Foolscap folio
Foolscap folio (commonly contracted to foolscap or folio and in short FC) is paper cut to the size of 8 1⁄2 × 13 1⁄2 in (216 × 343 mm) for printing or to 8 × 13 in (203 × 330 mm) for "normal" writing paper (foolscap).[1] This was a traditional paper size used in Europe and the British Commonwealth, before the adoption of the international standard A4 paper.
A full (plano) foolscap[2] paper sheet is actually 13 1⁄2 × 17 in (343 × 432 mm) in size, and a folio sheet of any type is half the base sheet size.
| Name | inch × inch | mm × mm | AR | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foolscap folio | 8½ × 13½ | 216 × 343 ª | 1:1.5879 | Imperial (half foolscap), printing |
| Foolscap folio | 8 × 13 | 203 × 330 | 1:1.6256 | Traditional British, writing |
ª Approximate measure in current use in Latin America: 216 x 341 mm.
Ring binders or lever arch files designed to hold foolscap folios are often used to hold A4 paper (210 × 297 mm, 8 1⁄4 × 11 3⁄4 in). The slightly larger size of such a binder offers greater protection to the edges of the pages it contains.
History[edit]
Foolscap was named after the fool's cap and bells watermark commonly used from the fifteenth century onwards on paper of these dimensions.[3][4] The earliest example of such paper was made in Germany in 1479. Unsubstantiated anecdotes suggest that this watermark was introduced to England in 1580 by John Spilman, a German who established a papermill at Dartford, Kent.[5] Apocryphally, the Rump Parliament substituted a fool's cap for the royal arms as a watermark on the paper used for the journals of Parliament.[citation needed]
Oficio (mexican)[edit]
In Mexico, the foolscap folio paper size 8 1⁄2 by 13 1⁄2 inches (216 mm × 343 mm) / (21.6 cm x 34 cm) [6] is named (locally) oficio.
F4[edit]
F4 is a paper size 210 mm × 330 mm (8.27 in × 13.0 in).[7] Although metric, based on the A4 paper size, and named to suggest that it is part of the official ISO 216 paper sizes, it is only a de facto standard.
It is often referred to as "foolscap" or "folio" because of its similarity to the traditional foolscap folio size of 8 1⁄2 in × 13 1⁄2 in (216 mm × 343 mm).
References[edit]
- ^ PaperSizes, ‘foolscap’ is an alias for foolscap folio.
- ^ PaperSize, ‘Foolscap’ Paper Size Dimensions, Imperial.
- ^ Müller, Lothar (2014). White Magic: The Age of Paper. Cambridge: Polity Press. p. 173.
- ^ Anon. "Foolscap". The Free Dictionary. Farlex Inc. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
- ^ Anon. "Entry in the Dartford Holy Trinity parish register for Sir John Spielman (Spillman), 8 November 1626". Medway: City Ark Document Gallery. Medway Council. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
- ^ Photo of foolscap folio paper (* Mexican).
- ^ Prographic paper sizes Archived July 4, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
