ANSI A

8.5 x 11 in CMYK 1.29:1 portrait

An 8.5 by 11 in ANSI A drawing sheet. The smallest size in the American ANSI/ASME Y14.1 engineering drawing series, same dimensions as US Letter.

about the size of a sheet of office paper

About this size

ANSI A is where the American engineering drawing series starts. The sheet shares its dimensions with US Letter, which means it fits in standard office equipment and document folders without special handling. The engineering use is the difference: ANSI A sheets carry title blocks, revision tables, and drawing-frame conventions that Letter pages do not.

For small engineering drawings, schematics, and reference sheets, ANSI A is the starting size. Anything larger moves up the series: ANSI B at twice the area, ANSI C at four times, and so on.

Technical drawings
Diagrams
Plans

Pro tips

1 Same physical dimensions as US Letter, but with engineering title-block conventions. The format matters more than the page size.
2 Used for small engineering drawings, schematics, and reference sheets where a full-size plan is unnecessary.
3 Fits in standard binders and document folders. The smallest ANSI size that the office equipment pipeline handles natively.