Flyers · Glossary
B paper sizes: B0 to B10 in mm, inches and pixels
B paper sizes run from B0, 1000 by 1414 millimetres, to B10, 31 by 44 millimetres, in ISO 216. Each B size sits between two A sizes: B4 at 250 by 353 lies between A4 and A3. Japan's JIS B series is slightly larger, so a Japanese B5 is 182 by 257 millimetres, not 176 by 250.
The B series fills the gaps the A series leaves. Posters, books, passports and envelopes that must hold an A sized sheet all lean on it, and the one trap is that Japan uses a B series of its own with the same names and different numbers.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
4 min read · Published
| Size | ISO B (mm) | ISO B (inches) | ISO B pixels at 300 DPI | JIS B (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B0 | 1000 x 1414 | 39.4 x 55.7 | 11811 x 16701 | 1030 x 1456 |
| B1 | 707 x 1000 | 27.8 x 39.4 | 8350 x 11811 | 728 x 1030 |
| B2 | 500 x 707 | 19.7 x 27.8 | 5906 x 8350 | 515 x 728 |
| B3 | 353 x 500 | 13.9 x 19.7 | 4169 x 5906 | 364 x 515 |
| B4 | 250 x 353 | 9.8 x 13.9 | 2953 x 4169 | 257 x 364 |
| B5 | 176 x 250 | 6.9 x 9.8 | 2079 x 2953 | 182 x 257 |
| B6 | 125 x 176 | 4.9 x 6.9 | 1476 x 2079 | 128 x 182 |
| B7 | 88 x 125 | 3.5 x 4.9 | 1039 x 1476 | 91 x 128 |
| B8 to B10 | 62 x 88, 44 x 62, 31 x 44 | 2.4 x 3.5 and smaller | 64 x 91, 45 x 64, 32 x 45 |
How the B series is defined
ISO 216 defines each B size as the geometric mean of the A size with the same number and the one above it, so B4 sits between A4 and A3 in area. The ratio stays one to the square root of two, so a B sheet scales to any A or B sheet without distortion. In practice that gives an enlargement step of about 119 percent from A4 to B4 and again from B4 to A3, which is where the B series earns its keep: when an A size is too small and the next A size up is too big. B0 has a short side of exactly one metre.
Where B sizes show up
Papersizes.org lists the everyday uses. B5 is popular for books, magazines and notebooks because it gives more reading area than A5 while staying easy to hold. B7 matches the international passport booklet, and B8 is close to a standard playing card. B4 is used for folded newspapers, large envelopes and folders that take unfolded A4. B1 and B0 appear as posters and technical drawings where A1 and A0 would be a little small. In Europe B2 and B1 are common poster sizes alongside the A sizes.
The JIS B trap
The Japanese Industrial Standards organisation defines its own B series, with each size one and a half times the area of the matching A size rather than the square root of two times. The result is a JIS B5 of 182 by 257 millimetres against the ISO B5 of 176 by 250, and a JIS B4 of 257 by 364 against 250 by 353. Office printers and copiers sold in Japan default to JIS B, and many printer drivers list both as B5 and B5 (JIS). A book or manual printed on the wrong one has margins that are off by several millimetres.
Common mistakes
The first is treating B5 as a single size, then finding the print shop used the JIS figure. The second is designing a B2 poster at 150 DPI, 2953 by 4175 pixels, and expecting small text to stay sharp up close; at poster distances it is fine, at a handout it is not. The third is choosing a B envelope for an A sheet without checking: a B4 envelope holds a C4 envelope holding an A4 letter, but a B5 envelope will not take unfolded A4.
B sizes and the flyer editor
The flyer editor has no B canvas. Its print sizes are A4 portrait and A4 landscape, and its poster tab makes A0 boards, so a B sized piece is built at A4 or A0 and then scaled. Because both series share the same proportion, an A4 design enlarges to B4 or B5 without cropping, and an A0 board reduces to B1 or B2 cleanly. The paper size converter gives exact millimetres and inches for every B size, and the print scale calculator works out the percentage between any two. The blank PNG above is 2079 by 2953 pixels, ISO B5 at 300 DPI.
Questions people ask
What is B5 paper size in inches?
ISO B5 is 176 by 250 millimetres, about 6.9 by 9.8 inches. The Japanese JIS B5 is 182 by 257 millimetres, about 7.2 by 10.1 inches. If a printer or notebook says B5 without a qualifier, check which one it means, because the difference is visible on the page.
Is B4 bigger than A4?
Yes. B4 is 250 by 353 millimetres and A4 is 210 by 297, so B4 is about 19 percent larger in each direction. B4 sits between A4 and A3, which is why it is used for envelopes and folders that must take an unfolded A4 sheet.
Why is there no B size in North America?
The United States and Canada use the ANSI sizes, letter, legal and tabloid, rather than ISO 216, so the A and B series are not stocked in ordinary stores. B sizes are available from specialist paper suppliers, and books printed in North America use their own trim sizes in inches.
What is the C series?
The C series is for envelopes. Each C size is the geometric mean of the A and B sizes with the same number, so a C4 envelope fits an A4 sheet, C5 fits A5 or A4 folded once, and C6 fits A6 or A4 folded twice.
Can I print a B size on a home printer?
Some home printers take B5 in a manual feed, especially models sold in Asia. Larger B sizes need a wide format printer or a print shop. Choose the right B5 in the driver, ISO or JIS, so the printer does not scale the page to the wrong paper.
Make one with flyers
The button opens the generator with this use case already described. Change the wording to match your own.
Create a flyer with OneCraftRelated questions
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