Objects Make Better Gifts

This weekend was Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco.



During a webcomics panel at least two of the panelists said one of the reasons they decided to try out publishing a webcomic was to be able to experiment with color in their comics.

Which is to say web color is still cheaper than printed color.

Inkjet Printer As a Paint Brush

Modern artist David Hockney, renowned for his portraiture, has been working more recently with computer-based tools like Photoshop and a Wacom tablet to create Inkjet-printed computer drawings on paper.

Translucent Metallics

On one page is a fluorescent green vellum and on the other is a translucent metallic paper.



Not your typical course notes. But then this was an afternoon class at PINC on paper basics given by Sabine Lenz, founder of PaperSpecs.

Drinking a Reward

In a mere 20 weeks previously color blind monkeys appear to have become trichromats through a subretinal injection of a virus containing L-opsin (1).

Nominal Scaling of Print Substrates

Towards the end of Giordano's AIC presentation is a preview of our next paper "Nominal Scaling of Print Substrates".

This paper has recently issued as a technical report.

One way to look at this paper is what to do when you have 100 different types of commercial print media on the floor of your cube. They vary by color, thickness, surface texture, opacity and more. They come from multiple vendors. They have multiple branded names and descriptors.

How can this pile be put into some kind of order?

Paper sizes (formats)

In the office printing business we are so used to the generalization that all paper is letter size, that we often forget that is just one size in which we can buy cut sheet paper. Here is a handy compilation of popular sizes.

A series (main series)

A0 is 1 square meter. Formula: h = w * sqrt (2), i.e., the ratio of the sides is sqrt (2).

This is the normally used series.

A number	size (mm)	size (inch)	area (m^2)
A0	841 x 1189	33.1 x 46.8	1.0
A1	594 x 841	23.4 x 33.1	0.5
A2	420 x 594	16.5 x 23.4	0.25
A3	297 x 420	11.7 x 16.5	0.125
A4	210 x 297	8.3 x 11.7	0.063
A5	148 x 210	5.8 x 8.3	0.031
A6	105 x 148
A7	74 x 105
A8	52 x 74
A9	37 x 52
A10	26 x 37

B series (auxiliary series)

B0 is 1 m long on the short side.

This series is sold only in cut sheets (in plano) and can be used only if the required size is not available in the A series.

C series (intermediary series)

Geometric average between series A and series B. Example: C4 = sqrt (A4 * B4).

This series has been designed especially for envelopes and other mailing containers.

DIN Summary in mm

Class	Series A	Series B	Series C	Series D
0	841 x 1189	1000 x 1414	917 x 1297	771 x 1090
1	594 x 841	707 x 1000	648 x 917	545 x 771
2	420 x 594	500 x 707	458 x 648	385 x 545
3	297 x 420	353 x 500	324 x 458	272 x 385
4	210 x 297	250 x 353	229 x 324	192 x 272
5	148 x 210	176 x 250	162 x 229	136 x 192
6	105 x 148	125 x 176	114 x 162	96 x 136
7	74 x 105	88 x 125	81 x 114	68 x 96
8	52 x 74	62 x 88	57 x 81	48 x 68

Old European Formats

These formats were in use before the normalization and can still be found today in the graphic arts. This is just a selection in plano (= unfolded) papers. When the papers are folded, the name is prefixed by the folding number (e.g., in 4º Jésus refers to the Jésus format folded in four); usually the Latin names are used:

• in folio, 2 sheets or 4 pages
• in quarto, 4 sheets or 8 pages
• in octavo, 8 sheets or 16 pages
• in 16, etc.

Designation	size (cm)
Couronne édition	37 x 47
Double pot	40 x 62
Coquille	44 x 56
Double Tellière	44 x 66
Carré	45 x 56
Couronne	46 x 72
Raisin	50 x 65
Raisin offset	51 x 66
Jésus	56 x 76
Double coquille	56 x 88
Double carré	56 x 90
Jésus offset	58 x 78
Carré offset	58 x 90
Colombier affiches	60 x 80
Colombier	63 x 90
Double raisin	65 x 100
Double raisin offset	66 x 102
Double Jésus	76 x 112
Double Jésus offset	78 x 112
Double Colombier	80 x 120
Quadriple carré	90 x 112

American Paper Sizes

Designation	size (in)
atlas	26 x 24
imperial	22 x 30
elephant	20 x 27
royal	20 x 25
small royal	19 x 25
medium	18 x 23
demy	17.5 x 22.5
crown	15 x 20
foolscap	17 x 13.5
pot	12.5 x 15.5

European Form Sizes

Class	size (mm)
0	500 x 700
I	560 x 830
II	610 x 860
III	650 x965
III b	720 x 1020
IV	780 x 1120
V	890 x 1260
VI	1000 x 1400
VII	1100 x 1600
X	1400 x 2000

ANSI Paper Sizes

Designation	size (inch)
A (letter)	8.5 x 11
B (tabloid)	11 x 17
C	17 x 22
D	22 x 34
E	34 x 44

ARCH Paper Sizes

Designation	size (inch)
A	9 x 12
B	12 x 18
C	18 x 24
D	24 x 36
E	36 x 48

Favorite Cut Sheet Media

These are in plano formats common in the electronic printing industry.

Designation	U.S. market (inch)	metric market (mm)
US letter / ISO and JIS A4	8.5 x 11	210 x 297
US executive	7.25 x 10.5
US legal	8.5 x 14
ISO and JIS A5		148.5 x 210
JIS B5		182 x 257
Postcard	4 x 6	102 x 152
Greeting card	8.5 x 11 scored (folds to 8.5 x 5.5)	210 x 297 scored (folds to 210 x 148 )
Note card	5.5 x 8.5 scored (folds to 5.5 x 4.25)	148 x 210 scored (folds to 148 x 105 )
US index card ISO and JIS A6 card	4 x 6, 5 x 8	105 x 148
Calendar kit	8.5 x 11	210 x 297
Hagaki (postcard) 葉書大「はがきだい」		100 x 148
Oufuku-hagaki (return postcard) 往復葉書 「おうふくはがき」		148 x 200

Favorite Envelope Sizes

Envelope description	Envelope size
US commercial-10	4.125" x 9.5"
International DL	110 mm x 220 mm
International C6	114 mm x 162 mm
US A2	4.375" x 5.75"

Page Length Line Values

Paper Size	6 lpi	8 lpi
Letter	66	88
Legal	84	112
A4	70	93
Executive	63	84

American Paper Weights

onion skin	9 lb.
mimeograph paper	16 lb.
standard typing paper	20 lb.
standard letterhead paper	24 lb.
good for printing on both sides	60 lb.
business cards and postcards	65 lb.
coated magazine stock	100 lb.
poster board	120 lb.