Digital Prints

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Mastering Digital Printing
Size: As I mentioned in the last chapter, size is one of the primary factors in deciding
among inkjet printers. Most inkjet papers come in normal, commercial print sizes: 8.5 ×
11, 11 × 17, 13 × 19, and so on. These sizes are based on those used in the U.S. for standard
office paper products (see Table 7.4). Paper marketed in Europe or other parts of the
world comes in different sizes and matches the paper sizes of that area. Some paper suppliers
will also list standard photographic paper sizes (4 × 6, 8 × 10, 11 × 14, and so on).
Table 7.4 Standard Paper Sizes
U.S. Name U.S. Size Metric Equivalent
A (letter) 8.5 × 11 inches 216 × 279 mm
Legal 8.5 × 14 inches 216 × 356 mm
B (ledger) 11 × 17 inches 279 × 432 mm
Super B/Super A3 13 × 19 inches 330 × 483 mm
C 17 × 22 inches 432 × 559 mm
D 22 × 34 inches 559 × 864 mm
E 34 × 44 inches 864 × 1118 mm
Metric Name Metric Size U.S. Equivalent
A5 148 × 210 mm 5.8 × 8.3 inches
A4 210 × 297 mm 8.3 × 11.7 inches
A3 297 × 420 mm 11.7 × 16.5 inches
A3+ 329 × 483 mm 13 × 19 inches
A2 420 × 594 mm 16.5 × 23.4 inches
A1 594 × 841 mm 23.4 × 33.1 inches
A0 841 × 1189 mm 33.1 × 46.8 inches
Don’t forget that many papers, especially high-end ones, come in sheets and rolls. Rolls
are not just for wide-format printers, but also for desktops. For example, Digital Art
Supplies carries short-width rolls of certain high-quality papers. Digital artist Bonny
Lhotka takes her wide rolls to a plastic supply company where they have the right saws for
cutting the rolls down to size. Rolls work well for people who not only need to print with
roll-fed media but also for those who want the flexibility to cut their own sheet sizes or to
roll-print quantities of images without supervision.
Substrate: How is the paper made? What is the substrate material? Wood pulp? Cotton
rag content? Plastic or other synthetics? RC? This is the starting point for knowing about
a type of paper.