B2 vs JIS B2

Q: Which is bigger, B2 or JIS B2?

JIS B2 — 515 × 728 mm against 500 × 707 mm, which is 6.1% more area.

	B2	JIS B2
Millimetres	500 × 707	515 × 728
Inches	19.69 × 27.83	20.28 × 28.66
Centimetres	50 × 70.7	51.5 × 72.8
Aspect ratio	1:1.41	1:1.41
Area	3535 cm²	3749.2 cm²

Which is bigger

B2 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 6.1% in area. JIS B2 is 15 mm wider than B2. JIS B2 is 21 mm taller.

Printing one on the other

A B2 page fits inside JIS B2 whole — print it at 100% and you get a 7.5 mm border down each side and 10.5 mm top and bottom.

You want	Set the print scale to	Leaves
B2 artwork on JIS B2 paper	103%	0.1 × 0 mm margin
JIS B2 artwork on B2 paper	97.1%	0 × 0.2 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 B2 and JIS B2?

B2 is 500 × 707 mm and JIS B2 is 515 × 728 mm. JIS B2 is the larger of the two by 6.1% in area.

Can I print B2 on JIS B2?

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

Which is bigger, B2 or JIS B2?

JIS B2 — 515 × 728 mm against 500 × 707 mm, which is 6.1% more area.

Related comparisons

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