Drawing sheet sizes — ISO A-series and ANSI/ARCH in mm and inches
Pick the sheet before you pick the scale. Enter the real size of what you need to show and the sheet's usable area, and the calculator gives the largest standard scale that fits.
drawing sheet size reference
- Largest standard scale
- 1:100
- Exact minimum ratio
- 1:51.3
Formula
minimum N = max(real width ÷ sheet width, real height ÷ sheet height)Work in the same unit (mm) for both, take the larger ratio, then round up to the next standard scale. The usable area is the sheet minus border and title block — on A1 that is roughly 780 × 520 mm.
Worked examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| 40 × 25 m plan on A1 (780 × 520 usable) | 1:100 |
| 12 × 8 m plan on A3 (380 × 260 usable) | 1:50 |
ISO A-series sheet sizes
| Sheet | Size |
|---|---|
| A0 | 841 × 1189 mm (33.1 × 46.8 in) |
| A1 | 594 × 841 mm (23.4 × 33.1 in) |
| A2 | 420 × 594 mm (16.5 × 23.4 in) |
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm (11.7 × 16.5 in) |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm (8.3 × 11.7 in) |
US ANSI and ARCH sheet sizes
| Sheet | Size |
|---|---|
| ANSI A | 8.5 × 11 in (216 × 279 mm) |
| ANSI B | 11 × 17 in (279 × 432 mm) |
| ANSI C | 17 × 22 in (432 × 559 mm) |
| ANSI D | 22 × 34 in (559 × 864 mm) |
| ANSI E | 34 × 44 in (864 × 1118 mm) |
| ARCH A | 9 × 12 in (229 × 305 mm) |
| ARCH B | 12 × 18 in (305 × 457 mm) |
| ARCH C | 18 × 24 in (457 × 610 mm) |
| ARCH D | 24 × 36 in (610 × 914 mm) |
| ARCH E | 36 × 48 in (914 × 1219 mm) |
| ARCH E1 | 30 × 42 in (762 × 1067 mm) |
Questions
What size is A1 in inches?
594 × 841 mm, which is 23.4 × 33.1 inches. The nearest US sizes are ANSI D (22 × 34") and ARCH D (24 × 36").
Is ARCH D the same as ANSI D?
No. ARCH D is 24 × 36" and used for architectural sets; ANSI D is 22 × 34" and used for engineering drawings.
Will an A1 drawing print correctly on ARCH D?
Only at a slightly different scale. Print at 100% and the edges may clip; fit to page and the scale is no longer exact, so add a graphic scale bar.
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