German Paper Sizes

The DIN 476 paper size standard, originally published in Germany in 1922, includes an additional D series of sizes alongside the more commonly known A, B, and C series. The D series pages have dimensions resulting from halving the preceding size in the series, similarly to the A, B, and C systems. However, the aspect ratio of 1.25 rather than 1.41 more closely approximates the shape of the pages to common document layouts.

The D series originally specified sizes ranging from D0 (771mm x 1090mm) down through D8 (48mm x 68mm). The larger formats served purposes such as technical drawings, while the smaller sheets facilitated book publishing and office correspondence. As with the other series in DIN 476, the system enabled efficient paper use and folding to smaller document sizes. While less extensively adopted than the ISO A and B series, the D sizes' property of harmonic halving provided an effective method for standardized paper sizes in the early 20th century.