Standard paper size formats worldwide?

[Torsten]

Hi, I know that in Europe the A formats are very common for paper documents. For example, A4 is most commonly used for handouts, worksheets and spreadsheets. What is the situation in your country? What paper size formats are most popular where you live?

TOEIC listening, photographs: A soccer match

[Jamie (K)]

Most paper in North America is 8.5 by 11 inches (a little shorter and a bit wider than A4). For big spreads we use one double this size, 11 by 17 inches. The legal profession traditionally used a format called "legal size", which is 8.5 by 14 inches, but this size gets to be a pain when the rest of society is using shorter paper, so more lawyers probably use 8.5 x 11 now.

The names of these formats are as follows:

8.5" x 11" = "letter size"
8.5" x 14" = "legal size"
11" x 17" = "tabloid size"

It's hard to find A4 paper at stores here. You usually have to special order it.

[Mister Micawber]

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It's reassuring to hear that someone else uses A4, Torsten. Coming from the US, I had never seen it till I arrived in Japan.

The photocopying machines in convenience stores, etc, here are normally stocked with B5, A4, B4 and A3 (in order of increasing size). A4 is the most commonly used, but I often try to make do with B5 in order to save trees. Am I nuts, do you think?
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's