There are no consistent standards of measurement in the balloon industry. Some manufacturers provide measurements of the balloon before inflation, while other manufacturers after inflation.
But even when manufacturers do provide measurements, they may still be measured a few inches off from the balloon. The Bargain Balloons website shows what manufacturers provide and we do update them when measurements change. We provide the largest size of the balloon– width or height– in the size field online.
Widths will vary from balloon to balloon because not all letters and numbers are the same width. The height matters more than width because you want the balloons to look even.
For example, in the image below, the letter “I” and the letter “O” are different widths yet the height is the same. The letter “I” measures 15 inches wide and the letter “O” measures 34 inches. The remaining letters will vary from 15-inch to 34-inch wide, with most letters being 30-inch to 34-inch wide not inflated. Once inflated the balloons reduce by a few inches.
These balloons have tabs along the tops and bottoms so that you can use fishing line or ribbon to tie the balloons together.
These balloons can be filled with air or helium. If filled with air the balloon will not float.
See article: Letters and Numbers for more information.
