Bedsheet
The
bedsheet format was the size of many magazines published in the United States in the first quarter of the 20th century. Magazines in bedsheet format were roughly the size of
Life but with square spines. While the bedsheet size varied slightly from magazine to magazine, a standard bedsheet size is usually 9¾" x 12". Dick Eney's
Fancyclopedia II gives the following entry:
Bedsheet: A prozine size; 9x12. At various times
Amazing,
Wonder,
Fantastic Adventures,
ASF and
Unknown Worlds attempted this size. The two latter, at least, were cut down by wartime paper shortage, and possibly by the keening of collectors who found these dimensions accident-prone. The first science fiction magazine,
Amazing Stories, was published in a bedsheet format. Later, most magazines changed to the pulp magazine format, roughly the size of comic books or
National Geographic but again with a square spine. Now, many magazines are published in digest format, roughly the size of
Reader's Digest, although a few are in the standard roughly 8.5" x 11" size, and often have stapled spines, rather than glued square spines.