What is A5 size in cm?
A5 is 148 × 210 mm — that is 14.8 × 21.0 cm, or 5.83 × 8.27 inches. It is exactly half an A4 sheet and exactly twice an A6.
A5 in every unit
| Unit | A5 |
|---|---|
| Millimetres | 148 × 210 mm |
| Centimetres | 14.8 × 21.0 cm |
| Inches | 5.83 × 8.27 in |
| Pixels at 72 DPI | 420 × 595 px |
| Pixels at 300 DPI (print) | 1748 × 2480 px |
| Area | 1/32 m² |
If you are setting up artwork for print, 300 DPI is the number that matters — 1748 × 2480 pixels. Anything built at 72 DPI is a screen file and will look soft on paper.
The full A-series size chart
Millimetres are the definition under ISO 216 and are exact; centimetres and inches are converted from them. Every size is exactly half the area of the one above it.
| Size | Millimetres | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| A0 | 841 × 1189 mm | 84.1 × 118.9 cm | 33.11 × 46.81 in |
| A1 | 594 × 841 mm | 59.4 × 84.1 cm | 23.39 × 33.11 in |
| A2 | 420 × 594 mm | 42.0 × 59.4 cm | 16.54 × 23.39 in |
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm | 29.7 × 42.0 cm | 11.69 × 16.54 in |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | 21.0 × 29.7 cm | 8.27 × 11.69 in |
| A5 | 148 × 210 mm | 14.8 × 21.0 cm | 5.83 × 8.27 in |
| A6 | 105 × 148 mm | 10.5 × 14.8 cm | 4.13 × 5.83 in |
| A7 | 74 × 105 mm | 7.4 × 10.5 cm | 2.91 × 4.13 in |
| A8 | 52 × 74 mm | 5.2 × 7.4 cm | 2.05 × 2.91 in |
A5 against A4 and A6
A5 is half an A4. Fold an A4 sheet in half along its long edge and you have an A5, at exactly the same proportions. Fold the A5 again and you have an A6, which is postcard size. That is the whole logic of the A series: the ratio is always 1 : √2, so nothing is ever cropped when you scale between sizes.
| Size | Feels like | |
|---|---|---|
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | The standard office sheet |
| A5 | 148 × 210 mm | A paperback page, a good flyer |
| A6 | 105 × 148 mm | A postcard |
What A5 is actually used for
A5 is the size you reach for when something is handed to a person rather than hung on a wall: event flyers, menus, invitations, product inserts, programmes, notepads and greeting cards. It is big enough to carry an image and a paragraph, and small enough to fit a handbag or a pocket, which is why it is the default for anything distributed by hand.
It is the wrong size for anything read from across a room. On the working rule of roughly 25 mm of capital height per metre of viewing distance, an A5 sheet can carry text read from about a metre away — no further.
Printing something at this size?
A5 is a paper size, and paper does not last outdoors. If the thing you are printing has to survive weather, a doorway or a fence, the signage equivalents are more useful:
For counter and door signage at close range, a small corflute sign is rigid and waterproof. For anything that has to be seen from further back, our standard corflute is 600 × 900 mm — roughly A1 — and a pull up banner at 800 × 2000 mm stands up by itself. For a menu or a notice that changes often, an A-frame sign takes a replaceable insert.
Everything is printed in our own factory in Derrimut, Melbourne and dispatched within 24 hours of proof approval. You can put your own wording on a ready-made design online for free, or send print-ready artwork. Custom sizing is available if none of the standard sizes fit.
Related: A1 size in cm · Is A3 bigger than A4? · Common poster sizes in Australia
