Quick answer: The most common booklet size is A5, 148 × 210 mm (14.8 × 21 cm), in the UK, Europe and most of the world, and 5.5 × 8.5 inches (half letter) in the US. An A6 booklet is 105 × 148 mm (10.5 × 14.8 cm), and an A4 booklet is 210 × 297 mm. Stapled booklets need a page count that is a multiple of 4.
Key facts at a glance
- A5 booklet: 148 × 210 mm (14.8 × 21 cm, 5.83 × 8.27 in), made from A4 sheets folded in half
- A6 booklet: 105 × 148 mm (10.5 × 14.8 cm, 4.13 × 5.83 in), made from A5 sheets folded in half
- A4 booklet: 210 × 297 mm (21 × 29.7 cm, 8.27 × 11.69 in)
- Most common US size: 5.5 × 8.5 in (half letter), followed by 6 × 9 in and 8.5 × 11 in
- Page count: multiples of 4 for saddle-stitched (stapled) booklets, because each folded sheet makes 4 pages
- Bleed: 3 mm (about 0.125 in) on every outside edge
Paper sizes in this guide follow the ISO 216 standard. Binding and file guidance is checked against printer specifications, listed in the Sources section.
In this guide
- Standard and average booklet size
- Booklet size chart
- A5 booklet size
- A6 booklet size
- A4, DL, square and A7 booklets
- US booklet sizes
- How booklet size relates to sheet size
- Page counts and binding by size
- How to choose the right booklet size
- Booklet file setup
- Envelopes and mailing
- Booklets in product packaging
- Common booklet size mistakes
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What Is the Standard Booklet Size?
There is no single standard booklet size, but there are clear favorites. Outside North America, the go-to booklet size is A5 (148 × 210 mm), made by folding A4 sheets in half. In the US and Canada it is 5.5 × 8.5 inches, made by folding US Letter sheets in half. Both are compact, easy to hold and cheap to print because they use standard paper with little waste.
People also ask about the “average booklet size.” There is no official average, but the sizes most printers sell are close to each other: an average booklet size sits around 14 to 15 cm wide and 21 to 22 cm tall, which covers both A5 and half letter.
| Region | Most Common Booklet Size | Next Most Common |
|---|---|---|
| UK, Europe, Australia and most of the world | A5: 148 × 210 mm | A4 (210 × 297 mm) and A6 (105 × 148 mm) |
| US and Canada | Half letter: 5.5 × 8.5 in | 6 × 9 in and Letter (8.5 × 11 in) |
Booklet Size Chart: mm, cm and Inches
This chart lists the finished (trimmed) page size of each common booklet format, in portrait orientation.
| Booklet Size | Millimeters | Centimeters | Inches | Typical Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 210 × 297 | 21 × 29.7 | 8.27 × 11.69 | Catalogs, magazines, reports, manuals |
| A5 | 148 × 210 | 14.8 × 21 | 5.83 × 8.27 | Brochures, programs, menus, handbooks, guides |
| A6 | 105 × 148 | 10.5 × 14.8 | 4.13 × 5.83 | Pocket guides, instruction booklets, loyalty booklets |
| A7 | 74 × 105 | 7.4 × 10.5 | 2.91 × 4.13 | Mini booklets, inserts for very small boxes |
| DL | 99 × 210 | 9.9 × 21 | 3.90 × 8.27 | Price lists, short guides, mailers |
| B5 | 176 × 250 | 17.6 × 25 | 6.93 × 9.84 | Notebooks, workbooks, books |
| Square (210 mm) | 210 × 210 | 21 × 21 | 8.27 × 8.27 | Lookbooks, portfolios, photo booklets |
| US Letter | 216 × 279 | 21.6 × 27.9 | 8.5 × 11 | Catalogs, annual reports, workbooks |
| 6 × 9 in | 152 × 229 | 15.2 × 22.9 | 6 × 9 | Programs, handbooks, journals |
| Half letter (digest) | 140 × 216 | 14 × 21.6 | 5.5 × 8.5 | Brochures, manuals, directories |
| Quarter letter (pocket) | 108 × 140 | 10.8 × 14 | 4.25 × 5.5 | Pocket guides, rule books |
| 4 × 6 in | 102 × 152 | 10.2 × 15.2 | 4 × 6 | Instruction booklets and inserts for product packaging |
Booklet Size cm Chart
If you searched for booklet size cm, here are the most common formats in centimeters only, width × height:
- A4 booklet: 21 × 29.7 cm
- A5 booklet: 14.8 × 21 cm
- A6 booklet: 10.5 × 14.8 cm
- A7 booklet: 7.4 × 10.5 cm
- DL booklet: 9.9 × 21 cm
- Half letter booklet: 14 × 21.6 cm
A-series sizes come from the ISO 216 standard. Every size has the same 1:√2 shape, and each one is exactly half the area of the size above it, so A4 folded in half is A5 and A5 folded in half is A6 (ISO 216 overview, University of Cambridge).
