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SRA3 Paper – What Is It?
SRA3 Paper – What Is It?
In the hectic world of commercial printing, paper sizes for print differ from those you may see at home. Instead of the standard A4 and A3 paper sizes, SRA4 and SRA3 rule the print domain. But what is SRA3 paper exactly?
Together, we’re going to take a dip into the SRA paper realm. From discovering the uses of SRA printing paper to learning each of their sizes – you’ll be an SRA expert after reading this post!
What Does SRA3 Stand For?
SRA stands for “Supplementary Raw format A.”
What this essentially means is that SRA papers are slightly larger than their corresponding “A” papers. Think A4, A3, A2 etc. SRA3 is a little bigger than A3, SRA2 than A2, and SRA4 than A4.
There’s an SRA paper to match every A paper. From the huge SRA0 to the tiny SRA8, and everything in between.
Although there are so many SRA papers, we’re going to concentrate on SRA2, SRA3, and SRA4, as this trio tends to pop up the most in print.
What Is SRA3 Paper Size?
The SRA3 paper size in inches is 17.72in x 12.6in (450mm x 320mm). This is a slight step up from an A3 sheet which measures 16.54in x 11.69in (420mm x 297mm).
Here are the sizes of the other common SRA papers found in print:
| SRA2 paper size | SRA3 paper size | SRA4 paper size |
| 25.2in x 17.72in | 17.72in x 12.6in | 12.6in x 8.86in |
As SRA papers are directly linked to A paper, they both follow the same “rules” so to speak. With a traditional A3 sheet, two A4 sheets fit perfectly inside. Well, this is exactly the same with SRA3 and SRA4. This time, instead of two A4s, two SRA4s can fit within an SRA3.
What Size Prints Can You Print On SRA3 Paper?
It’s a common misconception in print that the size you choose for your print is the same size that it is printed. This simply isn’t the case. Instead, your artwork is imposed multiple times onto a larger sheet of paper. Then, this larger sheet is trimmed down to separate each of the imposed artworks from each other.
Most of the time, SRA3 paper is used in this process. We can fit the following onto one sheet of SRA3 paper:
- · 1 x A3
- · 2 x A4
- · 4 x A5
- · 8 x A6
- · 16 x A7
- · 21 x 3.5in x 2in (standard business card size)
Why Are SRA Papers Used In Print?
Like with your desktop printer, commercial printing presses cannot print edge to edge of the paper. Along the edges of the paper, a blank space is left where the toner has not been able to reach.
Let's say we want to print an A3 certificate. If we started with an A3 sheet of paper, the edges around the certificate would be unprintable, causing parts of the design to be lost.
To tackle this issue, SRA papers are used in print. As SRA papers are bigger in overall size (compared to A papers) the additional area is used almost like a buffer against the nonprintable area. The edges of the SRA3 paper remain blank, without creeping into the printed designs within.
Prints sized 420mm x 297mm and below will all begin on an SRA3 sheet. Anything larger will be printed onto SRA2 or even higher!
Advantages Of Printing SRA3 Size
Printing to SRA3 size doesn't just stop that pesky nonprintable area from creeping into artwork.
One of the main advantages of printing with SRA3 is that it saves a lot of time during production. With many artworks being imposed onto the same sheet, less time is required to actually print. This time can then be better spent on the more time-consuming processes, such as gluing and painting edges.
Another wonderful advantage of printing with SRA3 is less overall material is needed to print. If we attempted to print at the exact size, to number of misprints and inevitable reprints would be sky-high. With SRA3, there is less chance of a misprint. And, if one happens to occur, the rest of the sheet can still be saved.
Want To Know More About SRA In Print?
Still curious as to how your A5 greeting cards come to life or want to see some behind-the-scenes action of printing with SRA3? Head on over to our Instagram page or get in touch with a member of our team to chat about SRA3 printing.
