If you’ve ever printed or worked with documents like legal contracts, property records, or court filings, chances are you’ve handled legal size paper. But if you’re unfamiliar, you may wonder – what is legal paper size exactly?
This definitive guide will cover everything you need to know about standard North American legal paper size.
We’ll explore what makes it “legal” size, how the dimensions differ from regular letter size sheets, typical uses in legal and accounting documents, special considerations for printing and photocopying, ways to store the longer pages, and much more.
Let’s start by examining the key legal paper dimensions that make it unique.
The origins of legal size paper can be traced back to the late 19th century when the American Bar Association (ABA) created wider, longer sheets to accommodate the denser text and annotations in early law journals and case reporters. Legal documents have traditionally required additional room for signatures, exhibits, codicils, and other lengthy attachments.
The ABA’s customized “legal” paper size stuck and was widely adopted by courts and law offices. Over time, as legal complexities grew, the legal community increasingly relied on these elongated pages.
Today the dimensions are standardized under American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines for use across the US and Canada. The traditional letter size sheet common for letters and documents is just not quite big enough for many legal instruments.
Legal size paper gets its name from being the required paper size for legal documents filed in court systems or government offices in the U.S. and Canada. But what makes legal paper “legal sized”?
The ANSI technical drawing standard Y14.1 sets legal size paper at exactly 216 mm (8.5 inches) wide by 356 mm (14 inches) long. This results in a total area of 0.0765 square meters. Legal paper is the same width as ISO A4 and American letter size, but over 2 inches longer, providing substantially more writing space on the vertical axis.
Here is a comparison of dimensions across common international paper sizes:
| Paper Size | Width x Height (mm) | Width x Height (inches) |
|---|---|---|
| A4 | 210 x 297 | 8.3 x 11.7 |
| Letter | 216 x 279 | 8.5 x 11 |
| Legal | 216 x 356 | 8.5 x 14 |
So while legal sheets are identical in width to A4 and letter formats, the extended 14-inch length sets legal-size paper apart.
Legal size might seem unnecessarily long at first glance. However, the origins of its dimensions reveal how the format evolved to suit key functions in law and court systems.
This paper size predates standard U.S. letter size. It has origins dating back to the 13th century when an early version called “foolscap” was used in courts and legal settings in England.
The story goes that a watermark depicting the fool’s cap emblem of a court jester was incorporated into paper produced for legal and governmental use. Hence the “foolscap” name.
As paper-making spread through Europe in the following centuries, this long sheet size became widely adopted for record-keeping and legal documents. The extra length better accommodated the lengthy text and multiple signatures or witness statements associated with early contracts and court rulings.
When paper formats were later standardized, countries like the U.S. and Canada chose to retain these same long sheet dimensions for all contemporary legal forms, record keeping, courts, and government agencies.
Hence why it remains known as “legal size” paper to this day – that original efficient format stuck and still suits legal work.
Next, let’s compare the legal size to standard letter paper more closely.
The most common uses of legal size paper and documents include:
Essentially any document with dense information and language tends to sprawl across legal-sized pages more gracefully than standard letter paper allows.
There are good reasons the legal and business world has standardized on legal paper dimensions for certain important documents:
Beyond dimensions, the legal paper has additional specifications that are good to understand:
These qualities ensure professional, readable, durable legal documents.
Now that we know the origins and dimensions that define legal size paper, how does it compare to standard U.S. letter size – the sheets you likely use in your home and office printer regularly?
Let’s break down the key specs:
Comparing legal size paper dimensions vs letter size
Similarities:
Differences:
You can see that extra 3 inches clearly in the photo above – legal paper is noticeably longer than the standard letter sheet.
So in essence, legal paper size takes the common 8.5 inch width we’re all used to from regular printer paper and tacks on an extra 3 inches in length.
Understanding these key differences in dimensions helps explain why legal stands out from letter or A4 paper and lends itself well to certain professional document types.
Now let’s explore some best practices for printing and handling legal documents.
If you need to print legal forms, what’s the process and what should you know about using longer 14-inch paper? While legal sticks to the standard 8.5-inch width, that extra 3 inches in length can catch printer trays unaware if they are set for typical letter size by default.
Key things to check for legal size printing:
To successfully print on legal-size paper, follow these guidelines:
If your home printer has fixed trays unable to fit legally, print from a desktop office printer with adjustable trays or at a print shop instead.
What about making photocopies of legal forms – what steps should you take? Luckily most modern commercial photocopiers have adjustable trays to handle legal and other oversized documents.
When copying legally, follow the same principles:
As with printing, if your small office copy machine can’t handle legal size, take documents to a print shop with larger, adjustable equipment.
Another implication of the extra-long legal size dimensions comes up when storing printed documents or unused reams of legal paper.
At 14 inches long, legal sheets and stacks won’t fit in standard letter-size folders, binders, or filing cabinets. So, when managing legal forms and binders, be sure to use legal-specific storage sizes:
Using these legal-formatted supplies keeps documents neatly organized and easy to store while preventing unsightly overflowing paper and binder drawers.
For unused reams of blank legal paper, you can stand boxes upright like letter paper. Just designate an area or shelf for legal stacks separate from the letter.
Proper legal paper storage might take some adjusting if you’re used to letter size. But a little planning goes a long way to keep those longer pages orderly!
We’ve covered a lot of ground around the world of legal-size paper. To recap, the key things that characterize this format:
So next time you come across those extra long legal sheets, you’ll know why 14 inches makes it the go-to paper for all things courts, law, contracts, and big documents!
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about legal-size papers:
What is legal size paper used for?Legal size paper provides extra space needed for contracts, courtroom filings, estate planning papers, corporate documents, and other lengthy legal instruments.
Is the legal size the same as A4?No. Legal sheets are the same width as A4 but over 2 inches longer. A4 measures 210 x 297 mm (8.3 x 11.7 inches).
Does the legal-size paper fit in normal printers?Most standard office printers and copiers handle legal size. But confirm legal capacity before purchasing a printer.
What is the dimension of legal size?Legal measures 216 mm x 356 mm, which equals 8.5 inches wide by 14 inches long.
Is the legal size longer or wider than the letter size?Legal is the same width as the letter size but about 3 inches longer. The letter measures 216 x 279 mm (8.5 x 11 inches).
How should I store legal-size documents?Use legal-size hanging folders inside filing cabinets. Bind related legal papers in accredited 3-ring binders properly labeled for easy refiling.
Legal size paper has been the standard for legal documents in the US and Canada for over a century. At 216 mm x 356 mm (8.5 x 14 inches), these elongated pages provide ample writing space to accommodate contracts, courtroom filings, wills, corporate papers, and other lengthy legal instruments.
Understanding the background, dimensions, common uses, printing tips, and storage guidelines for legal-size paper ensures you can properly handle and format critical legal paperwork. With practice, legal documents can be drafted, printed, presented, shared, bound, filed, and archived with professionalism and ease.
