B3 paper size and dimensions
B3 measures 353 × 500 mm, which is 35.3 × 50 cm or 13.9 × 19.69 inches. It sits between A3 and A2.
Contents of this page
B3, portrait
353 × 500mm
- Centimetres
- 35.3 × 50 cm
- Inches
- 13.9 × 19.69 in
- Pixels at 300 dpi
- 4169 × 5906 px
- Points (pt)
- 1001 × 1417 pt
- Area
- 0.1765 m²
- Weight at 80 gsm
- 14.1 g
B3 is rare in shops. Paper, frames and printers are built around A3 and A2, and the size in between usually has to be ordered or cut by hand. It is better known in Japan, where the slightly larger JIS B3 at 364 × 515 mm is used for smaller film posters and notices.
B3 in every unit
| Unit | Width × height |
|---|---|
| Millimetres | 353 × 500 mm |
| Centimetres | 35.3 × 50 cm |
| Metres | 0.353 × 0.5 m |
| Inches | 13.9 × 19.69 in |
| DTP points (1/72 in) | 1001 × 1417 pt |
| Area | 1765 cm², or 0.1765 m² |
| Diagonal | 612.1 mm |
| Aspect ratio | 1 : 1.416 |
B3 in pixels
| Resolution | Pixels | Megapixels | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72 dpi | 1001 × 1417 px | 1.4 MP | Screen, preview |
| 96 dpi | 1334 × 1890 px | 2.5 MP | Screen (Windows default) |
| 150 dpi | 2085 × 2953 px | 6.2 MP | Large format, posters seen from a distance |
| 300 dpi | 4169 × 5906 px | 24.6 MP | Offset and digital print |
| 600 dpi | 8339 × 11,811 px | 98.5 MP | Line art, fine detail |
With 3 mm bleed the document is 359 × 506 mm, which is 4240 × 5976 px at 300 dpi.
Cutting B3 from A2
An A2 sheet at 420 × 594 mm is big enough for B3. Trim 67 mm off the width and 94 mm off the height. What is left is an L-shaped strip that still makes bookmarks or narrow cards. A cutting mat and a steel ruler give a cleaner edge than scissors.
B3 at the printer
Digital presses usually run SRA3 sheets (320 × 450 mm), and B3 does not fit on them. Printers therefore place B3 on larger sheets such as SRA2 (450 × 640 mm) and cut it out. That often makes short runs of B3 more expensive than A2, even though B3 is smaller.
A small detail: the short side of B3, 353 mm, is exactly as long as the long side of B4. That holds in every series, because each size is made by halving the next larger one.
B3 compared
| Size | mm | Area | Compared with B3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2 | 500 × 707 mm | 0.354 m² | twice the area |
| B3 | 353 × 500 mm | 0.177 m² | |
| C3 | 324 × 458 mm | 0.148 m² | 84 % of the area |
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm | 0.125 m² | 71 % of the area |
| D3 | 272 × 385 mm | 0.105 m² | 59 % of the area |
| B4 | 250 × 353 mm | 882.5 cm² | half the area |
Frequently asked questions
How big is B3 in cm?
B3 is 35.3 cm wide and 50 cm tall.
Is B3 bigger than A3?
Yes. B3 (353 × 500 mm) sits between A3 (297 × 420 mm) and A2 (420 × 594 mm).
What do I cut B3 from?
From A2. Trim 67 mm off the width and 94 mm off the height.
How many pixels is B3 at 300 dpi?
4169 × 5906 pixels, or 4240 × 5976 pixels with 3 mm bleed.
How big is JIS B3?
364 × 515 mm, slightly larger than ISO B3.