What size notebooks are available in the United States?
The long answer to this question depends on what you define as “notebook". In the United States, we are accustomed to seeing paper sizes expressed in niches with the “standard” letter size of 8.5 x 11 inches being the norm so standard size notebooks in the United States tend to follow the standard paper sizes. Some of the most popular "standard size" notebooks in the US are the TOPS 3 Subject College Ruled wire bound and the 5 Star Wirebound 1 Subject College Ruled Notebook. Outside of the USA other countries use a much wider range of paper sizes. When it comes to these “odd” sizes you might think that we in North America have no use for them. However, sizes such as A4 and larger formats are used in notebooks, planners, and even sketchbooks. This guide will walk you through international paper sizes and how they are most used in the United States.
In the United States, the most widely used paper size for notebooks and planners other than the 8.5 x 11 inch (letter) or the 8.5 x 14 inch (legal) is the A4 size.
To understand the A Series of papers you have to have paid attention in math class because all the members of the A series derive from the A0 large format sheet the size of which is 841mm tall x 1189mm wide. If you multiply the two measurements you begin to understand the method to why these dimensions were chosen: 841mm x 1189mm = 999,949mm which is just under a square meter.
Here’s where the math gets tricky and explains why this paper series is so widely used and efficient. All the other sizes of the A series of paper are a result of dividing the sheet by a ratio of 1:√2! If you divide a rectangle with sides 1:√2 along the longest side and the smaller rectangle you create has the same aspect ratio. In plain English, a sheet of A1 paper is half the size of A0. A sheet of A2 is half the size of A1 and so on.
In the United States, the most widely used paper size in the A series is the A4 size. An example of a notebook in the A4 format is the Black & Red Casebound 96 Page Hardcover Notebook. Most companies who do business overseas use A4 paper to submit proposals and correspond with governments using this size. If you do not have business outside of the US then higher end notebooks and planners would be where you might run into the A4 paper size. Companies like Moleskine, Rhodia, Kate Spade, Clairefontaine, and Midori all produce a wide range of notebooks in the A4 format.
What are the dimensions of a “large” notebook?
There is another far less precise size of notebook classified as a large notebook. This size notebook has no real standard other than it’s often larger than 8.5 x 11 or is larger than a particular manufacturer's “standard” size notebook. In order to truly understand this size, you have to dig deep and look for the exact specs and/or measurements to see if a “large” notebook will work for you.
What is the length of a notebook?
In the United States a "regular size spiral bound notebook" is generally 10.5 inches long. But like most things, this is not always the case. The Five Star Wirebound College Ruled1 Subject Notebook measures 7 inches tall by 5 inches wide.
What are the dimensions of some smaller sized notebooks?
Other popular size notebooks in the United States and the world from the A series include the A5, A6, and A7. Many manufacturers tend to label these sizes as "notepads” to differentiate them from their larger formats. The A 5 size (which is half the A4 size and approximately 5.83 x 8.27 inches) is popular among people who take notes on the go because most people can hold the pad in one hand and write with the other comfortably. Also, many “pocket” size notebooks and planners tend to come in the A6 or A7 size.
In addition to the A Series, there is also a “B” series of sizes that are common in higher end notebooks and planners. You can think of the “B” series as the "in between” size in that the sizes in this group are the geometric mean between the corresponding A sizes. For example, B1 is a geometric mean between A1 and A0.
B5 is a very popular notebook size in Japan and many of the higher end Japanese manufacturers who sell notebooks in the United States export this size to the US including Kokuyo, Tsubame, Stalogy and Lihit Lab.
