B2 Paper Size

B2 size is principally used to create small posters. It corresponds to half a B1 size. It is never found in personal printers. It’s always used by professional printers.

B2 format was standardized with all A, B and C sizes, in 1975, by ISO 216 standard. The latter inherited from DIN 476, imagined by Walter Portsmann in 1922, who had read the text of Professor Lichtenberg on the issue, that was delivered on a sheet which adopted a √2 ratio. This latter means: length = width x 1.4142.

We obtain a homothetic system according to the √2 proportion. B2 format is therefore obtained by folding a format B1 in the direction of its width. This proportion must always be maintained between the formats, which also keeps the contents of the sheet when enlarging or reducing.

B2 format has the following dimensions: 707 x 500 mm or 27.83 x 19.69 inches. It printable surface is reduced when applying the usual printing margins.

The area of a B2 sheet is 0.353 m², or 0.42 square yards, 3.77 square foot, or 542.5 square inches. This is a format that can be used human writing or drawing, painting...

B2 format is a double B3, and a quad B4. Conversely, it is half a B1 and a quarter a B0. Its weight is calculated relatively to its surface, since the weight of the paper is always expressed in g/m². A B2 sheet has an area of 0.353 m², we can say that, for a paper of 80 g/m², it will weigh 0.353 x 80 = 28.24 grams.