It is possible to discover when a number
of European countries began popular
use of the format, but it is difficult to
find out just where the format originally
started -- or what unit of measure was used
to plan the series.
Today the A-format is mentioned usually
in the same breath as the metric system
of measure. But if the assumption that the two
are associated is examined intensively,
it is impossible (or rather I have found
it impossible) to see what the connection
really is.
In a special issue of the industrial pub-
lication Industritidningen Norden, dated
1948, one reads that as early as 1790 the
A-format was in use in France, with pages
being halved to provide the next smaller
size. But it is not indicated whether the
principle was an old one at that time.
The system is, as we have seen, based on
the division of a series of squares placed
within each other. If we assume that it
existed in the paper or printing industry
prior to the introduction of the metric
system, one of the squares -- perhaps the
smallest -- had to be selected as the basic
square.
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If this was made to measure a Roman
foot along each side, we would discover
that this fitted exactly the present size of
the A-4 format since one side of the A-4
measures 297 mm, which equals the old
standard Roman foot.
According to Carl Herning's Ready
Reference Tables, New York, 1914, the
old standard French foot measured
approx. 325 mm -- considerably more than
the Roman measure.
Prior to 1750 France, like many other
European countries had a number of
different lengths for the unit "foot",
including the Roman.
The French Church, and its subsidia-
ries, was very much under the influence
of the Catholic citadel in Rome, and it is
highly probable that the Church printing
houses, under the same influence, operated
with the Roman foot instead of a local
version.
Indeed it is also possible that the French
Church printers actually took over the
system of dividing paper into the formats
discussed above direct from Rome, which
of course boasted printing facilities at a
much earlier stage than France.
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