# Clear-face yield

**The proportion of a board’s face that will produce clear cuttings of a stated minimum size — the measurement an NHLA lumber grade is built on.**

Yield is expressed in twelfths because the NHLA rules measure a board in units of twelve. FAS at 10/12 is 83-1/3%; No. 1 Common at 8/12 is 66-2/3%; No. 2A Common at 6/12 is 50%; No. 3A Common at 4/12 is 33-1/3%.

The cutting size is part of the definition and is not optional. FAS requires a minimum cutting of 4 inches by 5 feet, or 3 inches by 7 feet. No. 1 Common accepts 4 by 2 feet or 3 by 3 feet. A board can carry a high proportion of clear face and still fail a grade because the clear areas are too small to cut usefully.

## Related terms

- [NHLA grade](https://ecowoods.ca/glossary/nhla-grade)
- [Flooring grade](https://ecowoods.ca/glossary/flooring-grade)


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