CAN 2-9.60M · Canada (obsolete) · 6 sizes
Canadian P series
The Canadian P series (CAN 2-9.60M, 1976) was a metric rounding of the Letter-based sheets: P4 is 215 × 280 mm, P3 280 × 430 mm and P1 560 × 860 mm. It never displaced Letter and is now obsolete, but it still appears in some software and older documents.
From P6 (107 × 140 mm) to P1 (560 × 860 mm).
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Every size in the series
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| Size | Width × Height (mm) | Centimetres | Inches | Points | Pixels @300 dpi | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 P1 | 560 × 860 mm | 56 × 86 cm | 22.05 × 33.86 in | 1,587 × 2,438 pt | 6,614 × 10,157 px | 1:1.54 |
| P2 P2 | 430 × 560 mm | 43 × 56 cm | 16.93 × 22.05 in | 1,219 × 1,587 pt | 5,079 × 6,614 px | 1:1.3 |
| P3 P3 | 280 × 430 mm | 28 × 43 cm | 11.02 × 16.93 in | 794 × 1,219 pt | 3,307 × 5,079 px | 1:1.54 |
| P4 P4 | 215 × 280 mm | 21.5 × 28 cm | 8.46 × 11.02 in | 609 × 794 pt | 2,539 × 3,307 px | 1:1.3 |
| P5 P5 | 140 × 215 mm | 14 × 21.5 cm | 5.51 × 8.46 in | 397 × 609 pt | 1,654 × 2,539 px | 1:1.54 |
| P6 P6 | 107 × 140 mm | 10.7 × 14 cm | 4.21 × 5.51 in | 303 × 397 pt | 1,264 × 1,654 px | 1:1.31 |
Have a measurement instead of a name? Paste it into the paper size finder — it reads 210 x 297, 8.5 x 11 in or 24x36 and names the sheet.
About this series
When Canada went metric in the 1970s, the national standards body published CAN 2-9.60M (1976), which restated the inch-based sheets in round millimetres. The result was the P series, P1 to P6. It was intended for government and industry, but Letter and Legal paper never left the shelves and the standard has since been withdrawn.
P4 is 215 × 280 mm, Letter (215.9 × 279.4 mm) rounded to 5 mm. P3 is 280 × 430 mm, matching Tabloid; P2 is 430 × 560 mm, matching ANSI C; P1 is 560 × 860 mm, matching ANSI D. Below Letter, P5 is 140 × 215 mm (Half Letter) and P6 is 107 × 140 mm. Because the sizes are rounded from an inch series with alternating ratios, they do not share a constant proportion.
P4 and P3 are the only sizes anyone meets in practice, usually as options in a printer driver or a CAD template. A P4 document prints on Letter with no scaling, since the difference is under 1 mm in each direction.
The P series relates to ANSI the way Carta relates to Letter: a metric restatement of the same sheets. It has no relation to ISO A, and A4 (210 × 297 mm) is 5 mm narrower and 17 mm taller than P4.
A practical tip: if you find a file set to P4, change it to Letter. Nothing will move, and the document will print correctly on any North American printer.
Questions about this series
What is P4 paper size?
P4 is 215 × 280 mm (8.46 × 11.02 in), the Canadian metric version of Letter from CAN 2-9.60M (1976). It differs from Letter by less than 1 mm and prints on Letter without scaling.
What paper size does Canada use?
Letter (8.5 × 11 in, 215.9 × 279.4 mm) and Legal (8.5 × 14 in), the same as the United States. The metric P series was defined in 1976 but never replaced them and is now obsolete.
What are the Canadian P series sizes?
P1 560 × 860 mm, P2 430 × 560 mm, P3 280 × 430 mm, P4 215 × 280 mm, P5 140 × 215 mm and P6 107 × 140 mm. Each is an inch-based sheet rounded to 5 mm.
Is P4 the same as A4?
No. P4 is 215 × 280 mm and A4 is 210 × 297 mm. P4 is a rounded Letter sheet, 5 mm wider and 17 mm shorter than A4.