Page Formats

Paper sizes and custom page dimensions.

Page Formats

Choose the right paper format for your PDF documents. PDF API supports standard paper sizes and custom dimensions.

Standard Formats

ISO A Series

Format	Dimensions (mm)	Dimensions (in)	Use Case
`A3`	297 × 420	11.7 × 16.5	Posters, diagrams
`A4`	210 × 297	8.3 × 11.7	Standard documents
`A5`	148 × 210	5.8 × 8.3	Booklets, flyers

US Formats

Format	Dimensions (in)	Dimensions (mm)	Use Case
`Letter`	8.5 × 11	216 × 279	Standard US documents
`Legal`	8.5 × 14	216 × 356	Legal documents
`Tabloid`	11 × 17	279 × 432	Newspapers, posters

Using Standard Formats

{
  "markdown": "# Document",
  "options": {
    "format": "A4"
  }
}

With landscape orientation:

{
  "options": {
    "format": "A4",
    "landscape": true
  }
}

Custom Dimensions

For non-standard sizes, specify width and height:

{
  "options": {
    "width": "6in",
    "height": "9in"
  }
}

Supported Units

Unit	Example	Description
`mm`	`210mm`	Millimeters
`cm`	`21cm`	Centimeters
`in`	`8.5in`	Inches
`px`	`794px`	Pixels (96 DPI)

Common Custom Sizes

Books & Publications

Type	Width	Height	Aspect
Pocket Book	4.25in	6.87in	0.62
Trade Paperback	5.5in	8.5in	0.65
US Trade	6in	9in	0.67
Royal	6.14in	9.21in	0.67
Digest	5.5in	8.5in	0.65

{
  "options": {
    "width": "6in",
    "height": "9in"
  }
}

Marketing Materials

Type	Width	Height
Business Card	3.5in	2in
Postcard	6in	4in
Flyer (Half Letter)	5.5in	8.5in
Brochure (Tri-fold)	8.5in	11in

{
  "options": {
    "width": "6in",
    "height": "4in",
    "landscape": true
  }
}

Platform	Width	Height	Notes
Instagram Post	1080px	1080px	Square
Instagram Story	1080px	1920px	9:16
Facebook Cover	820px	312px	Banner

{
  "options": {
    "width": "1080px",
    "height": "1080px"
  }
}

Portrait vs Landscape

Portrait (Default)

Content flows top to bottom, best for documents with mostly text.

{
  "options": {
    "format": "A4",
    "landscape": false
  }
}

Landscape

Content flows with wider width, best for tables, charts, and presentations.

{
  "options": {
    "format": "A4",
    "landscape": true
  }
}

Mode	A4 Width	A4 Height
Portrait	210mm	297mm
Landscape	297mm	210mm

Content Area Calculation

Calculate the usable content area by subtracting margins:

Content Width = Page Width - Left Margin - Right Margin
Content Height = Page Height - Top Margin - Bottom Margin - Header - Footer

Example: A4 with Standard Margins

Property	Value
Page Width	210mm
Page Height	297mm
Left/Right Margins	20mm each
Top/Bottom Margins	25mm each
Content Width	170mm
Content Height	247mm

Best Practices

Match your audience: Use Letter for US, A4 for international
Consider printing: Standard formats are easier to print
Account for binding: Add extra margin on the binding edge for booklets
Test margins: Ensure content doesn't get cut off near edges
Use landscape for data: Tables and charts often fit better in landscape

Examples by Use Case

Invoice (US)

{
  "template": "invoice",
  "options": {
    "format": "Letter",
    "margin": {
      "top": "25mm",
      "bottom": "25mm",
      "left": "20mm",
      "right": "20mm"
    }
  }
}

Report with Charts

{
  "options": {
    "format": "A4",
    "landscape": true,
    "margin": {
      "top": "15mm",
      "bottom": "15mm",
      "left": "15mm",
      "right": "15mm"
    }
  }
}

Book Chapter

{
  "options": {
    "width": "6in",
    "height": "9in",
    "margin": {
      "top": "20mm",
      "bottom": "20mm",
      "left": "25mm",
      "right": "15mm"
    }
  }
}