SIS E4

With dimensions of 220 mm x 310 mm, the SIS E4 paper size defines an area of about 0.068 square meters. Wedged between the lesser used SIS E3 format and ISO A3, it is one of several Swedish extensions that saw minimal adoption.

The niche SIS E4 paper size does not typically go by other common name variants. On occasion in Swedish contexts, it may be referred to informally by its metric measurements.

Potential applications are limited due to its obscurity, but could include pamphlets, invitations, menus, greeting cards, and some diagrams or charts when SIS E3 is too large. However, the Swedish E series failed to displace the deeply entrenched ISO standards.

The SIS E4 emerged from a failed attempt to systematically interpolate intermediate sizes between established ISO A, B and C formats. The goal was to facilitate subtle, incremental scaling of content across a spectrum of widths and heights. But the effort foundered, undermined by the self-reinforcing inertia behind existing norms. Manufacturing considerations and the lack of international uptake outside Sweden also presented obstacles. So today SIS E4 remains a mostly unused artifact, its backstory one of ambition dashed by infrastructure rigidity and path dependence.