Talk:ANSI/ASME Y14.1

ANSI plus
I wonder – not really, though – why ANSI didn’t adopt an 8½in compromise format between letter (11in) and legal (14in) or folio (13in), because the aspect ratio of 8½in × 12in paper (“ANSI A4” or “A4+”) is very close to ISO’s √2 and the resulting sizes are basically within tolerance limits of the raw format series RA from ISO 217. — Christoph Päper 16:07, 18 July 2016 (UTC)

Drawings standards
I just want a document of the drawing standard to use. I can't tell which one is the one that matters. Where do I get the documentation of the horizontal text and .125 text height? or is the height something else? -inquiring engineer — Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.225.0.102 (talk • contribs) 13 February 2019 (UTC)

metric table errors
The text is correct that ANSI sizes (A through E) alternate aspect ratios between two values: 22/17 and 17/11. That is because the dimensions increase by exactly a factor of two as sizes increase: 8.5 -> 17 -> 34 and 11 -> 22 -> 44 (inches). However, the text implies, and the included "metric drawing paper sizes" table erroneously claims a constant aspect ratio for the metric series:

In fact across the 5 sizes from A0 through A4 there are four distinct ratios (A4 and A2 have the same ratio because the dimensions are exactly a factor of two different). The ratios could have been fewer (alternating between two values as for ANSI A-E, *if* A0 were 840 (not 841) x 1188 (not 1189) and *if* A1 were 594 x 840 (not 841), i.e. if the progression were, as for ANSI A-E, exactly a factor of two: 297 -> 594 -> 1188 (not 1189) and 210 -> 420 -> 840 (not 841) (mm); but that's not the way it was done.

Rounding to three decimal places as in the table somewhat obscures the differences; even so, the A1 ratio should be rounded to 1.416, not 1.414 (which is just plain wrong). Even rounded to two decimal places, the A1 ratio (1.42) is clearly an outlier; rounding to four or more decimal places makes all four ratios clearly different. The ratios aren't part of the ANSI/ASME specification; it is an independent computation (and should probably be indicated as such).

For comparison, 1188/840 = 594/420 and 840/594 = 420/297 and the alternating ratios would be ~ 1.41414 and 1.41429

Incidentally, the text claims that the ANSI base A size ratio is "arbitrary", which is certainly not the case; the size is based on pre-existing standard letter stationery size 8.5x11 inches, commonly available and for which accessories (notebooks, file folders, filing cabinets, etc.) were already long available before the publication of the first version of the standard [*] (and the sizes had long been in use before being standardized). Subsequent office-oriented technology (e.g. facsimile, photocopiers) using the standard letter size paper were also usable for the base ANSI A size (and therefore halves, quarters, etc. of larger sizes). Another comment on the talk page suggests a (essentially non-existent) 8.5x12 inches; there were no widespread suppliers of such a size, nor of accessories (as noted above) for such a size. Note that by successive folding in half, any of the ANSI B-E sizes can be folded to 8.5x11 to fit in standard envelopes, file folders, notebooks, filing cabinets, etc., can be photocopied or transmitted via facsimile in sections, etc.


 * The relevant standard text refers to "definite advantages in the readability, handling, filing, and reproduction", and "The widespread use and exchange of reduced size copies of drawing sheets both within and between organizations emphasizes the importance of standardization of drawing sheet size and format".

68.112.227.60 (talk) 03:02, 16 January 2021 (UTC)