Everydayprint’s most popular printed poster size is A2, but we have many people questioning the actual size in millimetres.

So below is a table which defines all the A series of paper sizes fro A7 to 2A0

A7 - 105mm x 74mm
A6 - 148mm x 105mm
A5 - 210mm x 148mm
A4 - 297mm x 210mm
A3 - 420mm x 297mm
A2 - 594mm x 420mm
A1 - 841mm x 594mm
A0 - 1189mm x 841mm
2A0 - 1682mm x 1189mm

The above sizes are the standard finished paper sizes. If you are designing artwork for print you must add 5mm bleed to each side of the page (i.e. add 10mm to the width and 10mm to the height of the page)

We all know that different stocks of paper produce different tones from the same colour of ink.
For example black ink can appear to contain colour when printed on colour paper.

The most important thing to remember is that the grade, grain and colour of paper used affects the colour of the ink.
When analyzing your printed product be aware that the light source under which you are looking can also affect the colour tone.
In order to avoid mistakes, Talk to your printer ask your printer for a proof before signing off your print or ask to see paper samples and discuss final output. Your printer will be able to advise you on the correct paper type for your product. Above all, always ask them to make you a hard copy for proofing/sign off as a PDF will not show you the results of how your colour will print.

Buying the right kind of paper is no longer merely determined by looking at value for money and high-quality products. Selection of the right grade of paper is now an important factor. In the past ten years there have been several developments in paper quality like brightness and opaqueness at lighter weights, quality, coated or uncoated, the shade, and weight. Purchasing paper is the largest single part of a publication’s production costs representing approximately 50% of the total value of the job. In recent years, the price of many stocks has gone up because of the increase in costs of raw material and the closure of some mills and merchants has resulted in some paper grades becoming unavailable.

Maintaining decent communication along the supply chain is crucial. Capability information should be shared when it comes to choosing specialty uncoated papers that are branded or custom-made. Paper buyers should also keep in mind printing, conversion, and finishing processes that the paper will go through. Not getting it right could result in dissatisfied customers and/or increased costs for the printer.

If a publisher, particularly a large one, purchases their own paper and has it managed by a mill or merchant, excess stock has to be considered. Usage of paper and waste involved in printer process is also a factor. If significant over usage occurs, the publisher can invoice the printer for excess waste.

Ebook readers, like the one created by Sony, has been cited as the potential end of paper books but this prediction seems to be a premature one. Patrick Dixon, author of Futurewise, thinks the paper books are here to stay arguing that while reference books face competition from their online counterparts, people still enjoy picking up and reading from a physical book that one cannot do with an electronic screen.

A new paper selection tool by UPM is known as the paper sommelier, a guide to helping customers select pages based on production values and physical attributes like touch and feel in paper grades. This tool will help publishers select paper that is the ideal fit for their desired audience. Research conducted by the University of Helsinki found that the quality of magazine paper is important in relation to reader and advertising perceptions. For example, magazines that feature expensive clothes, fast automobiles or high-tech gadgets have paper that is smooth and silky to the touch.

Many predicted an increase in the popularity of online-only magazines but markets where paper versions are still popular differed from markets where Internet-based magazines are successful. However, most print magazines do have an online equivalent but some feel that it is still no substitute for the tangible quality of paper. People still want to handle an actual object and be able to do things like write in the margins of a document – something that its online counterpart is unable to offer.