Putting a brand marketing project together can be exciting and creative, but knowing exactly what materials you want to use to bring it to life can be a bit of a minefield.
How do you know which paper grade feels right? Of course, you want the right thickness, and a shade that will complement your brand. For example, in recent years, there has been a move towards uncoated, or matt papers, to reflect a natural, sustainable look and feel.
Luckily, our team at dxp print solutions have answers to all these questions and many more! They have years of experience turning the most abstract or complex designs into something that will have incredible, long-lasting value to your company and brand.
But to help get an idea of what you could need for your leaflets or brochures, we’ve put together this handy guide to help you choose the best material for your project.
If you need samples or want to talk to us about specific elements, don’t hesitate to get in touch at 01268 732109 and we’ll do all we can to help.
Let’s get started!
Dimensions of RA and SRA untrimmed paper sizes
First things first: RA stands for Raw Format A, and SRA means Supplementary Raw Format A. Both paper formats are defined by the ISO 217 Paper - Untrimmed Sizes standard, and cover untrimmed raw paper for commercial printing.
RA and SRA sizes are slightly bigger than the corresponding A series sizes, because they allow for bleed on printed material.
That’s the bit on the side of a document that gives the printer a small amount of space to account for natural movement of the paper during guillotining, and design inconsistencies. When the sheet is later trimmed to size, the ‘bleed’ section is cut away.
Size definition
RA is conceptually defined as being 105% of the A series size, thus as A0 has an area of 1 square metre RA0 has an area of 1.05 square metres.
SRA is conceptually defined as being 115% of the A series size, so a sheet of SRA0 paper has an area of 1.15 square metres.
In reality the sizes for RA0, RA1, RA2, SRA0, SRA1 and SRA2 are rounded to the nearest centimetre and sizes for RA3, RA4, SRA3 and SRA4 are rounded to the nearest half centimetre.
Paper weights
The weight of paper in countries that use ISO standard paper sizes is defined by ISO 536 Paper and Board - Determination of Grammage.
This standard defines grammage as grammes per square metre (g/m2), so the weight of a single sheet of A0 paper defines the grammage of that paper type.
The A0 size is defined by ISO 216 as having an area of one square metre, so an A0 sheet of 80gsm paper will weigh 80 grams, an A0 sheet of 100gsm paper will weigh 100 grams, and so on.
Paper samples
Our sample service is completely free, and will help you get a firmer idea of what your finished project will look and feel like. Just drop us a line on 01268 732109 and we’ll send whatever you need.
A series paper sizes: metric and Imperial measurements (mm and inches)
4A0 - 2378 x 1682mm - 93.6" x 66.2"
2A0 - 1682 x 1189mm - 66.2" x 46.8"
A0 - 1189 x 841mm - 46.8" x 33.1"
A1 - 841 x 594mm - 33.1" x 23.4"
A2 - 594 x 420mm - 23.4 x 16.5"
A3 - 420 x 297mm - 16.5" x 11.7"
A4 - 297 x 210mm - 11.7" x 8.3"
A5 - 210 x 148mm - 8.3" x 5.8"
A6 - 148 x 105mm - 5.8" x 4.1"
A7 - 105 x 74mm - 4.1" x 2.9"
A8 - 74 x 52mm - 2.9" x 2.0"
A9 - 52 x 37mm - 2.0" x 1.5"
A10 - 37 x 26mm - 1.5" x 1.0"
RA untrimmed paper sizes in mm and inches
RA0 - 1220 x 860mm - 48.0" x 33.9"
RA1 - 860 x 610mm - 33.9" x 24.0"
RA2 - 610 x 430mm - 24.0" x 16.9"
RA3 - 430 x 305mm - 16.9" x 12.0"
SRA untrimmed paper sizes in mm and inches
SRA0 - 1280 x 900mm - 50.4" x 35.4"
SRA1 - 900 x 640mm - 35.4" x 25.2"
SRA2 - 640 x 450mm - 25.2 x 17.7"
SRA3 - 450 x 320mm - 17.7" x 12.6"
SRA4 - 320 x 225mm - 12.6" x 8.9"
The good news is that you can leave all the techy details to us. We’ll help you find exactly the right grade for your next project. Don’t forget, we can supply FSC certified grades, and take care of the carbon balancing too, so you know your printed communications will be helping the environment too.