Book sizes
The names of book sizes are based on the old paper sizes and methods of
printing. The technology may have moved on, but the names are still widely
used. The size-names derive from the fraction they represent of the large sheet
of paper on which the book was printed.
To understand the range of sizes you have to consider how books used to be
printed. Page images would be imposed on each sheet in a very special order.
An even number of leaves always results when a sheet is folded, so page count is
divisible by 4, 8, 16 etc. The full sheet is then folded so that the pages
appear in proper sequence. The outside edges are cut so that the book will open.
The name of each book size has two components:
 | The name of the paper sheet e.g. ‘Royal’, ‘Imperial’. |
| The fractional part of the sheet e.g., quarto (2 folds, 4 leaves, 8 pages),
¼ of a sheet; octavo (3 folds, 8 leaves, 16 pages), 1/8 of a sheet. |
Even this is not enough to define the final size of the book because the cut
sizes are greater than the final, trimmed book. The customary trim is 1/8 inch
at the head and tail of the book, which will reduce the height of the text block
by ¼ inch. The dimensions of books are measured from head to tail and from spine
to fore edges of the cover.
Modern book sizes
| Name |
Imperial (inches approx) |
Metric (mm) |
| Demy |
9 x 6 |
229 x 152 |
| Royal |
9 1/4 x 7 1/2 |
235 x 191 |
| Crown Royal |
11 x 8 1/4 |
280 x 210 |
Traditional British book sizes
| Name |
Imperial (inches) |
Metric (cm approx) |
Abbreviation |
| Imperial folio |
15 ½ x 22 |
39 x 55 |
impfol |
| Royal folio |
12 ½ x 20 |
32 x 50 |
Rfol |
| Imperial quarto |
11 x 15 |
28 x 30 |
imp4 |
| Crown folio |
10 x 15 |
25 x 30 |
Cfol |
| Royal quarto |
10 x 12 ½ |
25 x 32 |
R4 |
| Medium quarto |
9 ½ x 12 |
24 x 30 |
M4 |
| Demy quarto |
8 ¾ x 11 ¼ |
22 x 29 |
D4 |
| Foolscap folio |
8 ½ x 13 ½ |
21 x 34 |
Ffol |
| Imperial octavo |
7 ½ x11 |
19 x 28 |
imp8 |
| Crown quarto |
7 ½ x 10 |
19 x 25 |
C4 |
| Foolscap quarto |
6 ¾ x 8 ½ |
17 x 21 |
F4 |
| Royal octavo |
6 ¼ x 10 |
15 x 25 |
R8 |
| Medium octavo |
6 x 9 ½ |
15 x 24 |
M8 |
| Demy octavo |
5 5/8 x 8 ¾ |
14.5 x 22 |
D8 |
| Large crown octavo |
5 ¼ x 8 |
13 x 20 |
LC8 |
| Crown octavo |
5 x 7 ½ |
12.7 x 19 |
C8 |
| Foolscap octavo |
4 ¼ x 6 ¾ |
10.8 x 17.15 |
F8 |
Paper quantity units used in printing:
| Unit |
Relationship |
Sheets |
| 1 quire |
|
24 |
| 1 ream |
20 quire |
480 |
| 1 bundle |
2 ream |
960 |
| 1 dozen |
|
12 |
| 1 gross |
12 dozen |
144 |
| 1 great gross |
12 gross |
1,728 |
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