International paper sizes: JIS, Canada and more
Almost every country in the world uses the ISO sizes A4, A5 and so on. The exceptions are the USA and Canada with Letter and Legal. Japan uses the ISO A series but has its own B series: JIS B5 is 182 × 257 mm rather than 176 × 250 mm.
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Japan: the JIS B series
The Japanese Industrial Standard adopts the A series unchanged but builds its B series differently. Instead of the geometric mean of two A sizes, each JIS B size has exactly 1.5 times the area of the A size with the same number. That makes JIS B sizes a little larger than ISO B sizes.
| Number | JIS B | ISO B |
|---|---|---|
| B0 | 1030 × 1456 mm | 1000 × 1414 mm |
| B1 | 728 × 1030 mm | 707 × 1000 mm |
| B2 | 515 × 728 mm | 500 × 707 mm |
| B3 | 364 × 515 mm | 353 × 500 mm |
| B4 | 257 × 364 mm | 250 × 353 mm |
| B5 | 182 × 257 mm | 176 × 250 mm |
| B6 | 128 × 182 mm | 125 × 176 mm |
| B7 | 91 × 128 mm | 88 × 125 mm |
| B8 | 64 × 91 mm | 62 × 88 mm |
| B9 | 45 × 64 mm | 44 × 62 mm |
| B10 | 32 × 45 mm | 31 × 44 mm |
In Japan, B5 notebooks and B4 copies are as ordinary as A4. Printers from Japanese brands therefore offer both JIS B5 and ISO B5, sometimes under the same name. If a B5 print does not fit, check the exact dimensions in the printer menu.
Canada: the P sizes
Canada introduced a series of its own in 1976, the P sizes under CAN 2-9.60M. They were US sizes rounded to the nearest 5 mm. P4 at 215 × 280 mm was almost exactly Letter. They never caught on in everyday use, and the standard was withdrawn in 2012. Canada today works with Letter and Legal.
| Size | mm | Roughly equals |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 560 × 860 | ANSI D |
| P2 | 430 × 560 | ANSI C |
| P3 | 280 × 430 | Tabloid |
| P4 | 215 × 280 | Letter |
| P5 | 140 × 215 | Half Letter |
| P6 | 107 × 140 | Quarter Letter |
Who uses which system
By 1977, 88 of 148 countries had adopted A4 as their standard letter size. Today it is practically every country except the USA and Canada. In parts of Latin America and the Philippines, Letter is still widespread in daily life despite official ISO standards. If you print for or ship to these countries, it is worth asking.
Other countries, other names
Even within the ISO world there are local labels. In China, books and notebooks are often sized with traditional names such as 16K or 32K alongside ISO sizes. They refer to divisions of a large raw sheet, and the exact dimensions vary with the sheet. For international exchange they hardly matter, but they explain why some printer drivers offer such a long list of sizes.
Frequently asked questions
How big is JIS B5?
182 × 257 mm, larger than ISO B5 at 176 × 250 mm.
Which countries do not use A4?
The USA and Canada. Letter is also common in parts of Latin America and the Philippines.
Does Canada have its own paper sizes?
It had the P sizes (P4 at 215 × 280 mm matched Letter). The standard was withdrawn in 2012.