B3 vs JIS B3

Q: Which is bigger, B3 or JIS B3?

JIS B3 — 364 × 515 mm against 353 × 500 mm, which is 6.2% more area.

	B3	JIS B3
Millimetres	353 × 500	364 × 515
Inches	13.9 × 19.69	14.33 × 20.28
Centimetres	35.3 × 50	36.4 × 51.5
Aspect ratio	1:1.42	1:1.41
Area	1765 cm²	1874.6 cm²

Which is bigger

B3 and JIS B3 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 B3, by 6.2% in area. JIS B3 is 11 mm wider than B3. JIS B3 is 15 mm taller.

Printing one on the other

A B3 page fits inside JIS B3 whole — print it at 100% and you get a 5.5 mm border down each side and 7.5 mm top and bottom.

You want	Set the print scale to	Leaves
B3 artwork on JIS B3 paper	103%	0.4 × 0 mm margin
JIS B3 artwork on B3 paper	97%	0 × 0.6 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

The proportions differ: B3 is 1:1.42 and JIS B3 is 1:1.41. That difference is why a layout moved between them never quite lines up — scale it to fit one edge and the other is left with 0.4 mm of unwanted margin.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between B3 and JIS B3?

B3 is 353 × 500 mm and JIS B3 is 364 × 515 mm. JIS B3 is the larger of the two by 6.2% in area.

Can I print B3 on JIS B3?

Yes, at 100% — B3 is smaller on both edges, so it lands inside JIS B3 with a border all round.

Which is bigger, B3 or JIS B3?

JIS B3 — 364 × 515 mm against 353 × 500 mm, which is 6.2% more area.

Related comparisons

B3 in full · JIS B3 in full · All size comparisons · All paper sizes