Economical Paper sizes (less waste)

February 28, 2011 · Filed under Green Printing

I’ve discussed paper in previous blogs ( Jan. 24, 2011– Purchasing the Right Paper) https://bgeprint.wordpress.com/2011/01/ , in addition to Feb. 14, 2011-FSC (Forest Stewardship Council https://bgeprint.wordpress.com/2011/01/ in my most recent post. Another major factor in purchasing print is the size of the sheet it will print on, how many pieces you will get out of a sheet, and making

Getting 12-out of a sheet is an efficient cut for a calendar.

sure the press you will be printing on is the right size press for the sheet. When you ask for quotes and get prices all over the board, it usually comes down to the wrong press for the job at hand. The printer on your corner may do a great job for your business cards and letterhead, but when it comes to printing a large run, multiple page catalog, you may find his prices * to be exorbitant. There’s a good reason for this, he hasn’t simply tried to take advantage of you.

For example, if you want to print 8.5” X 11” fliers, the printer may use a 23″ X 35″ sheet and get “8-out”, meaning they can cut 4 across and 2 down to get 8 fliers for every printed sheet.  This means, the sheet passes thru the press  8 times less than a printer running it 1-up on the popular 8.5″ X 11″ size sheet. Click here for more on the common multiples of the 8.5″ X 11″ sheet. When printing a large run, this makes a huge difference. A smart paper buyer always tries to use standard paper sizes which can be used without waste.  Odd sizes can be costly and wasteful. The chart below shows the number of pages to a standard paper size for several page sizes in use today. The paper size includes trim top, bottom and side, but not bleed.

Trimmed   Page Size	Number of Printed Pages	Number From Sheet	Standard Paper Sizes
	4	12	25×38
	8	12	38×50
4 x 9	12	4	25×38
	16	6	38×50
	24	2	25×38
	4	32	35×45
	8	16	35×45
4 ¼ x 5 3/8	16	8	35×45
	32	4	35×45
	4	16	25×38
	8	8	25×38
4 ½ x 6	16	4	25×38
	32	2	25×38
	4	16	35×45
	8	8	35×45
5 ½ x 8 ½	16	4	35×45
	32	2	35×45
	4	8	25×38
	8	4	25×38
6 x 9	16	2	25×38
	32	2	38×50
	4	4	23×35
8 ½ x 11	8	2	23×35
	16	2	35×35
	4	4	25×38
9 x 12	8	2	25×38
	16	2	38×50

Table 1: Cutting Chart

American paper sizes

The US and Canada do not use the international standards (ISO) but instead rely on the paper sizes below. The ANSI standard was added in 1995 to create a set of sizes that are based on shared dimensions. It lacks however the consistent aspect ratio of the ISO A-series. For a full view of International ISO paper series sizes, click here.

	Millimeters		Inches		Points
	Height	Width	Height	Width	Height	Width
Letter (ANSI A)	279.4	215.9	11.00	8.50	792	612
Legal	355.6	215.9	14.00	8.50	1008	612
Ledger (ANSI B)	431.8	279.4	17.00	11.00	1224	792
Tabloid (ANSI B)	279.4	431.8	11.00	17.00	792	1224
Executive	266.7	184.1	10.55	7.25	756	522
ANSI C	432	559	17.00	22.00	1224	1584
ANSI D	559	864	22	34	1584	2448
ANSI E	864	1118	34.00	44.00	2448	3168

Table 2: American Paper Sizes

Another thing to look at before designing your piece may be envelopes. Standard size envelopes are readily available in many colors and textures. Designing your piece to fit a standard envelope will save you in the long run and should be thought about before you get stuck with 10,000 pieces of an oddly shaped brochure that needs a custom envelope designed and converted for you to mail your piece.

Invitations and odd shape mailers can be fun, but costly if not producing large enough quantities to make a custom envelope worth creating.

Table 3:  Envelope Styles and  Sizes

Click here to download a free  chart of  standard envelope sizes (and don’t forget to check with the post office and make sure the piece will configure to their postal regulations or your postage costs will rise thru the roof). If you need help with preparing an upcoming project to help eliminate waste and/or to fit a standard envelope, give me a call or shoot me an e-mail.  I’m here to help.

* It’s advisable to get 3 quotes before deciding what printer to use, especially if you are not familiar with the equipment they have. Click here to download free printing estimating software from Morning Flight