A5 Booklet Size
The A5 booklet size is 148 × 210 mm, which is 14.8 × 21 cm or about 5.83 × 8.27 inches. Put another way, booklet size A5 is half of an A4 page. It is the most popular booklet size in the UK and Europe because it is large enough for readable text and images, yet small enough to carry, post or slip into a bag.
| A5 Booklet Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Finished size (portrait) | 148 × 210 mm (14.8 × 21 cm) |
| Landscape | 210 × 148 mm |
| Flat sheet before folding | A4, 297 × 210 mm (4 pages per sheet) |
| Page size with 3 mm bleed | 154 × 216 mm |
| Pixels at 300 DPI | 1748 × 2480 px (1819 × 2551 px with bleed) |
| Envelope | C5 (162 × 229 mm) |
Typical A5 booklets include event and wedding programs, menus, staff handbooks, product guides, training booklets, zines and brochures. It is also the size closest to the US half letter booklet, so A5 designs travel well between markets. If your booklet is part of a wedding or event suite, this guide to wedding stationery printing covers files and print options for the matching pieces.
A6 Booklet Size
The A6 booklet size is 105 × 148 mm, which is 10.5 × 14.8 cm or about 4.13 × 5.83 inches. It is half of A5 and a quarter of A4, about the size of a postcard, which makes it the classic pocket booklet.
| A6 Booklet Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Finished size (portrait) | 105 × 148 mm (10.5 × 14.8 cm) |
| Landscape | 148 × 105 mm |
| Flat sheet before folding | A5, 210 × 148 mm (4 pages per sheet) |
| Page size with 3 mm bleed | 111 × 154 mm |
| Pixels at 300 DPI | 1240 × 1748 px (1311 × 1819 px with bleed) |
| Envelope | C6 (114 × 162 mm) |
Choose A6 for pocket guides, festival and event programs, instruction booklets that ship inside product boxes, loyalty and stamp booklets, recipe cards and guest information. Keep body text short and use at least a 9 to 10 pt font, because the page is small. For a similar small format, see this postcard size chart.
A4, DL, Square and A7 Booklets
- A4 booklet (210 × 297 mm): the size for catalogs, magazines, annual reports and technical manuals, printed on A3 sheets folded in half. Planning a long product range? This catalog printing guide covers sizes, paper and binding.
- DL booklet (99 × 210 mm): a tall, slim format, one-third of an A4 sheet, that suits price lists, short guides and mailers. A DL page is 99 × 210 mm; a DL envelope is slightly bigger at 110 × 220 mm.
- Square booklet (210 × 210 mm or 148 × 148 mm): popular for lookbooks, portfolios and photo booklets. Square formats use paper less efficiently, so they usually cost more per copy.
- A7 booklet (74 × 105 mm): a mini booklet for very small product boxes, sample packs and favors.
