COMMISSION ON AUDIT CIRCULAR NO. 80-137 June 30, 1980 TO : All Heads of Ministries, Chiefs of Bureaus/Offices, Regional Directors of the different Ministries; Managing Heads of Government-owned or Controlled Corporations, including Educational Institutions and Self-Governing Boards, Commissions or Agencies of the Government; Provincial Governors/City Mayors; COA Managers and General Counsel, COA Regional Directors, All Corporations, Provincial, City, Bureau and Unit Auditors and others concerned. SUBJECT : Philippine Standard on "Sizes (Metric) of Writing Paper and Certain Classes of Printed Matter -Trimmed Sizes -A and B Series, P.S. (SAO) No. 233. For the information and guidance of all concerned, quoted hereunder in full is the text of the letter of the Director, Philippine Bureau of Standards. "1980-04-01 The Commissioner Commission on Audit Don Mariano Marcos Ave. Diliman, Quezon City Dear Sir: In pursuance to P.D. 187 prescribing the use of the Metric System of weights and measures as the standard measurements for all products, commodities, materials, utilities, services and in all business and legal transactions, this Bureau has established a Philippine Standard on "Sizes (Metric) of Writing Paper and Certain Classes of Printer Matter - Trimmed Sizes - A and B Series, P.S. (SAO) No. 233. In order that we may be able to implement this standard effectively, may we request the cooperation of your good office in requiring all government agencies to purchase and use writing paper with sizes in accordance with the above mentioned standard, specifically size A4, immediately. Non-approval of government purchases of writing paper not in the A4 size will greatly help in the prevention of the proliferation of none-metric sizes in the market. We shall appreciate your cooperation regarding this matter. Very truly yours, (SGD.) VIDALITO F. RANOA Director" Enclosed herewith is a copy of the Standards Administrative Order No. 233, Series of 1976. Please be guided accordingly. (SGD.) FRANCISCO S. TANTUICO, JR., Acting Chairman Republic of the Philippines Department of Trade PHILIPPINES BUREAU OF STANDARDS STANDARDS ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ) NO. 233 : Series of 1976 ) 1976-06-01 SUBJECT : Standardization of sizes (metric) of Writing Paper and Certain Classes of Printed Matter - Trimmed Sizes - A and B Series Pursuant to the provisions of Section 79(B) of the Revised Administrative Code of the Philippines and Sections 3 and 4(a) of Republic Act 4109, the following Philippine Standard No. 641- 02.00; 1976 for Writing Paper and Certain Classes of Printed Matter - Trimmed Sizes - A and B Series, is hereby promulgated for the information and guidance of all concerned. For the purpose of this Standards Administrative Order, the standard specification for writing Paper and Certain Classes of Printed Matter - Trimmed Sizes - A and B Series shall be designated as Philippine Standard No. 641-02.00; 1976. The number is adopted from the code number for printing and writing papers in the Standard Commodity Classification of the Philippines in order to attain the purpose for the need of a single standard classification system which would meet the needs and requirements of most users for a uniform reporting and publication of statistics. PHILIPPINE STANDARD SPECIFICATION FOR SIZES OF WRITING PAPER AND CERTAIN CLASSES OF PRINTED MATTERTRIMMED SIZES - A AND B SERIES PS NO. 614-02.00; 1976 FOREWORD This standard specification for Sizes of Writing Paper and Certain Classes of Printed Matter - Trimmed Sizes - A and B Series is hereby promulgated under a fixed designation PS No. 641-02.00; 1976. In compliance with Presidential Decree 187 as amended by Presidential Decree 748 which provide for the metric change-over of our country, the joint Technical Committee on Paper of the Philippines Bureau of Standards and the Philippine Standards Association, Inc. prepared this standard. This standard was adopted from ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 216-1975 (L). Suggestions for revision should be addressed to the Philippines Bureau of Standards, P.O. Box 3719, Manila. 1. SCOPE 1.1 2. This standard specifies the trimmed sizes (metric) of writing paper and certain classes of printed matter. It applies to trimmed sizes of paper for administrative, commercial and technical use, and also to certain classes of printed matter, such as forms, catalogues, etc. It does not necessarily apply to newspapers, published books, posters or other special items which may be the subject of a separate standard. UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES 2.1 Basic Principles (Regularly Derived Sizes) 2.1.1 Halving principle - The system of paper sizes is built on the basis that each normal series (regularly derived sizes) consists of a range of sizes formed in such a manner that each size is achieved by dividing the size immediately preceding it into two equal parts, the division being parallel to the shorter side. Consequently the areas of two successive sizes are in the ratio 2:1 (see figure 1). 