US paper sizes: Letter, Legal, Tabloid and more
The USA and Canada do not use ISO sizes. Their standard sheet is Letter at 8.5 × 11 inches (215.9 × 279.4 mm). Legal (8.5 × 14 in) is used for contracts and Tabloid (11 × 17 in) is the counterpart to A3.
Contents of this page
Office sizes
| Size | Inches | mm | Closest ISO size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | 8.5 × 11 | 215.9 × 279.4 | A4 (210 × 297) |
| Legal | 8.5 × 14 | 215.9 × 355.6 | no direct match |
| Tabloid | 11 × 17 | 279.4 × 431.8 | A3 (297 × 420) |
| Ledger | 17 × 11 | 431.8 × 279.4 | A3 landscape |
| Executive | 7.25 × 10.5 | 184.2 × 266.7 | B5 (176 × 250) |
| Half Letter / Statement | 5.5 × 8.5 | 139.7 × 215.9 | A5 (148 × 210) |
Ledger and Tabloid are the same sheet; the name only depends on orientation. Unlike ISO sizes, US sizes have no common aspect ratio. Letter is 1 : 1.29, Legal 1 : 1.65, which is why Letter cannot be enlarged to Tabloid without a border.
ANSI and Architectural sizes
Technical drawings in the US use two series of their own. The ANSI series starts at Letter and doubles with each step. The Arch series is used by architects and has rounder inch figures.
| Size | Inches | mm |
|---|---|---|
| ANSI A | 8.5 × 11 | 215.9 × 279.4 |
| ANSI B | 11 × 17 | 279.4 × 431.8 |
| ANSI C | 17 × 22 | 431.8 × 558.8 |
| ANSI D | 22 × 34 | 558.8 × 863.6 |
| ANSI E | 34 × 44 | 863.6 × 1117.6 |
| Arch A | 9 × 12 | 228.6 × 304.8 |
| Arch B | 12 × 18 | 304.8 × 457.2 |
| Arch C | 18 × 24 | 457.2 × 609.6 |
| Arch D | 24 × 36 | 609.6 × 914.4 |
| Arch E1 | 30 × 42 | 762 × 1066.8 |
| Arch E | 36 × 48 | 914.4 × 1219.2 |
Where Letter is used
Letter is standard in the USA and Canada. It is also common in everyday use in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile and the Philippines, even though these countries have officially adopted ISO sizes. The rest of the world works with A4.
Canada once had a metric series of its own, the P sizes (P4 at 215 × 280 mm was almost Letter). That standard was withdrawn in 2012. More on international sizes.
Printing across systems
If you exchange documents between Europe and North America, printing problems are only a matter of time. The differences and the best settings are explained in Letter vs A4. For inch conversions there is the inches to cm converter.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Letter in cm?
21.59 × 27.94 cm, which is 8.5 × 11 inches.
What is the US equivalent of A4?
Letter, at 215.9 × 279.4 mm. It is slightly wider and noticeably shorter than A4.
How big is Legal paper?
8.5 × 14 inches, or 215.9 × 355.6 mm.
Is Tabloid the same as A3?
Close, but no. Tabloid is 279.4 × 431.8 mm, A3 is 297 × 420 mm. Tabloid is narrower and a little longer.