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Drawing sheet sizes
The drawing sheet sizes page lists the ANSI sizes A to E of ASME Y14.1 and the ISO 216 sizes A0 to A4 in inches and millimeters, explains where the title block and the zones go, and names the standard size of a print or a scan from its width and height.
A sheet of 17 × 11 in
ANSI B (Tabloid or Ledger)
| Measured | 11 × 17 in (279.4 × 431.8 mm), landscape |
|---|---|
| Standard size | ANSI B (Tabloid or Ledger): 11 × 17 in (279.4 × 431.8 mm), ANSI (ASME Y14.1) |
| Difference | short side 0 in, long side 0 in |
| Proportions | 1 : 1.545, the same as ANSI B, ANSI D |
| Next nearest | ISO A3, 297 × 420 mm (11.69 × 16.54 in); ARCH B, 12 × 18 in (304.8 × 457.2 mm) |
Standard sizes
Standard drawing sheet sizes.
Each size in the unit its standard defines it in, then the other, short side first.
ANSI sizes (ASME Y14.1)
| Size | Inches | Millimeters | Proportions |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (US Letter) | 8.5 × 11 in | 215.9 × 279.4 mm | 1 : 1.294 |
| B (Tabloid or Ledger) | 11 × 17 in | 279.4 × 431.8 mm | 1 : 1.545 |
| C | 17 × 22 in | 431.8 × 558.8 mm | 1 : 1.294 |
| D | 22 × 34 in | 558.8 × 863.6 mm | 1 : 1.545 |
| E | 34 × 44 in | 863.6 × 1117.6 mm | 1 : 1.294 |
| F | 28 × 40 in | 711.2 × 1016 mm | 1 : 1.429 |
Source: ASME Y14.1, defined in inches. Two letters apart, a size is exactly twice the other in each direction: A to C, B to D, C to E. F is a size of its own.
ISO A sizes (ISO 216, used for drawings by ISO 5457)
| Size | Inches | Millimeters | Proportions |
|---|---|---|---|
| A0 | 33.11 × 46.81 in | 841 × 1189 mm | 1 : 1.414 |
| A1 | 23.39 × 33.11 in | 594 × 841 mm | 1 : 1.416 |
| A2 | 16.54 × 23.39 in | 420 × 594 mm | 1 : 1.414 |
| A3 | 11.69 × 16.54 in | 297 × 420 mm | 1 : 1.414 |
| A4 | 8.27 × 11.69 in | 210 × 297 mm | 1 : 1.414 |
Source: ISO 216, defined in millimeters. A0 is one square meter; each size is the one before cut in half, so every size keeps the proportions 1 : √2 (1 : 1.414).
US architectural sizes
| Size | Inches | Millimeters | Proportions |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH A | 9 × 12 in | 228.6 × 304.8 mm | 1 : 1.333 |
| ARCH B | 12 × 18 in | 304.8 × 457.2 mm | 1 : 1.5 |
| ARCH C | 18 × 24 in | 457.2 × 609.6 mm | 1 : 1.333 |
| ARCH D | 24 × 36 in | 609.6 × 914.4 mm | 1 : 1.5 |
| ARCH E1 | 30 × 42 in | 762 × 1066.8 mm | 1 : 1.4 |
| ARCH E | 36 × 48 in | 914.4 × 1219.2 mm | 1 : 1.333 |
A US trade convention for building drawings, not part of ASME Y14.1 or ISO; listed because prints in these sizes are common.
How a sheet is laid out
Title block, zones and borders.
Every standard sheet carries the same furniture in the same places, so a reader finds the drawing number and a zone's detail without searching.
The title block sits in the lower right corner of the drawing area, on ASME Y14.1 and ISO 5457 sheets alike. It carries the drawing number, the title, the sheet's size letter, the scale, the revision, and who drew, checked and approved it. ISO 7200 sets it at no more than 180 mm wide. The revision block usually sits in the upper right corner.
Zones divide the border into a grid, so a note can say "see zone C4". On an ASME Y14.1 sheet the numbers run along the top and bottom from 1 at the right, and the letters up the sides from A at the bottom, which puts the title block in zone A1. ISO 5457 starts from the corner opposite the title block, numbering from the left and lettering from the top, in zones 50 mm long.
Borders. ISO 5457 frames the drawing 20 mm from the left edge, for filing, and 10 mm from the other three, with centering marks at the middle of each side. A drawing printed at another size keeps its zones and its title block; only the scale changes, so check the title block's SIZE box before measuring off a print.
Sources: ASME Y14.1 (inch sheet sizes and format), ISO 216 (A sizes), ISO 5457 (sizes and layout of drawing sheets), ISO 7200 (title blocks).
Questions
What people ask about drawing sizes.
What size is a D-size drawing?
ANSI D is 22 × 34 in (558.8 × 863.6 mm), from ASME Y14.1. It is twice ANSI B (11 × 17 in) in each direction, so a D drawing printed on B paper is exactly half scale.
What is the difference between ANSI and ISO drawing sizes?
ANSI sizes (ASME Y14.1) are inch sizes that start from A, 8.5 × 11 in, each one double the area of the one before, with proportions that alternate between about 1 : 1.29 and 1 : 1.55. ISO A sizes (ISO 216) are metric, from A0 of one square meter, each one half the area of the one before and all with the proportions 1 : √2. Neighbors such as ANSI A and A4 are close, but not the same.
Is A4 the same as letter size?
No. A4 is 210 × 297 mm (8.27 × 11.69 in); US Letter, the same as ANSI A, is 8.5 × 11 in (215.9 × 279.4 mm). A4 is narrower and longer.
Where does the title block go on a drawing?
In the lower right corner of the drawing area, on both ASME Y14.1 and ISO 5457 sheets. The revision block usually sits in the upper right corner. ISO 7200 sets the title block at no more than 180 mm wide.
How are the zones on a drawing numbered?
On an ASME Y14.1 sheet, numbers run along the top and bottom borders from 1 at the right, and letters run up the sides from A at the bottom, so the title block sits in zone A1. ISO 5457 starts from the corner opposite the title block: numbers from the left and letters from the top, each zone 50 mm long. A zone, such as C4, tells a reader where on the sheet to look.
How do I find the size of a scanned drawing?
Divide its pixels by its resolution: a scan of 10200 × 6600 pixels at 300 dots per inch is 34 × 22 inches, which is ANSI D. The tool on this page does it, and names the nearest standard size.
From SpecCapture
Reading a whole drawing?
SpecCapture reads the sheet size, the scale and the sheet number and count from a drawing's title block, beside its number, revision and title. SpecCapture reads the title block, the revision history, the bill of materials, the hole table, the application block, the tabulated dash numbers and the general notes off 2D engineering drawings, with a box on the drawing around every value it reads, so checking it takes a glance.