A4 or US Letter: which paper size should you print?
The two sizes look alike, but one is taller and the other is wider. Here is how to tell which paper you have and how to print on it without cut-off edges.
The short answer
Use the size that matches the paper in your printer. In the United States and Canada that is almost always US Letter. In most other countries it is A4.
Not sure which paper you have?Measure the short edge. US Letter is 8.5 inches (216 mm) wide. A4 is 210 mm wide and a little taller.
The sizes side by side
| Size | Millimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 216 × 279 | 8.5 × 11 |
| A4 | 210 × 297 | 8.3 × 11.7 |
| A5 | 148 × 210 | 5.8 × 8.3 |
Printing one size on the other
If the file and the paper do not match, choose the option that fits the page to the paper in your print window. The page prints slightly smaller, with a little extra margin, and nothing is cut off.
- Most of our printables come in both sizes, so you can usually just pick the right file.
- For a planner you want to punch and file, print at full size on matching paper so the holes line up.
What about A5?
A5 is half an A4 sheet. It suits small planners and ring binders. Planners that include A5 pages say so on their product page.