Lined Paper

What size is college ruled paper?

College ruled paper has lines 9/32 inch (7.1 mm) apart, with a margin line about 1 1/4 inch from the left edge. Wide ruled lines are 11/32 inch (8.7 mm) apart and narrow ruled lines are 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) apart. A Letter page with half-inch margins fits 35 college ruled lines.

The table lists each ruling with the lines this maker puts on a page. The first line sits one line space below the top margin.

For a side-by-side look at the three rulings and which suits which handwriting, read Wide Ruled vs College Ruled Paper.

How far apart are wide ruled lines?

Wide ruled lines are 11/32 inch apart, which is 8.7 mm or 24.75 points. It is also called legal ruled. On a Letter page with half-inch margins it gives 29 lines, and on A4 with the same margins it gives 31 lines.

How do I print lined paper?

Choose a ruling, then the paper size and margins. Turn on the red margin line, hole guides or the name and date line if you want them. The preview redraws as you change anything. Press Download PDF and print at 100 percent scale, not Fit to page.

1. Pick Wide, College, Narrow or Handwriting rows.
2. Choose the paper size, orientation and margins.
3. Add the red margin line, hole guides and a name and date line if you want them.
4. Pick a line color and weight.
5. Press Download PDF to print, or Download PNG for a picture.

What is handwriting paper?

Handwriting paper, also called manuscript paper, has rows of three lines: a solid top line, a dashed midline and a solid baseline. Letters sit on the baseline, and the midline guides the height of small letters. Row heights here run from 3/8 inch to 1 inch, and Letter fits 9 rows at 3/4 inch.

Spacing on this kind of paper depends on the age group being taught, according to the Wikipedia article on ruled paper, so there is no single standard. That is why this maker offers five row heights:

• 1 inch (25.4 mm): 7 rows on Letter, 7 on A4. Rows sit 1.5 row heights apart, so the space between rows is half a row.
• 3/4 inch (19.1 mm): 9 rows on Letter, 9 on A4. Rows sit 1.5 row heights apart, so the space between rows is half a row.
• 5/8 inch (15.9 mm): 11 rows on Letter, 11 on A4. Rows sit 1.5 row heights apart, so the space between rows is half a row.
• 1/2 inch (12.7 mm): 13 rows on Letter, 14 on A4. Rows sit 1.5 row heights apart, so the space between rows is half a row.
• 3/8 inch (9.5 mm): 18 rows on Letter, 19 on A4. Rows sit 1.5 row heights apart, so the space between rows is half a row.

How do I make lined paper with a margin and holes?

Turn on the red margin line to draw a vertical rule 1 1/4 inch from the left edge, as on school notebook paper. Under Hole guides, choose the US three-hole set (holes 4 1/4 inch apart) or the ISO two-hole or four-hole set (80 mm apart). The guides print as small circles.

Hole guides are for lining up a punch. They show the center of each hole on the left edge: 1/2 inch from the edge for the US set and 12 mm for the ISO sets, centered on the page height. A three-hole set needs a page at least 8.75 inches tall, so on Letter it works in portrait only. Punch the pages, then check the fit in your binder.