RFC 2346 (rfc2346) - Page 2 of 6
Making Postscript and PDF International
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
RFC 2346 Making Postscript and PDF International May 1998
6. Author's Address 5
7. Full Copyright Statement 6
1. Introduction
Certain text formats, for example Postscript (MIME-Type:
application/postscript; file extension .ps) and Portable Document
Format (MIME-Type: application/pdf; file extension .pdf) specify
exactly the page layout of the printed document. The commonly used
paper format is different in North America and the rest of the world.
North America uses the 'Letter' format, while the rest of the world
uses the 'A4' format.
The North American Letter format is 216 x 279 mm (8.5 x 11 in) while
the ISO standardised A4 format is 210 x 297 mm (8.3 x 11.7 in). The
Letter format is thus 6 mm (0.2 inches) wider, while the A4 format is
18 mm (0.7 inches) taller.
This means that documents formatted on one continent may not be
printable on another continent. It is oboviously desirable that
documents on the Internet are printable on all continents. This paper
gives advice on how to achieve this.
This memo is not intended for HTML documents, but the advice may be
of value also for HTML developers in case they are using fixed-size
graphics and fixed WIDTH sizes of objects in HTML documents.
2. Three methods for printing on different paper formats
2.1 Method 1: Use wider margins
Paper format
you use when
converting
the document Suggested minimal margins
to Postscript Paper
or PDF orien- Suggested change Left Right Top Bottom
tation of margins
------------ ----------- ----------------- ----- ----- ----- -----
A4 Portrait Add 18 mm (0.7 20 mm 20 mm 33 mm 33 mm
(upright, inches) to the top 0.8" 0.8" 1.3" 1.3"
vertical) of page and bottom
of page margins
A4 Landscape Add 18 mm (0.7 33 mm 33 mm 15 mm 15 mm
(lying, inches) to the 1.3" 1.3" 0.6" 0.6"
horizontal) left and right
margins
Palme Informational