A4 paper size Guide.
A4 size paper is defined by the ISO 216 standard and is the most widely used paper size in Europe and Asia.
The dimensions of a4 paper are expressed in centimetres (cm) in most European countries and in inches in many English-speaking countries.
Printing in A4 is incredibly simple and it can be utilised in many different ways, such as for brochures, leaflets, magazines and flyers.
Understanding the measurements of A4 size paper in pixels can also be useful to resize your images and define their resolution.
Dimensions of different paper sizes in the A series in mm.
Read on to find out more about A4 paper dimensions and the different uses of this popular paper format.
A4 paper dimensions.
With A4 size paper, the number ‘four’ refers to the fact that the dimensions of a4 paper are the same as a sheet of A0 paper that has been cut in half four times. So, A4 is 16 times smaller than A0.
Format |
Width x Height |
Width x Height |
Width x Height |
A0 |
841 x 1189 |
84.1 x 118.9 |
33.1 x 46.8 |
A1 |
594 x 841 |
59.5 x 84.1 |
23.4 x 33.1 |
A2 |
420 x 594 |
42 x 59.4 |
16.5 x 23.4 |
A3 |
297 x 420 |
29.7 x 42 |
11.7 x 16.5 |
A4 |
210 x 297 |
21 x 29.7 |
8.3 x 11.7 |
A5 |
148 x 210 |
14.8 x 21 |
5.8 x 8.3 |
A6 |
105 x 148 |
10.5 x 14.8 |
4.1 x 5.8 |
A7 |
74 x 105 |
7.4 x 10.5 |
2.9 x 4.1 |
A8 |
52 x 74 |
5.2 x 7.4 |
2.0 x 2.9 |
A9 |
37 x 52 |
3.7 x 5.3 |
1.5 x 2.0 |
A10 |
26 x 37 |
2.6 x 3.7 |
1.0 x 1.5 |
Table of dimensions of the A series of paper in mm, cm and in.
A4 paper size in centimetres (cm).
A piece of A4 paper measures 21 x 29.7 cm or 210 x 297 mm. Like the other types of paper in the A series, the size of a sheet of A4 is defined by the international standard ISO 216 and is used in most countries. It was the German scientist Lichtenberg who, in 1786, described the proportions between the width and length of the A series. Then, in 1922, Portsmann and the German Institute for Standardisation outlined the format DIN 476, which would go on to become the current standard known as ISO 216.
A4 paper size in inches.
‘A’ series formats aren’t very common in the United States and Canada. However, for other countries that still use the imperial British way of measurement, dimensions are often expressed in inches. The measurements of A4 paper are 8.27 x 11.67 inches and they conserve the ratio between width and length of √2.
A4 paper size in pixels.
It’s just as important to know the pixel values of A4 if you wish to print images in this format. This depends on the resolution of the image, which is expressed in dpi (dots per inch). For example, the A4 format of an image with a resolution of 300 dpi can be obtained with 2480 x 3508 pixels.
Examples of framed printed photos in A4.
Why use A4 size paper?
While A0 and A10 size paper - the largest and smallest paper sizes in the range - are more ‘specialist’ in use, A4 is far more common. Whether in a professional or personal context, many of us are familiar with A4 as the ‘standard’ paper size, which is generally sold in a ream of 500 units.
A4 is used in a variety of different industries, notably for the creation of magazines, posters, menus, flyers, calendars, notepads, reports and more. The list is virtually endless!
Putting your documents into A4.
The printing area of the A4 format size is 625 cm² or 0.062m² -the standard format for personal printers. It is, however, important to put your documents into the correct format for printing.
For example, to print photos in A4 you must define the image resolution so that the dimensions of the file correspond with that of the paper. You can do this with Adobe InDesign to express your creativity or simply prepare the file to be printed in a document of the right format.
Frequently asked questions.
What is A4 paper size in cm?
The international letterhead A4 paper size is 21 x 29.7 cm, as defined by the ISO 216 standard.
Is A4 the same as 8.5 x 11?
The A4 size paper measures 8.27 x 11.69 inches, only slightly larger than the close equivalent to U.S letter size 8.5 x 11 inches.
How many pixels per inch is A4 paper?
The required resolution for an A4-sized image is 2480 x 3508 pixels at 300 ppi (pixels per inch).
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