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Another test of layout facility

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Foolscap? Quarto? Kings? Dukes? Elephants and Double Elephants?

Old British Paper Sizes

During a conversation earlier today a couple of us were talking about operating old copying machines that used ammonia and were rather smelly and I doubt would get through modern health and safety rules.

I operated one during a holiday when I was in my late teens.  It was in the drawing office where my father worked and was used to copy architectural drawings that were done on large sheets of paper and I recalled that the largest sheets used were "double elephant".  While many people may remember the old British "Foolscap" paper size (about 8 inches by 13 inches, and which I think had a "fools cap" watermark), fewer people will remember the other sizes.  A quick bit of research on the internet produces the following - thanks to standardpostersizes.com

The smaller sizes of British Paper were

FORMAT WIDTH X HEIGHT (MM) WIDTH X HEIGHT (INCHES)
Foolscap 203 x 330 mm 7.992 x 12.992 inches
Quarto 203 x 254 mm 7.992 x 10.000 inches
Imperial 178 x 229 mm 7.008 x 9.016 inches
Kings 165 x 203 mm 6.496 x 7.992 inches
Dukes 140 x 178 mm 5.512 x 7.008 inches

Table of British paper Sizes

There were also sizes for bigger sheets of paper Imperial Sizes which also included a much larger size of foolscap.

FORMAT WIDTH X HEIGHT (MM) WIDTH X HEIGHT (INCHES)
Small Foolscap 337 x 419 mm 13.268 x 16.496 inches
Brief 343 x 406 mm 13.504 x 15.984 inches
Pott 318 x 381 mm 12.520 x 15.000 inches
Quarto 229 x 279 mm 9.016 x 10.984 inches
Monarch 184 x 267 mm 7.244 x 10.512 inches
Sheet, Half Post 495 x 597 mm 19.488 x 23.504 inches
Double Post 483 x 762 mm 19.016 x 30.000 inches
Super Royal 483 x 686 mm 19.016 x 27.008 inches
Broadsheet 457 x 610 mm 17.992 x 24.016 inches
Medium 470 x 584 mm 18.504 x 22.992 inches
Demy 445 x 572 mm 17.520 x 22.520 inches
Copy Draught 406 x 508 mm 15.984 x 20.000 inches
Large Post 394 x 508 mm 15.512 x 20.000 inches
Post 394 x 489 mm 15.512 x 19.252 inches
Crown 381 x 508 mm 15.000 x 20.000 inches
Pinched Post 375 x 470 mm 14.764 x 18.504 inches
Foolscap 343 x 432 mm 13.504 x 17.008 inches
Emperor 1219 x 1829 mm 47.992 x 72.008 inches
Quad Demy 889 x 1143 mm 35.000 x 45.000 inches
Antiquarian 787 x 1346 mm 30.984 x 52.992 inches
Grand Eagle 730 x 1067 mm 28.740 x 42.008 inches
Double Elephant 678 x 1016 mm 26.693 x 40.000 inches
Atlas 660 x 864 mm 25.984 x 34.016 inches
Columbier 597 x 876 mm 23.504 x 34.488 inches
Double Demy 572 x 902 mm 22.520 x 35.512 inches
Imperial 559 x 762 mm 22.008 x 30.000 inches
Double Large Post 533 x 838 mm 20.984 x 32.992 inches
Elephant 584 x 711 mm 22.992 x 27.992 inches
Princess 546 x 711 mm 21.496 x 27.992 inches
Cartridge 533 x 660 mm 20.984 x 25.984 inches
Royal 508 x 635 mm 20.000 x 25.000 inches

Table of Imperial Paper Sizes

Hope this is of interest.

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