US Booklet Sizes
US printers use inch sizes based on the 8.5 × 11 inch Letter sheet:
| US Booklet Size | Inches | Millimeters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half letter (digest) | 5.5 × 8.5 | 140 × 216 | The most common small booklet; a Letter sheet folded in half |
| 6 × 9 | 6 × 9 | 152 × 229 | A book-like size for programs and handbooks |
| Letter | 8.5 × 11 | 216 × 279 | The most common large booklet; an 11 × 17 in sheet folded in half |
| Quarter letter (pocket) | 4.25 × 5.5 | 108 × 140 | Close to A6 |
| Square | 8.5 × 8.5 or 6 × 6 | 216 × 216 or 152 × 152 | Lookbooks and children’s books |
A5 vs Half Letter, A4 vs Letter
| Metric Size | Closest US Size | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| A5: 148 × 210 mm | Half letter: 140 × 216 mm | A5 is about 8 mm wider and 6 mm shorter |
| A4: 210 × 297 mm | Letter: 216 × 279 mm | A4 is about 6 mm narrower and 18 mm taller |
| A6: 105 × 148 mm | Quarter letter: 108 × 140 mm | A6 is about 3 mm narrower and 8 mm taller |
These differences are small, but they are enough to crop artwork or push text into the trim. Always design at the exact size your printer will produce, not the “nearest” one.
How Booklet Size Relates to Sheet Size
A booklet is a stack of sheets folded in half, so the flat sheet is always twice the width of the finished page. Each sheet carries 4 pages: two on the front and two on the back.
| Finished Booklet | Flat Sheet Before Folding |
|---|---|
| A6 (105 × 148 mm) | A5 (210 × 148 mm) |
| A5 (148 × 210 mm) | A4 (297 × 210 mm) |
| A4 (210 × 297 mm) | A3 (420 × 297 mm) |
| Half letter (5.5 × 8.5 in) | Letter (11 × 8.5 in) |
| Letter (8.5 × 11 in) | Tabloid (17 × 11 in) |
Commercial printers usually print on slightly larger sheets, then trim. SRA sizes exist for exactly this purpose: SRA3 (320 × 450 mm) is a common press sheet with room for bleed around A3 and A4 work (PaperSizes). To work out how many sheets a booklet needs, divide the page count by 4: a 16-page A5 booklet uses 4 sheets, including the cover.
Page Counts and Binding by Booklet Size
The binding you choose sets the page count rules, so decide on binding at the same time as size.
| Binding | Page Count Rule | Typical Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saddle stitch (staples on the fold) | Multiple of 4 | About 8 to 64 pages is typical; some printers go to 80 or more on thinner paper | Programs, brochures, menus, short guides |
| Perfect binding (glued square spine) | Usually even numbers | From about 28 to 40 pages up to several hundred | Catalogs, handbooks, manuals, books |
| Wire-o or spiral | Any count | Small to very large | Workbooks, cookbooks, booklets that must lie flat |
- Why multiples of 4: each folded sheet makes 4 pages, so a stapled booklet can be 8, 12, 16 or 20 pages, but not 10 or 14. Printers add blank pages if your count does not fit.
- Count the cover: in a self-cover booklet, the cover is 4 of the pages. A 16-page booklet has 12 inside pages.
- Creep: in thick stapled booklets, the inner pages push outward and get trimmed slightly more than the outer pages. Printers compensate for this, and it usually needs adjusting above about 48 pages (Smartpress).
- Limits vary: paper thickness, not just page count, sets the maximum, so confirm the limit with your printer.
For more on binding styles, page counts and finishing for longer publications, see this book printing guide.
How to Choose the Right Booklet Size
| Booklet Type | Recommended Size |
|---|---|
| Event, church or wedding program | A5 or 5.5 × 8.5 in |
| Restaurant or drinks menu | A5, DL or A4 |
| Product catalog | A4, Letter or A5 |
| Instruction manual inside a product box | A6, A7 or 4 × 6 in, sized to the box |
| Pocket guide or festival program | A6 or 4.25 × 5.5 in |
| Staff handbook or training guide | A5 or 6 × 9 in |
| Annual report or magazine | A4 or 8.5 × 11 in |
| Lookbook or portfolio | Square, 210 × 210 mm or 8.5 × 8.5 in |
Beyond the use, weigh these factors:
- Content: large images and tables need A4 or Letter; short text fits A5 or A6.
