Letter (paper size)
Letter or ANSI Letter is a
Details
The
In the US, paper density is usually measured in "pound per
The related paper size known as half letter, statement, or organizer L is exactly one half of the US Letter size: 8.5 by 5.5 inches (215.9 by 139.7 mm) (8.5 × 5.5 in).
History
The precise origins of the dimensions of US letter-size paper (8.5 × 11 in) are not known. The American Forest & Paper Association says that the standard US dimensions have their origin in the days of manual papermaking, the 11-inch length of the standard paper being about a quarter of "the average maximum stretch of an experienced vatman's arms".[1] The letter size falls within the range of the historical quarto size, which since pre-modern times refers to page sizes of 8 to 9 inches (200 to 230 mm) wide and 10 to 11 inches (250 to 280 mm) high, and it is indeed almost exactly one quarter of the old Imperial (British) paper size known as demy quarto – 17+1⁄2 by 22+1⁄2 inches (440 by 570 mm) – allowing a 1⁄2 inch (13 mm) for trimming.[3]
Tiling
8-1/2 x 11 paper can be almost perfectly tiled with equilateral triangles when the paper is divided into thirds. See image at right. The error in the lengths of the sides of the triangles is only 0.3%. The pattern of triangles and therefore a close approximation of the 8-1/2 x 11 ratio can be generated with nothing more than a compass and a straightedge.
See also
References
- ^ a b American Forest and Paper Association. "Why is the standard paper size in the U.S. 8 ½" x 11"?". Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
- ^ Blocksma, Mary. Reading the Numbers. New York: Penguin Books, 1989.
- ISBN 0-289-79705-5.