Roomy lines for larger, growing handwriting.

Free Printable Wide Ruled Paper

Roomy 8.7 mm lines for young writers and large handwriting. Preview it below and download the PDF.

Page size
Orientation
8.7
12
8 to 25 mm. Most printers cannot print closer than about 6 mm to the edge.
1 to 50 copies in one PDF.
Prints a measurable bar at the foot of the page so you can check the print came out true to size.
Light grey keeps writing legible.

Print at 100 percent scale, not Fit to page. That is what keeps the measurements true.

Preview: A4, portrait, lined paper, 8.7 mm line spacing, 12 mm page margin.

Free for personal and commercial use. No attribution required, no watermark. See terms.

Want to nudge the spacing up or down from 8.7 mm? Open it in the paper generator.

Wide ruled paper spaces its lines roughly 8.7 millimetres apart, noticeably more generous than the college ruling adults tend to use. That extra room is exactly what younger writers need while their letters are still large and their control is still growing. It is the standard ruling in primary schools for the same reason, and it suits anyone whose handwriting simply runs big. PrintNook draws the lines in true millimetres with a left margin rule, so the page prints at the same real size on any printer. Choose A4 or Letter, set the line color, and download a clean PDF ready for the printer tray.

What wide ruled paper is good for

Primary school writing

The wide spacing gives children room to form each letter fully, which builds neat handwriting before lines shrink to a tighter ruling.

Large handwriting

If your writing naturally runs big, wide ruled lines stop letters from crashing into the row above and keep the page readable.

Notes and lists

The roomy lines suit quick shopping lists, reminders, and notes where you want space to write without squinting.

Wide ruled against college ruled, in millimetres

Wide ruled is about 8.7 mm between lines and college ruled about 7.1 mm, a difference of a millimetre and a half that decides roughly four lines per page. That sounds trivial and is not: at 8.7 mm a child forming letters has room for ascenders and descenders without them colliding with the row above, and at 7.1 mm they do not. The rule of thumb is to look at existing handwriting rather than at age. If descenders on g and y regularly crash into the line below, the ruling is too tight. If there is a visible band of white above every line, it is too loose and you are wasting paper.

Specifications

Counted from the generator itself at its default settings, not estimated. Change a setting and these numbers change with it. How we measure explains where they come from.

Wide Ruled Paper at default settings, A4 against US Letter
MeasureA4US Letter
Sheet size (portrait)210 x 297 mm (8.27 in x 11.69 in)215.9 x 279.4 mm (8.50 in x 11.00 in)
Page margin12 mm12 mm
Line spacing8.7 mm8.7 mm
Ruled lines per page3129
Left margin rule24 mm from the left edge24 mm from the left edge
Line weight0.2 mm0.2 mm

Print at 100 percent. Turn off Fit to page in your print dialog so the layout keeps its true measurements. See our print settings guide for the full checklist, or A4 versus Letter if you are unsure which size to pick.

Frequently asked questions

How far apart are wide ruled lines?

Wide ruled paper spaces lines about 8.7 mm apart. You can nudge the spacing up or down before you download if you want a little more or less room.

What is the difference from college ruled?

College ruled lines sit about 7.1 mm apart, giving more rows per page. Wide ruled is more generous at roughly 8.7 mm, which suits larger or younger handwriting.

How far apart are the lines exactly?

This preset opens at 8.7 mm, which is the standard wide ruling. The slider lets you move it in half millimetre steps if you want a little more or less room.

How many lines fit on a sheet?

The specification table above gives the exact count for A4 and for Letter at the default margin. A4 fits more lines because it is 17.6 mm taller.

Is wide ruled the same as legal ruled?

No. Legal ruled is a narrower ruling, closer to college, on Legal size paper. Wide ruled describes the line spacing, not the sheet.

Can a school reprint this for a whole class?

Yes, for anything. The PDFs are free for personal, classroom and commercial use, with no attribution required and no watermark anywhere on the page.

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