Lined paper (wide ruled and college ruled)
Printable ruled paper with blue lines, a red margin line and an optional name and date header. Choose the rule that matches your notebook: wide, college or narrow.
What it looks like up close
Ready-made PDF downloads
Prefer a file you can save and print later? These use the default settings shown above.
Wide, college and narrow ruled compared
Wide ruled gives the most room for each line of writing; narrow ruled fits the most lines on a page. College ruled sits in between and is what most adults use. On a Letter page with 1/2 inch margins and a header, wide ruled gives 27 lines and college ruled 34.
Wide, college and narrow ruled
Wide ruled lines are 11/32 inch (8.7 mm) apart and are used in elementary school. College ruled is 9/32 inch (7.1 mm), the most common rule for older students and adults. Narrow ruled is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) and fits the most writing on a page.
Use the presets above the preview to switch between them. The red vertical margin sits 1.25 inches from the left edge, as on US notebook paper.
Printing lined paper
Print at 100% so the line spacing is correct. Print double-sided by printing the PDF twice; for binders, leave the left margin wide enough for the holes. Light blue lines are easy on the eyes and scan cleanly when you photograph your notes.
Need graph paper instead? Try 1/4 inch graph paper or dot grid.
Line spacing in millimetres
Wide ruled 11/32 inch equals 8.73 mm, college ruled 9/32 inch equals 7.14 mm, and narrow ruled 1/4 inch equals 6.35 mm. Outside North America lined paper is usually 8 mm or 7 mm on A4, with a margin line about 20–25 mm from the edge.
For young writers, choose wide ruled or set a custom spacing of 1/2 inch. For note taking, college ruled fits about 34 lines on a Letter page with the header turned on. Turn the header off to get one or two more lines.
Choosing a line color
Light blue lines with a red margin are the North American notebook standard. Gray lines are easier to ignore when you photograph or scan notes, and darker lines help writers with low vision. Any color can be chosen in the generator; the margin line stays red so it remains visible.
Print a single test page first: thin lines in a light color may disappear if the printer is in draft or toner-save mode.
How to print lined paper
- Pick wide, college or narrow ruled with the buttons above the preview.
- Turn the name and date header on or off.
- Choose the paper size; for A4, try the 8 mm preset.
- Set the number of pages and download the PDF.
- Print at 100% so the line spacing is exact.
Lined paper for handwriting practice
Young children often start on paper with much wider spacing, around 1/2 to 5/8 inch, sometimes with a dashed midline. Set a custom line spacing of 0.5 inch for early writers. Older students who write small may prefer narrow ruled to keep notes compact.
Recommended settings
Starting points for common uses. Pick the closest one, then adjust the size or color in the generator above.
| Use | Settings |
|---|---|
| Elementary school | Wide ruled (11/32 inch), header on |
| High school, college, notes | College ruled (9/32 inch) |
| Compact notes | Narrow ruled (1/4 inch), header off |
| Europe / A4 | 8 mm lines, 12 mm margin |
| Early writers | Custom 0.5 inch spacing |
Questions
What is the difference between wide ruled and college ruled?
Wide ruled lines are 11/32 inch apart; college ruled lines are 9/32 inch apart, so college ruled fits more lines on a page.
Can I remove the red margin line?
Yes, untick “Margin line” in the generator.
Is there A4 lined paper?
Choose A4 as the paper size; switch the unit to mm to set an 8 mm line spacing, the common European ruling.
Can I print lined paper without the header?
Yes—untick “Name / Date header”.
Where is the margin line on US notebook paper?
About 1.25 inches from the left edge, which is where this generator draws it.