2.1.2 Principle of similarity - All the sizes in each series are geometrically similar to one another (see Figure 2). This requirement, combined with that explained in (2.1.1), gives the following equation for the sides x and y of a given size (see figure 3): y:x = 2 : 1 = 1.414 - - - - (1) In other words, the ratio between the side x and y is equal to the ratio between the side and the diagonal of a square. 2.2 Systems of Measurement 2.2.1 2.3 These sizes are based on the metric system of measurement. Main Series (ISO - A Series) 2.3.1 The basic size of the A series (AO) has an area of 1 m2 . The following equation therefore applies: x x y = 1 m2 - - - - - (2) Equation (1) and (2) give the following lengths of the sides for the basic size of the A series: x = 0.841 m y = 1.189 m The main series of sizes is arrived at by taking the basic size described above and applying the basic principles given in (2.1). This series is designated as ISO - A series. 2.4 Subsidiary Series (ISO - B Series) 2.4.1 2.5 Long Sizes (Specially Derived) 2.5.1 3. A subsidiary series of sizes is obtained by placing the geometrical means between adjacent sizes of the A series in sequence. This series is designated as ISO - B series. Long sizes are obtained by dividing any appropriate regularly derived sizes from the two series mentioned into 3, 4 or 8 equal parts, parallel with the shorter side, in such a manner that the ratio between the longer and the shorter side is greater than v-2. DESIGNATION OF TRIMMED SIZES 3.1 Each trimmed size in the main and subsidiary series is designated by a letter followed by a number. The letter (A or B) indicates the series of sizes, and the number indicates the number of divisions that have been made (according to the rules 2.1) starting from the basic size, which has been given the number 0. For example, size A4 corresponds to size A0 divided by four times. 3.2 4. Trimmed long sizes are designated by the original size preceded by the fraction into which this has been divided. For example, A4 corresponds to the size A4 (210 mm x 297 mm) divided into four equal parts, parallel to the 210 mm side. TRIMMED SIZES 4.1 Main series (ISO - A series). The trimmed sizes of the A series are intended for all kinds of stationary and printed matter as specified in (1.1). These sizes are as follows: Designation A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 4.2 millimetres 841 x 1,189 594 x 841 420 x 594 297 x 420 210 x 297 148 x 210 105 x 148 74 x 105 52 x 74 37 x 52 26 x 37 Subsidiary series (ISO - B series). The trimmed sizes of the B series are intended for use only in exceptional circumstances when sizes are needed intermediate between any two adjacent sizes of the A series. This sizes are as follows: Designation B0 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 B10 millimetres 1,000 x 1,414 707 x 1, 000 500 x 707 353 x 500 250 x 353 176 x 250 125 x 176 88 x 125 62 x 88 44 x 62 31 x 44 The rarely used sizes which follow also belong to this series: 4A0 : 1 682 mm x 2 378 mm 2A0 : 1 189 mm x 1 682 mm 4.3 Long sizes. As far as possible, trimmed long sizes shall be produced from the regularly derived sizes of the A series. Examples are given in Figure 4. Designation 1/3 A4 1/4 A4 1/8 A7 5. Millimetres 99 x 210 74 x 210 13 x 74 TOLERANCES 5.1 Unless closer tolerances are specified at the time of ordering, the permissible tolerances on the above dimensions are as follows: 5.1.1 for dimensions up to and including 150 mm; upper deviation + 1.5 mm lower deviation - 1.5 mm 5.1.2 for dimensions greater than 150 mm and up to and including 600 mm: upper deviation + 2 mm lower deviation - 2 mm 5.1.3 for dimensions greater than 600 mm; upper deviation + 3 mm lower deviation - 3 mm 5.2 6. The dimensions shall be measured under standard testing conditions in accordance with PS 64-TE.01; 1972. EFFECTIVITY 6.1 This Standards Administrative Order shall take effect starting 1 January 1977 for paper converters but paper traders and users are hereby given a transition period of up to 30 June 1977 to dispose of their present inventories which do not correspond to the sizes prescribed in item (4) of this standard. Starting 1 July 1977, the standard specification prescribed herein shall take full effect. (SGD) VIDALITO F. RANOA Director RECOMMENDED BY: (SGD) VICENTE B. VALDEPENAS, JR. Acting Undersecretary of Trade Chairman, Philippine Standards Council A P P R O V E D : July 30, 1976 (Date) (SGD) TROADIO T. QUIAZON, JR. Secretary of Trade ANNEX EXAMPLES OF USE OF ISO SIZES Size A3 This size, flat or folded to size A4, is intended for large tables, charts or diagrams for official or commercial use, when size A4 is found to be too small. Size A4 This size is primarily intended for use as the standard size correspondence and for printed matter for official or commercial use. for paper for It is further intended as the principal standard size for forms, catalogues, etc. Size A5 This size is intended for similar purposes to the A4 size, when this is found to be too large. Size A6 This size is intended for picture postcards and letter-cards. It may also be suitable for similar purpose to those described under A4 and A5, when these sizes are found to be too large. ISO trimmed long sizes are used for labels, tickets and certain other purposes.