Using the 'A' Series of Paper Sizes - What Size is Appropriate for Your Catalogue?

You may have heard of the terms foolscap, folio and imperial used in relation to paper sizing. These old British printing terms have fallen out of use since the adoption of the ‘A’ series sizing which is now used as the international standard. A0 is defined as having an area of 1 metre squared, with each successive paper size measured as a half of the preceding size. 

If you’re thinking of having a brochure produced to market your business, it’s worth considering what size of paper will have the most impact. To get you started, here’s a few ideas to consider when it comes to picking the right size for your catalogue, brochure or magazine.

A6


This is a dinky size that works well as a flyer or reference guide. At 148mm x 105mm, the pages are of a similar size to a postcard. Depending on how many pages are included in the brochure, you are likely to need to keep the textual information short and snappy. This size works well as promotional material to pop in a customer’s bag at the till.

A5


This 210mm x 148mm size is a popular and cost-effective choice. It’s still small enough to fit into a bag or glove compartment but you’ve got a bit more space to play with when it comes to getting your message across. It’s a versatile size that could be used to hand out at point of sale, at an event or posted through doors.

A4


This is the most commonly known paper size, measuring 210 by 297 millimetres. A4 straddles the line between pages that are large enough to include a significant amount of information and still being small enough to fit into a customer’s handbag or backpack until they can get the brochure home and keep it on their coffee table. Because it folds open to reveal an A3 page (double the size, remember) you can showcase larger photos of your products and include detailed text.

A3


The dimensions for A3 pages are 297mm high x 420mm wide. This is a size which is too large to pop into a handbag but looks great in the showroom and allows for greater creativity when it comes to producing images designed to have a greater visual impact.

If you have any questions about paper sizing and your next printing project, call our office on 01603 488001 or email an outline of what you are looking for to sales@col-print.co.uk.

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