ANSI C paper size
431.8 × 558.8 mm
17 × 22 inches · 43.18 × 55.88 cm · aspect ratio 1:1.29
ANSI C size is 431.8 × 558.8 mm. Those are the ANSI C dimensions a printer works to; the same sheet in centimetres, inches, points and pixels is below.
What ANSI C is for
ANSI C, 17 × 22 inches, is four Letter sheets and the smallest of the ANSI engineering drawing sizes that needs a plotter rather than an office printer. The ANSI series is built by doubling Letter repeatedly, which means it alternates between two aspect ratios instead of holding one — the practical consequence is that scaling a drawing from ANSI C to ANSI D does not preserve its proportions, unlike the equivalent step from A2 to A1.
ANSI C dimensions in every unit
| Unit | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Millimetres | 431.8 mm | 558.8 mm |
| Centimetres | 43.18 cm | 55.88 cm |
| Inches | 17 in | 22 in |
| Points (PostScript) | 1224 pt | 1584 pt |
ANSI C in pixels
Pixel dimensions depend entirely on the resolution you are working at — there is no single "pixel size" for a sheet of paper. ANSI C size in pixels has every resolution, with file sizes and canvas setup.
| Resolution | Pixels | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 72 DPI | 1224 × 1584 | Screen preview only — far too coarse to print |
| 150 DPI | 2550 × 3300 | Draft printing, internal documents |
| 300 DPI | 5100 × 6600 | The standard for commercial print |
| 600 DPI | 10200 × 13200 | Fine detail, line art, archival scanning |
Setting up a print document? Use 300 DPI and add 3 mm of bleed on every edge unless your printer specifies otherwise.
How ANSI C relates to the rest of the series
At 431.8 × 558.8 mm this is about 4 Letter sheets of area. The ANSI drawing sizes are built by doubling Letter repeatedly, in the same spirit as the A series but starting from a different sheet.
Its aspect ratio is 1:1.294. This is where the US system differs from A sizes in a way that matters: the A series keeps a constant 1:1.414 through every fold, while doubling a Letter-based sheet alternates between roughly 1:1.29 and 1:1.55. A drawing scaled from one ANSI size to the next therefore does not fill the sheet the way an A-series drawing does, and something always has to be cropped or padded.
That single difference is why documents laid out for one system never move cleanly to the other, and why a "fit to page" print from Letter to A4 leaves uneven margins rather than simply shrinking.
About ANSI C
17 × 22 inches — four Letter sheets. Used for engineering drawings.
Letter vs A4
Letter is 6 mm wider and 18 mm shorter than A4. That small difference is why a PDF laid out for A4 prints with clipped edges or unexpected margins on US paper, and why "Fit to page" exists in every print dialog. There is no scaling factor that makes them match — the aspect ratios genuinely differ (1:1.294 for Letter, 1:1.414 for A4).
Other North American sizes
| Size | Millimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| Letter | 215.9 × 279.4 mm | 8.5 × 11 in |
| Legal | 215.9 × 355.6 mm | 8.5 × 14 in |
| Tabloid | 279.4 × 431.8 mm | 11 × 17 in |
| Executive | 184.15 × 266.7 mm | 7.25 × 10.5 in |
| Half Letter | 139.7 × 215.9 mm | 5.5 × 8.5 in |
| Junior Legal | 127 × 203.2 mm | 5 × 8 in |
| ANSI D | 558.8 × 863.6 mm | 22 × 34 in |
| ANSI E | 863.6 × 1117.6 mm | 34 × 44 in |
Frequently asked questions
What size is ANSI C in mm?
431.8 × 558.8 mm.
What size is ANSI C in inches?
17 × 22 inches.
What size is ANSI C in pixels?
There is no single answer — it depends on resolution. At the print standard of 300 DPI it is 5100 × 6600 pixels; at 72 DPI it is only 1224 × 1584.