- Readability: small booklets need fewer words per page and a slightly larger type size relative to the page.
- Distribution: booklets handed out or posted should fit a standard envelope; booklets in packaging must fit the box.
- Cost: standard A-series and US sizes waste the least paper. Custom and square sizes usually cost more.
- Page count: a smaller page means more pages for the same content, which can push a stapled booklet past its limit.
Booklet File Setup by Size
- Page size: set your document to the finished page size, such as 148 × 210 mm for A5, not the flat sheet size.
- Bleed: add 3 mm (about 0.125 in) on every outside edge for colors and images that run to the edge. An A5 page with bleed is 154 × 216 mm. The bleed and safe zones guide shows how to set this up.
- Safe zone: keep text and logos at least 5 mm (about 0.25 in) inside the trim, and allow extra room on the spine side, around 10 mm, so nothing disappears into the fold.
- Pages, not spreads: supply single pages in reading order. The printer arranges them on sheets, which is called imposition.
- Color and resolution: design in CMYK and use images at 300 DPI at the final size. Check brand colors with a CMYK color converter.
- Canva and other tools: create a custom size with bleed and export a print PDF, following these steps for print-ready Canva files.
| Booklet Size | Page Size With Bleed | Pixels at 300 DPI (Trim Size) |
|---|---|---|
| A4 | 216 × 303 mm | 2480 × 3508 px |
| A5 | 154 × 216 mm | 1748 × 2480 px |
| A6 | 111 × 154 mm | 1240 × 1748 px |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in | 5.75 × 8.75 in | 1650 × 2550 px |
| 8.5 × 11 in | 8.75 × 11.25 in | 2550 × 3300 px |
Printing a booklet on an office printer? Use the printer’s booklet setting, which arranges and folds the pages in order. It is different from collating copies, as this guide to collated printing explained shows.
Envelopes and Mailing by Booklet Size
| Booklet Size | Envelope That Fits |
|---|---|
| A6 (105 × 148 mm) | C6 (114 × 162 mm) |
| A5 (148 × 210 mm) | C5 (162 × 229 mm) |
| A4 (210 × 297 mm) | C4 (229 × 324 mm) |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in | 6 × 9 in or A9 (5.75 × 8.75 in) |
| 8.5 × 11 in | 9 × 12 in |
In the US, the mailing category depends on size and thickness. A piece mails as a letter if it is no more than 6-1/8 inches tall, 11-1/2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick; larger pieces up to 12 × 15 inches and 3/4 inch thick mail as flats (USPS). A thin 5.5 × 8.5 inch booklet can fit the letter size limits, while a thicker one or an 8.5 × 11 inch booklet mails as a flat. Booklets mailed as letters also have extra sealing and flexibility rules, so check with USPS or your mailing service first.
Booklets in Product Packaging
Instruction booklets, care guides and warranty booklets often ship inside the product box. For these, the box decides the booklet size, not the other way around:
- Measure the inside of the box, or the insert pocket, and leave a few millimeters of clearance on each side.
- A6, A7 and 4 × 6 inch booklets suit small product boxes; A5 suits larger retail and gift boxes.
- Thick booklets need depth too, so allow for the spine thickness when sizing a custom box.
- For a single-sheet alternative to a booklet, trifold brochure inserts fold small and cost less.
BoxNovo prints booklets and the packaging they go in, from branded product boxes to ecommerce mailer boxes.
Common Booklet Size Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Designing at the flat sheet size (A4) for an A5 booklet | Set the document to the finished page size, 148 × 210 mm |
| A page count that is not a multiple of 4 | Add or remove pages so the total, including the cover, divides by 4 |
| Using A5 artwork for a US half letter booklet | Resize to 5.5 × 8.5 in; the shapes are close but not the same |
| No bleed on images that touch the edge | Add 3 mm (0.125 in) bleed on every outside edge |
| Text too close to the fold or trim | Keep 5 mm from the trim and about 10 mm from the spine |
| Too many pages for staples | Use perfect binding or thinner paper above about 64 pages |
| Booklet does not fit its envelope or box | Choose the envelope or box first and size the booklet to fit |
| Supplying printer spreads | Supply single pages in reading order |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the standard booklet size?
