Swedish Paper Sizes

The Swedish standard SIS 01 47 11 generalizes the ISO A, B, and C paper size system by introducing four additional paper size series: D, E, F, and G. These new sizes fit neatly between the existing A, B, and C sizes to provide more granularity in paper dimensions.

The D series slots between the B and A sizes, just as the C series slots between the A and B sizes. Then the E, F, and G series fill in the gaps between all these sizes in a geometric progression. For example, the sequence A4, E4, C4, G4, B4, F4, D4 forms a geometric sequence where the dimensions grow by a factor of 16√2 from one size to the next.

Two sizes from this Swedish standard have seen some international use - G5 (169x239 mm) and E5 (155x220 mm). These formats are popular in Sweden and the Netherlands for printing dissertations. However, most of the other Swedish extensions have not caught on more broadly. The standard has since been withdrawn in Sweden. An interesting historical note is that the Swedish D series matches up almost exactly with the German DIN D series, except offset by one size smaller.

In summary, the Swedish SIS standard attempted to greatly expand paper size options in a systematic way, but market forces limited adoption of these new formats. The standard provides a good example of the network effects and switching costs that tend to lock in the ISO A/B/C system as a global standard.