Technical Resources : Paper sizes and styles
| Paper sizes | |
| A6 | 105 x 148mm |
| A5 | 148 x 210mm |
| A4 | 210 x 297mm |
| A3 | 297 x 420mm |
| A2 | 420 x 594mm |
| A1 | 594 x 841mm |
| A0 | 841 x 1189mm |
| Stationery | |
| Letterheads | are usually A4 |
| Comp Slips | are usually 1/3 A4 - 99 x 210mm |
| Business cards | are usually 55 x 85mm |
| Envelope sizes | |
| C4 | (to fit A4) |
| C5 | (to fit A5 or A4 folded once) |
| C6 | (to fit A6 or A4 folded into quarters) |
| DL | (to fit A4 folded into thirds) |
| What is gsm? | |
An abbreviation of grams per square metre, it is the most common unit of measurement for the weight of paper and board. | |
| Common paper weights | |
| 80gsm bond | Black and white photocopying |
| 100gsm laser bond | Colour laser photocopying |
| 100gsm laid | Letterheads / Compliments Slips |
| 115-150gsm | Flyers and Leaflets |
| 320gsm board | Business cards |
Paper styles
Bond
An uncoated paper often used for basic photocopying. Higher quality and weight are
used for letterheads and business stationery.
Coated
This means the paper has had a coating applied, usually china clay, to give it a special finish. It
usually comes in matt, silk or gloss formats and is suitable for jobs that need good quality print
(particularly photographic images). Examples of use are brochures, leaflets, direct mail cards.
Laid
Uncoated paper that has a texture of very slightly raised parallel lines. Usually used for letterheads.
Wove
Uncoated paper with a smooth texture, often
used for letterheads.
Board
Heavyweight card from 200gsm to 400gsm. Used for items such as business cards, folders, postcards and packaging.
NCR
Stands for no carbon required. NCR is a lightweight (usually 60gsm) paper used for order
forms, receipts, purchase orders etc where multiple copies are required. Usually comes in
2-part, 3-part and 4-part multicolour sets.
Speciality
Interesting, textured, very high quality specialist papers can achieve dramatic effects. Printing or finishing with these materials usually requires a high level of expertise and care.