A5 (148 × 210 mm) in the UK, Europe and most of the world, and 5.5 × 8.5 inches (half letter) in the US and Canada.
What is the average booklet size?
There is no official average, but most booklets are about 14 to 15 cm wide and 21 to 22 cm tall, the range covered by A5 and half letter.
What is the A5 booklet size in cm?
An A5 booklet is 14.8 × 21 cm (148 × 210 mm), or about 5.83 × 8.27 inches.
What is the A6 booklet size in cm?
An A6 booklet is 10.5 × 14.8 cm (105 × 148 mm), or about 4.13 × 5.83 inches.
What is booklet size A5 in inches?
About 5.83 × 8.27 inches. The closest US size is half letter, 5.5 × 8.5 inches.
What size paper do I need for an A5 booklet?
A4 paper folded in half. Each A4 sheet makes 4 A5 pages, so a 16-page A5 booklet uses 4 sheets.
What size paper do I need for an A6 booklet?
A5 paper folded in half, or A4 sheets cut in half first. Each A5 sheet makes 4 A6 pages.
Is A5 the same as half letter?
No. A5 is 148 × 210 mm and half letter is 140 × 216 mm, so A5 is slightly wider and shorter.
Why must booklet pages be a multiple of 4?
Each folded sheet makes 4 pages, so saddle-stitched booklets can only be 8, 12, 16, 20 pages and so on. Perfect-bound and spiral-bound booklets do not have this rule.
How many pages can a stapled booklet have?
About 8 to 64 pages is typical, and some printers go to 80 or more on thinner paper. Thicker paper lowers the limit, so check with your printer.
What is the smallest booklet size?
A7 (74 × 105 mm) is a common mini size. Smaller custom sizes are possible but harder to read and bind.
What size is a DL booklet?
99 × 210 mm (9.9 × 21 cm), one-third of an A4 sheet. It fits a DL envelope, which is 110 × 220 mm.
What size is an A4 booklet?
210 × 297 mm (21 × 29.7 cm), printed on A3 sheets folded in half.
How much bleed does a booklet need?
3 mm (about 0.125 in) on every outside edge, so an A5 page with bleed is 154 × 216 mm.
What size booklet fits in a product box?
One slightly smaller than the inside of the box. A6, A7 and 4 × 6 inch booklets suit small boxes; measure the box first and leave a little clearance.
What envelope fits an A5 booklet?
A C5 envelope, 162 × 229 mm. An A6 booklet fits a C6 envelope, 114 × 162 mm.
Final Takeaway
The right booklet size depends on where the booklet goes and what it holds. A5 (14.8 × 21 cm) is the everyday choice in most of the world and 5.5 × 8.5 inches in the US; A6 (10.5 × 14.8 cm) suits pocket guides and product inserts; A4 and Letter suit catalogs and reports. Set your file to the finished page size with 3 mm of bleed, keep stapled page counts to multiples of 4, and choose the envelope or box before you finalize the size.
Ready to print? BoxNovo offers custom booklet printing in standard and custom sizes. Request a booklet quote to get started.
Sources
- University of Cambridge (Markus Kuhn): ISO 216 paper sizes, envelopes and US sizes
- PaperSizes: RA and SRA untrimmed sizes
- Lightprint: standard booklet sizes in the UK, bleed and margins
- Color Vision Printing: common US booklet sizes
- 4OVER4: standard catalog and booklet formats
- 4OVER4: booklet page counts, multiples of four and creep
- Kapa99: booklet and catalog sizes, binding ranges
- Doxdirect: saddle-stitched binding
- Smartpress: page creep
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual: letter and flat dimensions
- 4OVER4: A9 envelope size
