2026-03-08

A4 vs Letter vs Legal: Which Paper Should You Buy?

The three names on a ream that cause the most grief are A4, Letter, and Legal. They are not “close enough.” A few millimeters show up as a clipped table or a fat empty margin.

The sizes

• A4 — 210 × 297 mm. Default across most of the world.
• Letter — 8.5 × 11 in (about 216 × 279 mm). Default in the US and Canada.
• Legal — 8.5 × 14 in (about 216 × 356 mm). Contracts. Longer than Letter.

A4 is narrower and taller than Letter. Printing an A4 PDF on Letter with Fit normally scales the whole page: squares keep their shape, but their measured size changes. Actual size applies no scaling, so content outside the sheet or the printer’s printable area may be clipped. For a measured 5 mm grid, select the paper actually in the tray before generating a new PDF.

What to check on a home printer

Driver paper size, the sheet actually in the tray, and Actual size in the preview. Legal needs a tray that accepts 14-inch stock.

70–80 gsm is fine for handouts. 80–100 gsm if you’re duplexing and hate show-through. Warm cream backgrounds print more reliably on inkjet; laser often needs a slightly darker line color.

The full A/B/C and US tables are on the paper size chart. When you generate lined paper or graph paper, pick the size your printer will actually use.

Related tool:Open the size chart →