Book Trim Sizes (국판·신국판·46판·크라운판)

Understanding the Korean book trim size chart — concept and principle

Korean publishers and printers name book formats with traditional terms such as 46판 (sa-yuk-pan), 국판 (guk-pan), 신국판 (sin-guk-pan) and 크라운판 (crown-pan) rather than with ISO names like A5. When you self-publish, order printing, design a cover or compare a Korean book with a foreign edition, you need the actual trimmed page size in millimetres. This chart turns each format name into width × height and shows the nearest ISO paper size where one exists.

How it is calculated

The calculator looks up the format you choose in a fixed table and returns its trimmed page size (width × height, in millimetres) and the closest ISO 216 size:

• 46판: 127 × 188 mm
• 국판: 148 × 210 mm, the same as ISO A5
• 신국판: 152 × 225 mm
• 크라운판: 176 × 248 mm, close to ISO B5 (176 × 250 mm)
• 4×6배판: 188 × 257 mm
• 국배판: 210 × 297 mm, the same as ISO A4

The principle

The names come from the large sheets that printing paper is supplied in. 46판 is cut from the 4×6 full sheet (사륙전지) and 국판 from the guk full sheet (국전지); a book page is the sheet folded several times and trimmed. "배판" means "double": 4×6배판 has about twice the area of 46판, and 국배판 (210 × 297) is exactly twice 국판 (148 × 210), just as A4 is twice A5. ISO sizes keep a height-to-width ratio of √2 ≈ 1.414 so that halving a sheet keeps the same shape. Korean formats that are not ISO-based, such as 46판 and 신국판, are narrower, with a ratio of about 1.48.

Worked example

1. Default input: format 신국판.
2. The table gives 152 × 225 mm.
3. Ratio: 225 ÷ 152 ≈ 1.48, which is taller and narrower than ISO (1.414), so there is no matching ISO size (—).
4. Compared with 국판/A5 (148 × 210 mm), 신국판 is 4 mm wider and 15 mm taller, about 10% more page area.

How to read the result

The sizes are trimmed page sizes, the size of the finished book block. A cover, especially a hardcover, adds a few millimetres, and a print file needs bleed (often 3 mm on each side) beyond the trim. 신국판 is a very common size for Korean general books and novels; 46판 suits pocket-sized books and poetry; 크라운판 and 4×6배판 are common for textbooks, workbooks and practical guides; 국배판 suits magazines and picture-heavy books.

Common mistakes

• Treating 신국판 as A5. It is slightly larger and has a different shape.
• Sending a print file at trim size without bleed, which leaves white edges after cutting.
• Mixing up width and height when setting up a document.

Frequently asked questions

What size is 신국판?

152 × 225 mm, one of the most common sizes for Korean paperbacks.

Is 국판 the same as A5?

Yes, 148 × 210 mm.

What is the difference between 크라운판 and B5?

크라운판 is 176 × 248 mm and ISO B5 is 176 × 250 mm, so they are almost the same, with 크라운판 2 mm shorter.

Which size should I choose for a self-published novel?

신국판 or 46판 are typical for text-heavy books; check what your printer can bind and how it affects the page count.

Sources: ISO 216:2007, Writing paper and certain classes of printed matter — Trimmed sizes — A and B series