What's the correct way to list size

[resdog]

I'm having an debate with another designer, and thought I'd post here. When giving dimensions on a design, say the design is for a 96" wide by 48" tall banner, what is the correct way to list it:

96"x48" (always list the width first)
48"x96" (always list the height first)
96" wide x 48" high (list which measurement goes with which)
48"x96" Horizontal (always list the smallest number first, then type)
96"x48" Horizontal (always list the largets number first, then type)

What is the correct and appropriate way to list these dimensions? Thanks for all your input and info in advance!

[Two-Toe Tom]

most common way is to list width first (e.g. 1024 by 768, 8.5 by 11). but if you want to make sure there's no mistake, i'd go for the third one.

[Typically]

HxW Unless it's noted otherwise i also go with that

[Craig B]

Ditto with two toed tom ... it's always width first, but the 3rd one would clear up any confusion. The last two seem the most confusing.

[PrintDriver]

It seems that GDs generally put width first because that is how all the Adobe programs work. Width then Height.
But AutoCad users tend to put the height first.

Always specify with an 'h' or a 'w' so there is no mistake.

[Two-Toe Tom]

what's more important is that you use the proper multiplication glyph instead of the letter 'x'. :p

[AlexNJ210]

yes, its width to hieght as a standard. And PD, its not just because of the software, look at anything dimension sensitive bought in stores and you will find this is always the case. W x H x D. Width x Hieght x Depth.

[budafist]

I tend to go for the 3rd option but the first would work for me too.

Is that like how co-ordinates are x,y? x being across L-R and y is up/down. With graphs in maths in school we were told: you walk to the tree before you climb it.

[AlexNJ210]

^^ how quaint, lol.

[Tea]

I tend to go for the 3rd option but the first would work for me too.

Is that like how co-ordinates are x,y? x being across L-R and y is up/down. With graphs in maths in school we were told: you walk to the tree before you climb it.

Oh my god, do you know how that confused me?

I pictured myself walking towards the tree (like walking towards railraod tracks that verge to a vanishing point), so I am going up!

Did people still get that wrong with that analogy? Leave it to me to over-analyze it.

[AlexNJ210]

what the pankcake are you talking about willis?!!?!

[Jackimalyn]

Tea, I have no idea what you just said.

We had a discussion about this in school a few years ago. Our industry standard is WxH but if you want some of your work framed, you better tell the framer HxW... so lame.

[Tea]

Let's just say the graphing always confused me. So Buda's walk to the tree and climb it after, really confused me, because I didn't picture walking from the left side of the graph to get to the tree (x). I pictured it as ...oh forget it. We will just leave the confused state in my mind and let it go at that.:eek:

Every time I use InDesign I have to thing about which is the x and which is the y especially with step and repeat actions. Of course, I get it wrong every time.

[AlexNJ210]

its simple to know the difference really, x = lateral movement, y = longitudinal (vertical) movement. left/right by up/down. It shouldn't be complicated.

[rsentgerath]

If you want to make sure there is no miscommunication, use your 3rd option and specify what the width and height is. I would not rely on hoping that the other party shares the same opinion on the order or assuming I know. If it is not specified, then I would ask before I waste my time or the customers.


48” (w) x 96” (h)

[stickleback]

if you talk to anyone in newspaper advertising they will use concepts like 25 4 or 8 double

which means 25 cm high by 4 columns (wide) or 8 cm high by 2 columns wide

once you've lived in that galaxy for a while it's hard to see the world any other way.....

[budafist]

Let's just say the graphing always confused me. So Buda's walk to the tree and climb it after, really confused me, because I didn't picture walking from the left side of the graph to get to the tree (x). I pictured it as ...oh forget it. We will just leave the confused state in my mind and let it go at that.:eek:

Every time I use InDesign I have to thing about which is the x and which is the y especially with step and repeat actions. Of course, I get it wrong every time.

In school we were told to think of capital X and Y. Y has a vertical bar on it so it equals height.

Did you imagine walking into the graph to a tree that's deep into it? Silly Tea. :)

[jimking]

What's a cm? Now I'm confused.........just a yank thing. ;)

It's always been width then height for me.

[stickleback]

hey jimking - it's a centimetre, which is 100th of a metre

when you run the 100 metres, you run 10,000 centimetres

decimal system - used around the world - but not it would appear in the states where they have held on to the system we ditched 30 years ago. Strange - inches just doesn't really do it for me anymore.

whatever you use - we always check - we've learnt the hard way not to take hx x for granted

[jimking]

There was a time when the US government tried to sway the Americans to the metric system. They changed the gas pumps from gallons to liters. Everyone was confused, end of metric in the States. Measurements based on ten seems to make more sinse to me and did when I was in primary school. When I was born they said I was a cubit long---confused again.:p

[Tea]

Did you imagine walking into the graph to a tree that's deep into it? Silly Tea. :)

Yes...it's known to be a sign of the super-intelligent. :D I was entering the third dimension!:eek:

[budafist]

What's a cm? Now I'm confused.........just a yank thing.

It's always been width then height for me.

Liberia, Myanmar (Burma), and the United States are the three countries that have yet to adopt the metric system.

You my friends are are a minority!

[Silence04]

if you guys really want to get confused...
Order some labels on a roll and try to figure out the correct way to tell them the dimensions! even adding WxH to the dimensions won't help you there!

[hewligan]

There was a time when the US government tried to sway the Americans to the metric system. They changed the gas pumps from gallons to liters. Everyone was confused, end of metric in the States. Measurements based on ten seems to make more sinse to me and did when I was in primary school. When I was born they said I was a cubit long---confused again.:p

"My car gets forty rods to the hogshead, and that's the way I likes it!” :D

[budafist]

Metric iz gud coz I gots me 10 fingers.

[jimking]

Metric iz gud coz I gots me 10 fingers.

Yes I'm starting to get it, like 20 cigs to a pack! :D

[budafist]

Yeah but then if you got 11 fingers, the logic isn't so good. Maybe Americans have 12 fingers and therefore Imperial is justified? I don't have an American handy to count.

[stickleback]

actually you can easily count to 30 on your fingers if you use base 5.

5's on the left hand, singles on the right - thus 2 on the left and three on the right is 13, 4 on the left, 4 on the right is 24 and on up to 5 and 5, being 30.

simple really - and the kind of thing which keeps me awake at night.....

but base 10 makes good sense in a global sort of way.

[Two-Toe Tom]

if you want to get the most out of your fingers, use base 2, with both hands you could count to 2^10-1, that's 1023. pretty neat huh?!

[Virgo Nightingale]

Imagine when we finally meet an alien species and how fvcked up their math system will be. They probably have like 19 digits on each of 4 hands and 14 on each of their 8 feet. Or something. For them, 10 is probably the most odd number to base a mathematical system on. Go figure.

[Liquid Layers]

what's more important is that you use the proper multiplication glyph instead of the letter 'x'. :p

I'm a free spirit, I prefer the notation 8.5(11).

By the way, you guys are being ridiculous. If you can remember all of the remainder units that don't add up to a finger you should have no problem just remembering your count. Better yet write it down. I am never found without my pocket-sized notebook. You never know when you are going to get a random inspiration.

[budafist]

Maybe we need to invest in one of these...
http://www.businessinnovationinsider.com/LCDcalculators.jpg