This A2 paper size guide starts with one number: A0 is exactly one square metre, 841 by 1189 millimetres, and every smaller A size is the sheet above it cut in half across the long side. A1, A2 and A3 all come from that single rule, which is why they share a shape that 60×90 or 40×50 do not.
This A2 paper size guide, in centimetres and inches
Four sizes matter most for a wall: A0, A1, A2 and A3. Each is defined to the millimetre by ISO 216, the international paper size standard, and each is exactly half the area of the one before it.
| Size | Millimetres | Centimetres | Inches | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A0 | 841 × 1189 mm | 84.1 × 118.9 cm | 33.1 × 46.8 in | 1.00 m² |
| A1 | 594 × 841 mm | 59.4 × 84.1 cm | 23.4 × 33.1 in | 0.50 m² |
| A2 | 420 × 594 mm | 42.0 × 59.4 cm | 16.5 × 23.4 in | 0.25 m² |
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm | 29.7 × 42.0 cm | 11.7 × 16.5 in | 0.125 m² |
Why A1, A2 and A3 are all the same shape
Cut a rectangle exactly in half across its long side and get two smaller rectangles — but only one starting shape produces two halves that are each the same shape as the whole, just smaller. That shape has a side ratio of 1 to the square root of 2, roughly 1:1.414, and it is the reason A0 folds down into A1, A1 into A2, A2 into A3, without the proportions ever changing. A0 itself is fixed by area, not by a folded ancestor: it is defined as exactly one square metre at that ratio, 841 by 1189 mm, and every size below it follows from halving.
What size frame does an A2 print need
A2, at 42 x 59.4 cm, sits inside the 27×35 cm to 70×100 cm range this store frames, so it can be ordered framed directly rather than fitted to an off-the-shelf frame afterwards. Off-the-shelf A2 frames are also a genuinely common size at frame shops in markets that use the ISO system, which makes A2 one of the easier sizes to frame independently if that is preferred. A framed Ayrton Senna at Monaco print at A2 fits directly into that range.
Why an A size rarely matches a shop size exactly
The A series and the centimetre sizes most European print shops list are two different systems that happen to overlap. A2 is 42 x 59.4 cm; the nearest common shop size is 40×50 cm, which is both narrower and a good deal shorter. A1 is 59.4 x 84.1 cm against a common 60×90 cm. In each case the width is close enough to look identical on a screen and the height is not, because the A series holds one fixed proportion all the way up and the centimetre sizes change proportion as they go. That is the single reason an A-size sheet and a shop-size frame so often refuse to fit each other, and why it is worth knowing which system a listing is written in before you buy a frame to go with it.
A1 vs A2 vs A3 in this catalogue
All three sit inside the 17-size ladder alongside the centimetre and inch-labelled sizes this store also carries — a Clay Regazzoni print and a BMW E30 M3 print, for instance, both offer A3, A2, A1 and A0 alongside the rest of the range. A1 is roughly double A2’s area; A2 is roughly double A3’s. Choosing between them is mostly a question of scale for the wall in question — the full size guide works through the whole ladder against real furniture and wall sizes, and what size frame for a 24×36 poster covers the nearby non-A-series size most often confused with A1.
For what the sheet itself is made of, pigment giclée on 200gsm matte, explained covers that separately from the size question.
Common questions
What size is A2 paper?
A2 measures 420 x 594 mm — 42 x 59.4 cm, or 16.5 x 23.4 inches. It is defined by ISO 216, the international paper size standard, as exactly half the area of A1 and twice the area of A3.
What size frame do I need for an A2 print?
A2 (42 x 59.4 cm) sits inside the 27x35 cm to 70x100 cm range available framed here, so it can be ordered framed directly. Off-the-shelf A2 frames are also a common size at frame shops in markets that use the ISO system.
Are A1, A2 and A3 the same shape?
Yes. Every A size shares a side ratio of 1 to the square root of 2, about 1:1.414, because each one is the size above it cut exactly in half across the long side. A0, at one square metre, is the only size fixed by area rather than by halving.
How much bigger is A1 than A2?
Exactly double the area. A1 is 594 x 841 mm and A2 is 420 x 594 mm — each A size in the sequence is precisely twice the area of the next one down, all the way from A0 to A10.
