Re: A4 and comprise sizes

[Mike Beyries <beyries -at- CSISDN -dot- COM>]

Norma,
as tech pubs manager for the American subsidiary of a German company,
I too dealt with the variation in paper sizes. After some discussion
and finding a sympathetic German marketing manager, I settled on the
kind of compromise you describe: American length (11") and A4 width
(about 8.25"). This ensured that both sides would find the paper
somewhat familiar, and neither would feel completely slighted.

We found that printers on both sides of the Atlantic could deal with
this new size -- and some remarked that it was not the first time
they'd seen it! We used it for glossy marketing sheets and for
manuals. [We had felt that U.S. audiences would be suspicious of
documents printed in true A4 size, and wanted to assure them that
we were an American company.]

Another consideration is the use of different ring-binders. We found
that in Europe they tend to use 4- or 5- or even 6-ring binders for
their A4 paper -- and of course those rings are not spaced like those
in American 3-ring binders!  You may want to investigate margin sizes
to ensure that your documents accommodate different punching patterns.

Good luck to you!
Regards,
Mike Beyries  (beyries -at- csisdn -dot- com)                - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Technical Writer & Doer of Other Foul Deeds      |  The value of an idea     |
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