A guide to paper types & sizes

Truly professional print has two vital elements – the quality of the print (naturally) and the quality of the paper. Your printer must offer a comprehensive range of paper types, weights and sizes to suit all of your requirements. If you’re familiar with print you may know some common sizes like A4 and A5, but we’re often asked about less popular sizes and weights so we’ve listed a few common questions:

What is A4 or A5 paper?

A sizes are widely used in the UK and the most commonly used range from A7 to A0. If you fold A4 in half along the width, you get A5. Fold A5 to get A6 and so on.

Most business print uses a size from the range below (shown in mm):

- A7: 74 x 105 - A6: 105 x 148 (often used for postcards) - A5: 148 x 210 (commonly used for flyers and leaflets) - A4: 210 x 297 (commonly used for flyers, leaflets, booklets and letterhead) - A3: 297 x 420 (a popular size for posters) - A2: 420 x 594 (mainly posters and adhesive vinyl) - A1: 594 x 841 (mainly posters and adhesive vinyl) - A0: 841 x 1189 (large posters and adhesive vinyl)

What is half of A4 paper?

Half of A4 can either be A5 or if folded along the length, 105 x 29mm (half A4 portrait). All A sizes work this way. There are other sizes of course. Business cards are typically around 85mm x 50mm. Print also comes in a range of “irregular” sizes in portrait, landscape and square formats while large format print comes in many different dimensions. Simply choose the size you want when you ask for a quote.

What is the best weight of paper?

The weight of your paper is measured in gsm (grams per square metre) and will depend on your product. Business cards and postcards will usually be printed on a heavier weight such as 350 or 400gsm. The paper in your photocopier or desktop printer is usually around 80-100gsm.

How thick is 120gsm paper?

Most leaflets and booklets are printed on around 120gsm. Brochures often use 120gsm for the internal pages and a thicker 200-250gsm paper for the cover. Posters will be on between 130 and 200gsm depending on their use.

How many gsm is card?

Card describes paper at 300gsm or more. Most business cards are around 350-400gsm although you can go much thicker if you want your cards to really stand out.

Print out our handy guide below!