A5 Paper Size

What is A5 Paper Size

Definition

A5 size is a popular paper size that sits midway between the smaller A6 and the more common A4 in the A-series paper standard. While it is smaller than A4, it is still large enough to be useful for a variety of practical applications. A5 paper is commonly used for personal-sized notebooks, flyers, and small booklets, making it a versatile choice for both personal and professional uses where a more compact sheet is desired.

Dimensions

The dimensions of A5 paper are 148 x 210 mm, 14.8 x 21.0 in cm, or 5.83 x 8.27 inches.

This size is exactly half of A4 when folded in half, following the pattern of halving each successive size in the A-series. A5’s size makes it easy to handle, while still providing enough space for short notes, small booklets, and other compact documents.

Layout

Below layout shows A5 in inches and mm. As explained above, its dimensions are 14.8 x 21.0 in cm.

Origins

Like all A-series paper sizes, A5 was part of the DIN 476 standard developed in 1922 in Germany. This standard was created with the goal of establishing a simple and scalable paper size system, where each size in the series was half of the next larger size. A5, being half of A4, fits perfectly into this system and is one of the smaller paper sizes that remain in regular use. The ISO 216 standard further solidified the global adoption of the A-series sizes, with A5 becoming a popular choice for smaller print jobs, especially in Europe and other parts of the world.

Region of Use

A5 paper is used in many countries that adhere to the ISO paper size system. It is common across Europe, Asia, and Africa for personal and small-scale professional use. In countries like the UK, Germany, and Japan, A5 is frequently used for diaries, notepads, leaflets, and small publications. In Australia, A5 is often seen in travel-sized planners and promotional material.

Though it is not as widespread in the United States, where Letter and Legal sizes dominate, A5 may still be used for specific applications such as small notebooks or compact marketing brochures, particularly in regions with international business dealings.

Uses

The A5 paper size is particularly versatile, finding its place in a wide range of applications, especially where compactness and portability are important:

• Notebooks and Journals: A5 is one of the most common sizes for personal notebooks and diaries, offering ample space for writing while still being portable and easy to carry.
• Flyers and Brochures: Due to its small size, A5 is ideal for creating flyers, leaflets, and brochures that need to be distributed easily in bulk, often for marketing and promotional purposes.
• Small Booklets: A5 is a popular format for producing small booklets, manuals, and catalogs, providing a concise but readable format for delivering content in a compact form.
• Invitations and Greeting Cards: A5 paper is often used for creating invitations, greeting cards, and announcements, offering a more personal, refined size compared to larger paper options.
• Educational Materials: In educational settings, A5 is used for workbooks, exercise books, and other materials that require a more compact size for easier handling by students.
• Planners and Calendars: Personal planners and pocket calendars are frequently printed on A5 paper due to its convenient size for organization, while still offering enough space for appointments and notes.

Due to its smaller size, A5 is a favorite for projects that need portability without sacrificing too much space for content. Its compact nature makes it ideal for products that are meant to be carried around, such as travel guides, handbooks, or personalized stationery.

A5 Size in inches

5.83 × 8.27 in

A5 Size in cm

14.8 × 21.0 cm

A5 Size in mm

148 × 210 mm

A5 Dimensions Table

Size #	in inches	in mm	in cm
A5	5.83 × 8.27	148 × 210	14.8 × 21.0

A5 Dimensions in pixels

The dimensions vary in pixels, depending on the PPI/DPI applied.

72 dpi/ppi (screen resolution)	96 dpi/ppi (screen resolution)	300 dpi/ppi (print resolution)
420 x 595 px	559 x 794 px	1748 x 2480 px

* PPI (pixels per inch) = DPI (dots per inch) = Resolution

A Series Paper Size

A5 size completely follows the principle of ISO A series paper size. An important feature of ISO paper size is that the size of each paper is twice that of the one next to it, because the next one is crosscut from the middle line of the long side of the previous paper. The maximum size of this series is A0, which is exactly one square meter in area. According to the cutting rules of this series, we can get A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, and the minimum to A8, A9, A10, etc.. According to this principle, all sizes of this series comply with the aspect ratio of √2:1. Therefore, when you fold the long sides of A4 paper in half, you will get an area of this size.

A5 Size Alternative in US

In the United States, A5 does not have a direct equivalent in the ANSI or Letter series. However, in certain contexts, Half-Letter (5.5 x 8.5 inches) is sometimes used as a close substitute for A5. While Half-Letter is slightly wider than A5 by about 0.2 inches, it serves a similar purpose for small-sized documents, notebooks, and flyers.

A5 is not popular in American countries because US paper sizes are used there. However, even in US, A5 paper is occasionally used when making marketing mails, greeting cards, leaflets or special stationery. A5-sized products like notebooks and personal planners are still available but are often marketed as “personal size” rather than being directly compared to A-series dimensions.

• A5:  5.83 x 8.27 inches
• Half Letter: 5.5 x 8.5 inches

Main Facts

• A5 Dimensions:
  in inches: 5.83 × 8.27″
  in mm: 148 × 210 mm
  in cm: 14.8 × 21.0 cm
• Area: 1/32 square meter.
• Country of use: Popular in most Non-American countries, occasionally used in US.
• Other name: DIN A5 Size
• Usage: Used to make pocket books or notebooks in Non-American countries; occasionally used in US when making marketing mails, greeting cards, leaflets or special stationery.
• Advantages: The finished product is portable..
• Disadvantages: Size is too small for bigger size paper products.
• Ratio: It follows the ratio of ISO216 size standard, length to width: 1.414:1, or √2:1.
• Approximate American size: Half Letter, which measures 140 x 216 in mm, or 5¹⁄₂ x 8¹⁄₂″ in inches.