DL Paper Size: Leaflets, Compliment Slips and Envelopes

DL is 99 x 210mm, which is 9.9 x 21cm or about 3.90 x 8.27 inches. It is exactly one third of an A4 sheet: 297mm ÷ 3 = 99mm, with the 210mm side unchanged. With 3mm of bleed on every edge, DL artwork is 105 x 216mm. A DL envelope is slightly bigger, 110 x 220mm, so a DL leaflet, a DL compliment slip or an A4 sheet folded in three fits inside it.

DL size in every unit

Inches are millimetres ÷ 25.4, and pixels are inches x 300, both rounded. Turn every figure round for a landscape DL item: a landscape compliment slip is 210 x 99mm, and its artwork is 216 x 105mm.

Where the DL size comes from

DL is not one of the A sizes. A4, A5 and A6 come from the ISO 216 standard, where each size is half the one above. DL takes its name from the DL envelope, one of the envelope sizes in ISO 269, which measures 110 x 220mm. The paper size that goes inside it, 99 x 210mm, is called DL too.

The useful link is with A4. Fold an A4 sheet into three equal parts and each part is 99 x 210mm. That is why a letter folded in three fits a DL envelope, and why a DL leaflet can be cut three to an A4 sheet. Our glossary entry on DL size gives the short definition.

What we print at DL size

Three of our products finish at DL. They use different papers because they do different jobs.

DL leaflets

A DL leaflet is a single flat sheet. The tall, narrow shape suits a single column of text, such as a price list, a timetable, a menu or a list of services, and it fits standard leaflet racks and a DL envelope. A DL leaflet on our standard paper, 135gsm gloss, printed on both sides, costs £33 for 1,000, which is 3.3p a leaflet. Leaflets are zero-rated for VAT where they qualify, so there is no VAT to add, and delivery to UK mainland addresses is free.

DL compliment slips

A compliment slip is the short note that goes in with an invoice, a sample or a parcel. Ours are DL, printed landscape on one side of 120gsm uncoated paper, which takes a pen easily and matches our letterheads. They start at £33 for 250, with VAT included at 20%: compliment slips are stationery, so they are standard-rated.

Folded leaflets that finish at DL

When one flat DL sheet is not enough, a folded leaflet gives you six DL-sized panels. We print an A4 sheet on both sides and fold it twice, either as a roll fold, where the end panel tucks inside, or as a Z fold, which opens like a concertina. Our guide to half, roll and Z folds gives the panel widths.

Will it fit a DL envelope?

A DL envelope is 110 x 220mm, so a DL leaflet has 11mm of spare width and 10mm of spare length. Here is what fits:

The A sizes have matching C envelopes in ISO 269: A4 goes in C4, A5 in C5 and A6 in C6. DL is the odd one out, made for a third of A4.

Setting up DL artwork

• Page size: 105 x 216mm for a portrait DL leaflet, or 216 x 105mm for a landscape compliment slip. That is the finished size plus 3mm of bleed on every edge. Our guide to what bleed is explains why.
• Safe area: keep text and logos at least 5mm inside the trim, which leaves an 89 x 200mm area on a portrait DL page.
• Folded leaflets: supply the A4 sheet laid landscape, 303 x 216mm with bleed, and keep text 5mm clear either side of each fold. Our folded leaflet templates mark every fold and panel.
• Images: 300dpi at the size they print. A full-bleed DL photo needs about 1240 x 2551 pixels.
• File: a PDF in CMYK, with fonts embedded and, for a double-sided leaflet, the front on page 1 and the back on page 2.

Our free leaflet templates and compliment slip template are already set to DL with the bleed and safe area drawn in. Every upload gets a free automatic check and an on-screen proof before you pay; our artwork guidelines list every size we print.

DL compared with the A sizes

DL has the same 210mm length as A5 and A4's short side, but it is much narrower. If you are choosing a leaflet size rather than looking up DL, our guide to leaflet and flyer sizes compares A6, A5, A4 and DL side by side, with the typical use for each.

Questions

What size is DL in mm? DL is 99 x 210mm. With 3mm of bleed on every edge, the artwork is 105 x 216mm. Keep text at least 5mm inside the trim, which leaves an 89 x 200mm safe area on a portrait DL page.

What size is DL in cm and inches? DL is 9.9 x 21cm, or about 3.90 x 8.27 inches. The artwork with 3mm bleed is 10.5 x 21.6cm, or about 4.13 x 8.50 inches. At 300dpi a DL page is 1169 x 2480 pixels, or 1240 x 2551 pixels with bleed.

Is DL a third of A4? Yes. An A4 sheet is 210 x 297mm, and 297 ÷ 3 = 99, so a third of A4 is 99 x 210mm, exactly DL. That is why an A4 sheet folded in three lands at DL, and why a folded A4 letter fits a DL envelope.

What size is a DL envelope? A DL envelope is 110 x 220mm under ISO 269. It holds a DL leaflet (99 x 210mm), a DL compliment slip or an A4 sheet folded in three, with about 10mm to spare each way. An A5 leaflet does not fit; it needs a C5 envelope.

Is DL bigger than A5? No. DL and A5 are the same length, 210mm, but DL is 99mm wide and A5 is 148mm wide, so A5 has about half as much area again. DL suits a single column of text; A5 gives room for a picture and a headline side by side.

What size is a compliment slip? Our compliment slips are DL, 210 x 99mm, printed landscape on 120gsm uncoated paper. Set the artwork up at 216 x 105mm, which includes 3mm of bleed on every edge, and keep text 5mm inside the trim, leaving space for a handwritten note.

Is there VAT on DL leaflets? Usually not. Leaflets are zero-rated where they meet HMRC VAT Notice 701/10, and a DL leaflet on paper, ordered in a quantity of 50 or more, normally does. Compliment slips are stationery, so they are standard-rated at 20%. Our VAT on printing page explains the rules.