8.5" x 11"
The 8.5" x 11" print measures 8.5 inches wide by 11 inches tall, giving it a surface area of 93.5 square inches and an aspect ratio close to 1.3:1. Known as the Letter size, it corresponds to 215.9mm x 279.4mm in the metric system. This is slightly larger than the 8R size and smaller than 11R prints. The origins of 8.5" x 11" date back to its standardization in the early 20th century for American office and commercial documents. Its origins are in the imperial system. Today, 8.5" x 11" endures as the most popular standard paper size in the US and Canada. It later became a common choice for printing photos thanks to its good quality to size ratio and availability. The added length compared to 8R allows for fuller portrait orientation prints. Its ubiquity in printers has made 8.5" x 11" a convenient and economical photo print size despite not matching photo aspect ratios precisely. It can be easily cropped from digital images. While strictly a commercial size, 8.5" x 11" has crossed over into photography as an affordable option for good quality general purpose prints and document reproduction.