), and each size is exactly half of the one before it. Fold an A4 sheet in half across its long side and you get two A5 pages; fold A5 and you get A6. The largest size, A0, has an area of exactly one square metre.

Because the proportions never change, you can scale an A4 page down to A5 (about 71%) without anything being cut off or squashed.

The B sizes sit between the A sizes: B5 is larger than A5 and smaller than A4. There are two versions. ISO B5 is 176 × 250 mm, while the Japanese standard JIS B5 is slightly larger at 182 × 257 mm. When a Japanese, Korean or Chinese school notebook says “B5”, it almost always means JIS B5.

US sizes are based on inches instead. Half Letter is a Letter sheet folded in half, and Tabloid is two Letter sheets side by side.

A4 vs Letter, A5 vs Half Letter

The sizes look alike but are not interchangeable:

• A4 vs Letter: A4 is about 6 mm (¼ in) narrower and 18 mm (0.7 in) taller than Letter. If you print an A4 document on Letter paper with “Fit to page”, it shrinks to about 94%, so lined paper or a grid no longer has the spacing you chose.
• A5 vs Half Letter: A5 is about 8 mm (⅓ in) wider and 6 mm (¼ in) shorter than Half Letter. Covers and inserts made for one are usually a loose fit for the other.

Always set the paper size in the print dialog to the paper that is actually in your printer tray.

Which size for what?

• A5 or Half Letter: the most popular size for journals, bullet journals and planners. There is room for a week on one page, and it still fits in a bag.
• B5 or Composition: school and university notebooks. The extra width suits Cornell notes, maths and diagrams.
• A4 or Letter: loose sheets for ring binders, worksheets and class handouts.
• A6 and pocket sizes: shopping lists, quick notes and travel.

Notebook covers and refills have their own common sizes. All of these are presets in the maker:

Notebook size	Millimetres	Inches
Traveler’s Notebook Regular	110 × 210	4.33 × 8.27
Traveler’s Notebook Passport	89 × 124	3.5 × 4.88
Pocket Notebook	90 × 140	3.54 × 5.51
Field Notes-style memo book	88.9 × 139.7	3.5 × 5.5
Personal Ring Planner	95 × 171	3.74 × 6.73

These are typical refill sizes, so measure your cover before printing. There are ready-made setups for Traveler’s Notebook inserts and passport-size notebooks.

Which paper to print a notebook on

A printed booklet has two pages side by side on each side of the sheet, so the paper must be twice as wide as one page:

Notebook page	Print on	Notes
A5	A4	Exact fit: two A5 pages per side
Half Letter	Letter	Exact fit: two Half Letter pages per side
A6	A5, or A4	On A4, two copies print per sheet
B5 (ISO)	B4 or A3	Too large for A4 or Letter as a booklet
B5 (JIS)	B4 (JIS) or A3	As above
Traveler’s Notebook Passport	A4 or Letter	Two copies per sheet; cut them apart
Traveler’s Notebook Regular	A4 or Letter	Trim the outer edge after folding

Most home printers only take A4 or Letter. For a B5 notebook you can print at a copy shop, or print single pages (one page per sheet) and trim them or punch them for a binder. The paper and margins guide covers margins and trimming in more detail.

Make a notebook in any size

1. Open a template in the maker, for example Dot Grid in A5 or Ruled Paper in Half Letter.
2. Under Notebook, change the Page size to any preset (ISO, US, Japan (JIS) or notebook inserts), or enter a custom size between 40 and 600 mm per side.
3. Open Download PDF and choose Print-ready booklet. The dialog recommends the right printer paper for your page size.
4. Print double-sided at Actual size / 100%, then fold and staple (see how to print a booklet).

You can also print plain Blank Paper, Ruled Paper or Dot Grid as loose A4 or Letter sheets. The sizes overview lists every page size the maker supports.

FAQ

Is A5 half of A4?

Yes. A5 (148 × 210 mm) is exactly half of A4 (210 × 297 mm). Fold an A4 sheet in half across its long side and each half is A5, which is why A5 booklets print on A4 paper.

What is A5 size in inches?

A5 is 5.83 × 8.27 inches. It is close to Half Letter (5.5 × 8.5 in) but slightly wider and shorter.

What is the difference between B5 and A4?

B5 is smaller. JIS B5 is 182 × 257 mm (7.17 × 10.12 in) and ISO B5 is 176 × 250 mm, while A4 is 210 × 297 mm. B5 sits between A5 and A4.

Is Letter the same as A4?

No. US Letter (8.5 × 11 in, 215.9 × 279.4 mm) is a little wider and shorter than A4 (210 × 297 mm, 8.27 × 11.69 in). Most printers handle both, but the print dialog must match the paper in the tray.

What size is a composition notebook?

A standard US composition notebook is 7.5 × 9.75 inches (190.5 × 247.65 mm). The maker has a Composition preset; as a booklet it prints on Tabloid or A3 paper.