A2 vs JIS B2

Q: Which is bigger, A2 or JIS B2?

JIS B2 — 515 × 728 mm against 420 × 594 mm, which is 50.3% more area.

	A2	JIS B2
Millimetres	420 × 594	515 × 728
Inches	16.54 × 23.39	20.28 × 28.66
Centimetres	42 × 59.4	51.5 × 72.8
Aspect ratio	1:1.41	1:1.41
Area	2494.8 cm²	3749.2 cm²

Which is bigger

A2 and JIS B2 carry the same number and are not the same sheet. The Japanese B series is defined by area — JIS B0 is 1.5 square metres where A0 is 1 — so a JIS B sheet is half again the area of the A sheet of the same number, and about 22% longer on each edge. The number tells you where a sheet sits in its own series and nothing about which standard it belongs to.

JIS B2, by 50.3% in area. JIS B2 is 95 mm wider than A2. JIS B2 is 134 mm taller.

Printing one on the other

A A2 page fits inside JIS B2 whole — print it at 100% and you get a 47.5 mm border down each side and 67 mm top and bottom.

You want	Set the print scale to	Leaves
A2 artwork on JIS B2 paper	122.6%	0.3 × 0 mm margin
JIS B2 artwork on A2 paper	81.6%	0 × 0.3 mm margin

These are the numbers for the "custom scale" box in a print dialog. "Fit to page" computes the same thing, but knowing the figure tells you in advance whether the result will look deliberate or accidental.

Why the shapes matter

Both sheets have the same 1:1.41 proportions, so artwork scales between them without any cropping or extra margin — only the size changes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between A2 and JIS B2?

A2 is 420 × 594 mm and JIS B2 is 515 × 728 mm. JIS B2 is the larger of the two by 50.3% in area.

Can I print A2 on JIS B2?

Yes, at 100% — A2 is smaller on both edges, so it lands inside JIS B2 with a border all round.

Which is bigger, A2 or JIS B2?

JIS B2 — 515 × 728 mm against 420 × 594 mm, which is 50.3% more area.

Related comparisons

A2 in full · JIS B2 in full · All size comparisons · All paper sizes