Broadsheet printing considerations

Modern printing facilities most efficiently print broadsheet sections in multiples of eight pages (with four front pages and four back pages). The broadsheet is then cut in half during the process. Thus the newsprint rolls used are defined by the width necessary to print four front pages. The width of a newsprint roll is called its web. Newspapers began in the early 17th century, as an upmarket and expensive form of broadsheet. Australian and New Zealand broadsheets always have a paper size of A1 per spread (841mm by 594mm).

New Zealand broadsheet newspapers:

• The New Zealand Herald, Auckland
• The Waikato Times, Hamilton
• The Dominion Post, Wellington
• The Press, Christchurch
• Ashburton Guardian, Ashburton Ashburton, New Zealand
• The Otago Daily Times, Dunedin
• The Taranaki Daily News, New Plymouth
• The Southland Times, Invercargill

The original purpose of the broadsheet, or broadside, was for the purpose of posting royal proclamations, acts, and official notices. With the increased production of newspapers and literacy, the demand for visual reporting and journalists led to the blending of broadsides and newspapers, creating the modern broadsheet newspaper.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadsheet 

So the original broadsheet size was designed to be posted on walls! Interesting. This strengthens my contention that the broadsheet newspaper size is well-suited to being posted on walls for repeated readings and reference. This in turn would necessarily mean that there can really be on eight pages to a successful wall newspaper, because most walls could handle a maximum of four broadsheet spreads to display. ~ Martin