English paper sizes

in the nineteenth century

In the 19th century papers were designated by name rather than dimension, as were type sizes also. The following sizes are taken from Tomlinson's Cyclopedia of Useful Arts (1854). In those days, a ream of writing or drawing paper was 480 sheets.

Writing and Drawing Papers
Name	Dimensions (inches)	Comment	Weight in pounds of 1 ream
Antiquarian	52½ × 30½		236
Double elephant	39½ × 26½	Largest size in which writing paper was made.	140
Atlas	33 × 26		100
Columbier	34½ × 23		100
Elephant	28 × 23		72
Imperial	29½ × 21½	Largest size in which writing paper was ordinarily made.	72
Super royal	27¼ × 19¼		52
Royal	23½ × 19		44
Medium	22¼ × 17¼		34
Demy	19½ × 15¼	Smallest size in which drawing paper was made.	24
Extra large thick post	22¼ × 17¼		25
Extra large thin post	22¼ × 17¼		18
Extra large bank post	22¼ × 17¼		13
Large thick post	21 × 16½		22
Large middle post	21 × 16½		19
Large thin post	21 × 16½		16
Large bank post	21 × 16½		11
Extra thick post	19 × 15¼		25
Thick post	19 × 15¼		20
Middle post	19 × 15¼		17
Thin post	19 × 15¼		14
Bank post	19 × 15¼		7
Copy	20 × 16		17
Sheet-and-half foolscap	25½ × 13¼		22
Sheet-and-third foolscap	22 × 13¼		18
Extra thick foolscap	16½ × 13¼		18
Foolscap	16½ × 13¼		15
Pott	15½ × 12¼		10

Some of these named sizes continue in use, although the present-day dimensions are slightly different, perhaps reflecting trimming:

double elephant, 40 inches × 27 inches, 1020 mm × 690 mm;

royal, 20 inches × 25 inches, 510 mm × 675 mm;

imperial, 22 inches × 30 inches, 560 × 760 mm.

Drawing papers were sold as flat sheets; writing papers were customarily sold folded. Post paper was cut in half, folded and trimmed, forming quarto-post. Thus treated the extra large post sizes gave a quarto-post sheet very near the modern American 8½ inches × 11 inches letter-size sheet. Cutting and folding quarto-post gives octavo-post, also called notepaper. Cutting and folding octavo-post gives 16mo-post or small note. This process was carried on all the way down to 64mo post, lilliputian note-paper.

The sizes of English laid papers were commonly indicated by watermarks, so no matter what size a sheet was cut down to, the original size could still be identified. Post had a bugle, copy a fleur-de-lis; foolscap a lion rampant or Britannia, and pott the English arms. Wove papers have no watermark.

Printing Papers
Name	Dimensions (inches)	Weight range lbs per ream (ream = 500 sheets)
Large news	32 × 22	32–37
Small news	28 × 21	23–25
Royal	25 × 20	26–28
Medium	23½ × 18¾	24–26
Demy	22½ × 18	15–21
Short demy for music	20½ × 14	25–28
Copy	20¼ × 16¼	13–16
Crown	20 × 15	7–12
Foolscap	16½ × 13¼	9–14
Pott	15½ × 12¼	9–10½

The last three sizes were always manufactured double-size; for example Double Crown was 20 × 30.