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ANSI engineering series · member A

ANSI A Paper Size

Compare ANSI A

ANSI A paper measures 8.5 × 11 in (215.9 × 279.4 mm). It is identical to US Letter and forms the base unit of the ANSI/ASME Y14.1 engineering series, the way A4 does for ISO drawings.

inisDimensions 215.9 × 279.4 mm

ANSI A measures 215.9 millimetres wide and 279.4 millimetres tall.

ANSI A Dimensions in Each Unit

ANSI A is 215.9 × 279.4 mm, which is 21.6 × 27.9 cm or 8.5 × 11 in. It is ANSI B cut in half.

UnitWidthHeightWidth × heightCopy
Millimetres (mm)215.9279.4215.9 × 279.4 mm
Centimetres (cm)21.627.921.6 × 27.9 cm
Metres (m)0.2160.2790.216 × 0.279 m
Inches (in)8.5118.5 × 11 in
Feet (ft)0.710.920.71 × 0.92 ft
Points (pt)612792612 × 792 pt
Picas (pc)516651 × 66 pc
Pixels at 72 DPI612792612 × 792 px
Pixels at 150 DPI127516501275 × 1650 px
Pixels at 300 DPI255033002550 × 3300 px
Pixels at 600 DPI510066005100 × 6600 px

Pixel counts follow from the resolution: pixels = millimetres ÷ 25.4 × DPI. More on the DPI and pixels page.

ANSI A Shape and Area

Aspect ratio1 : 1.294
Area0.0603 m² · 60,322 mm²
Diagonal353.1 mm · 13.9 in
Closest ISO sizeA4
Governing standardANSI/ASME Y14.1

ANSI A to Scale

ANSI A215.9 × 279.4 mm215.9 mm279.4 mm
ANSI A at true proportion. Long edge 279.4 mm, short edge 215.9 mm.

ANSI A is half of ANSI B, the smallest in the US Paper Sizes. Put ANSI A next to another size in the comparison tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ANSI A the same as Letter?

Yes, exactly. ANSI A is 8.5 by 11 in, the same as US Letter. The ANSI name is used on engineering drawings so the size fits an A to E series.

How does ANSI A compare with A4?

ANSI A is 216 by 279 mm. A4 is 210 by 297 mm. ANSI A is wider and shorter, so a drawing border made for one does not centre on the other.

What is ANSI A used for?

Small engineering detail drawings, reduced prints of larger sheets, and, as Letter, all day-to-day US office printing.

Which is bigger, ANSI B or ANSI A?

ANSI B is the bigger of the two, at 279.4 × 431.8 mm against 215.9 × 279.4 mm for ANSI A. It has twice the area, so two ANSI A sheets cover one ANSI B.

US Paper Sizes

Dimensions per ANSI/ASME Y14.1; unit values derived by formula. Reviewed . Editorial Process →