Dimensions and trimming of the MS

[oshfdk]

What you find when you plot the aspect ratios is that yes, the ratio in the later Middle Ages is generally near a golden ratio, but sizes vary considerably, especially within monastic communities.

Interestingly, none of the plotted manuscripts have the golden ratio aspect (it's 1:1.618, as far as I know, I added it as the orange line), they are definitely clustered around the more practical 1 to the square root of 2 (that keeps the aspect if you fold the sheet in half), the original green line.