US paper sizes: Letter, Legal, Tabloid, ANSI and Arch
Letter is 8.5 × 11 in (215.9 × 279.4 mm), Legal 8.5 × 14, Tabloid 11 × 17.
Common US paper sizes
| Name | Inches | Millimetres | Pixels at 300 dpi | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | 8.5 × 11 in | 215.9 × 279.4 mm | 2550 × 3300 | 1.294 |
| Legal | 8.5 × 14 in | 215.9 × 355.6 mm | 2550 × 4200 | 1.647 |
| Tabloid / Ledger | 11 × 17 in | 279.4 × 431.8 mm | 3300 × 5100 | 1.545 |
| Executive | 7.25 × 10.5 in | 184.1 × 266.7 mm | 2175 × 3150 | 1.448 |
| Statement (Half Letter) | 5.5 × 8.5 in | 139.7 × 215.9 mm | 1650 × 2550 | 1.545 |
| Junior Legal | 5 × 8 in | 127 × 203.2 mm | 1500 × 2400 | 1.6 |
| Government Letter | 8 × 10.5 in | 203.2 × 266.7 mm | 2400 × 3150 | 1.312 |
The ratio column is the long edge divided by the short edge. Letter is 1.294, where every ISO A size is 1.414. That is why you cannot scale an A4 page to Letter and have it fill the sheet exactly.
ANSI engineering sizes (ANSI/ASME Y14.1)
| Size | Inches | Millimetres | Canadian size (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANSI A (Letter) | 8.5 × 11 | 216 × 279 | P4: 215 × 280 |
| ANSI B (Ledger/Tabloid) | 11 × 17 | 279 × 432 | P3: 280 × 430 |
| ANSI C | 17 × 22 | 432 × 559 | P2: 430 × 560 |
| ANSI D | 22 × 34 | 559 × 864 | P1: 560 × 860 |
| ANSI E | 34 × 44 | 864 × 1118 | - |
The ANSI series, adopted in 1996, is a regular series with Letter as ANSI A: cutting a sheet in half gives the next smaller size. It alternates between two ratios, 17 : 22 and 11 : 17, unlike ISO, which keeps one ratio throughout. The Canadian P series (CAN/CGSB-9.60) rounds the US sizes to the nearest 5 mm.
Architectural sizes
| Size | Inches | Millimetres | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arch A | 9 × 12 | 229 × 305 | 1.333 |
| Arch B | 12 × 18 | 305 × 457 | 1.5 |
| Arch C | 18 × 24 | 457 × 610 | 1.333 |
| Arch D | 24 × 36 | 610 × 914 | 1.5 |
| Arch E1 | 30 × 42 | 762 × 1067 | 1.4 |
| Arch E | 36 × 48 | 914 × 1219 | 1.333 |
Architectural sheets are defined in the same ANSI/ASME standard. Arch E1 (30 × 42 in) has a different aspect ratio because it is Arch D with 6 inches added to each side.
US sizes against ISO sizes
| US size | Nearest ISO size | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Letter (215.9 × 279.4 mm) | A4 (210 × 297 mm) | 5.9 mm wider, 17.6 mm shorter |
| Legal (215.9 × 355.6 mm) | None. B4 is 250 × 353 mm | 34.1 mm narrower than B4, 2.6 mm taller |
| Tabloid (279.4 × 431.8 mm) | A3 (297 × 420 mm) | 17.6 mm narrower, 11.8 mm taller |
| Statement (139.7 × 215.9 mm) | A5 (148 × 210 mm) | 8.3 mm narrower, 5.9 mm taller |
| Executive (184.15 × 266.7 mm) | B5 (176 × 250 mm) | 8.2 mm wider, 16.7 mm taller |
See A4 vs US Letter for scaling percentages when printing one on the other.
Where US sizes are used
The United States, Canada and the Philippines use inch-based sizes by default in software settings, and Mexico, Colombia, Chile and several Central American countries use US Letter in everyday life even though they formally adopted ISO. See paper sizes by country. Source for the tables: Wikipedia's Paper size article (ANSI, architectural and Canadian tables); inch to mm conversions are exact (1 in = 25.4 mm).
Frequently asked questions
What are the standard US paper sizes?
Letter (8.5 x 11 in), Legal (8.5 x 14 in) and Tabloid or Ledger (11 x 17 in) are the most common. Executive and Statement are less common.
What is ANSI B?
ANSI B is 11 x 17 inches (279 x 432 mm), the same as Tabloid or Ledger.
What is the difference between Letter and Legal?
Both are 8.5 inches wide; Legal is 14 inches long and Letter is 11 inches.
What is Arch D?
Arch D is 24 x 36 inches (610 x 914 mm), a common architectural plot size.
Is Letter bigger than A4?
Letter is 5.9 mm wider but 17.6 mm shorter than A4. Its area is 0.0603 square metres against 0.0624 for A4.