Paper Sizes and Proper Printing Configuration

Paper Measurement Standards

Paper sizes are not the same around the world. Because of this The International Standards Organization has worked towards coming up with uniform standard. Unfortunately, differences in paper size measurements, aspect ratios, cuts, folds, and naming conventions remain. Over the last few decades, the North American and Latin American regions have stuck to traditional paper sizes that do not exactly conform to the ISO 216 standard, but there are some exceptions.

Paper Size: Series A

The ISO 216 standard presents three series: A, B, and C, but we are going to focus on A as it is most common:

The A series is the one that is more commonly associated in the business, promotional, legal, administrative, and educational sectors. The A4 paper size is what we normally call letter size. Unfortunately, it is not cut to the same measurements in the United States, Canada, or Mexico. What we know as US letter size is based on dimensions of 8.5 by 11 inches, which is different from the A4 dimensions of 8.27 by 11.69 inches. We could argue that the differences between US letter and A4 are too slight to visually acknowledge, but there is the matter printing and copying configurations.

Xerox Copiers and Paper Size

Modern Xerox copiers and digital printers are able to automatically detect paper size. Users should still mind the proper configuration both in the paper tray and the software application. Xerox machines sold in the North American market will generally ship with the regional configuration set as default. You can always change the paper size settings in the tray and companion software.

It is important to ensure that paper tray, software, and drivers are all configured with regard to size. Modern printers and copiers can adjust between A4 and US letter on their own. However, once we get into legal, ledger, tabloid, and statement paper sizes, there may be issues. Paper jams, incorrect feeding, and skewed printing output can occur. A configuration error may also hold up a batch printing job, thus holding up the rest of the documents in the print queue.

If you would like to buy or lease a Xerox copier or printer, call San Jose Copier today!