A4sivun

A4sivun is Finnish for an A4-sized page, referring to a single sheet of paper that conforms to the A4 size used in the ISO 216 standard. In everyday Finnish usage, the term is commonly written as A4-sivu or A4sivun, with the meaning clear from context: a page of A4 dimensions within documents, forms, and publications.

Dimensions and format

An A4 page measures 210 by 297 millimeters (about 8.27 by 11.69 inches). The A-series is defined by an aspect ratio of 1 to the square root of 2, ensuring that each size is half the area of the previous one when cut parallel to the shorter sides. This property allows easy scaling between A4 and other A-series sizes, such as A5 or A3, without changing the page proportions.

History and standardization

The A-series standards are part of ISO 216, established in the 20th century to create a universal system for paper sizes. A4 became one of the most widely used formats for offices, printing, and publishing globally, particularly outside the United States where Letter and Legal sizes are more common. The standardization facilitates cross-border document exchange, printing compatibility, and predictable margins.

Usage and practical notes

A4sivun is the default page size for many office documents, reports, forms, and letters in Europe, Asia, and other regions. It is commonly used in printers and copiers, and digital document formats (such as PDF) are often set to A4 by default. In practice, margins, bleed, and layout vary by purpose; A4 can be oriented portrait or landscape and folded to create smaller formats like A5 or A6.

See also

ISO 216, A-series paper sizes.