Imperial or Metric? Why can’t you just convert from one to the other?

This is a question I get asked all the time so I thought I’d post this here to help everyone understand the issues with providing instructions in both imperial and metric measures.

I’m originally from the USA but I live in Australia and have done so for a long time. So, I’m very conscious of the differences between Aussie (and UK/Canada/etc) cards and USA cards and try to cater to both systems in my tutorials. It’s worth explaining why I don’t just ‘convert’ the metrics to imperial.

Australia uses the metric system which includes an A4 paper size, while the USA uses the imperial measurement system and has a US Letter paper size.

This means we have different standard sizes for cards. Both are based on cutting the standard paper size in half, then folding that in half. For us in Australia, this gives us an A6 card which, when folded, is 105mm wide by 148mm tall. For my friends in the USA, this gives them what they call an A2 card which is 4.25″ wide by 5.5″ tall. If I just converted the Aussie mm into inches, you would get a card that is 4.13″ wide by 5.83″ tall.

So you can see it’s a completely different size to the USA card. If I just converted the metrics into imperial, my USA friends would end up with the wrong size card that wouldn’t fit in their envelopes. So, I usually make samples in both sizes and provide the cut plan in metric and imperial, so that whatever country you are in, you get the right size card that will fit your envelopes.

Every once in a while I will use Imperial measures because the card is based on photograph sizes (ie 6×6″, 4×6″ or 5×7″). Most of us makers who are in Australia/Great Britain/anywhere else in the world can still work in inches. All of my rulers are notated in both metric and imperial. So for those sizes, it’s easier to work in imperial.

So, for most of my card designs in the A6 (Australia)/A2 (USA) standards, I demonstrate making the Aussie one (particularly on YouTube) but will provide the measurements for the Imperial version in subtitles on YouTube and as a separate cut plan on the blog. The instructions for putting the card together are the same regardless of whether you are working in imperial or metrics.

The only time I would NOT include the USA cut plan is if I am CASEing* a card made by another USA based demonstrator and have modified it for the Australian sizing. If I do this, I always include the website for the original card so you can pop over there and find out how to make it for the USA. I am a Professor for my ‘day job’ and in that world, plagiarism (publishing someone else’s work as your own) is highly frowned on so I just won’t do it. I will give credit where credit is due. 🙂

I hope this helps explain my methodology for dealing with the differences in Imperial and Metric measures. Happy inking!!!!

* CASE = Copy and Share Everything – a term we use in the Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator world to share ideas we’ve learned from others but putting our own spin on what we’ve done (and giving credit where it is due).