I am doing some market reasearch on offset paper converting
What I am looking to gain is some information on some standard offset sheet sizes used in the US market. Especially sheet sizes around the B2 format on down. I would like to know as well is what the percentage/breakdown woud be. like 60 % we use 20x26, 20% 19x25, % custome ect. Also what type of jobs and applications you run on these sheet formats.
Its an interesting project and one I have neen threatening to do in Europe with A and B sizes. The flat paper sizes have been established for years and were always rounded up - If you have the resources take the standard trimmed sizes add beeds , gutters allow for grip edge and back edge with colour bars and see if a smaller sheet could be used
I am doing some market reasearch on offset paper converting. What I am looking to gain is some information on some standard offset sheet sizes used in the US market.
John,
I'm afraid you're going to need at least an A3 sheet to write them all down. Paper sizes in the U.S. are a mess. That's because each type of paper has inherited its own set of sizes. In my 30-plus years of running a print shop, I've found only three that are universally available for Bond, Offset, Text, Cover, Index ... etc.:
8.5x11
11x17
23x35
Most printers here are following rbailleu's example. Namely, set up their own in-house size preferences, and if the vendor doesn't carry a particular type of paper that way, have it cut down.
I've attached some screen captures of how typical U.S. parent sizes relate to Offset and Cover. The sizes are sorted by waste, not by popularity. If you'd like to see the relationship for all categories of paper, download the forever Free Edition of Morning Flight from our website at Morning Flight: Print Estimating Software for Offset and Digital. You'll get a nice Paper Cutter and Paper Pricer that works for USA/ISO sizes (click on the World) and inches/mm (click on the Screw) along with it. No strings, no ads, no annoying e-mails.