Wide Ruled vs College Ruled vs Narrow Ruled Paper

The three common spacings

Notebook paper in the United States usually comes in three line spacings. The numbers below are common conventions, often described as semi-standardized. They are not a formal standard, so brands and stores can differ by a small amount.

• Wide ruled: 11/32 in (8.7 mm) between lines.
• College ruled: 9/32 in (7.1 mm) between lines.
• Narrow ruled: 1/4 in (6.4 mm) between lines.

The margin line

Wide ruled and college ruled sheets commonly have a vertical margin line about 1 1/4 in (32 mm) from the left edge. It keeps writing away from the binding or the punched holes, and some people use it for dates, numbers or short notes. The margin line is optional on the lined paper page on this site.

Who tends to use which

Wide ruled is the usual choice for younger writers and anyone with larger handwriting, because each letter has more room to sit between the lines. College ruled fits smaller handwriting and fits more lines on a page, so it is popular for note taking in classes and meetings.

Narrow ruled is tighter still. Writers with very small, neat handwriting like it for dense notes, lists and journals, but it can feel cramped if your letters are large.

How to pick a custom spacing

Write a few lines of your normal handwriting on plain paper, then measure the height of your tallest letters, such as l, d and t. Your line spacing should be a little taller than that. If letters touch the line above, move up to a wider spacing. If a lot of space is left empty, try a tighter one.

Handwriting that is still developing usually needs more room than adult handwriting, so a child may do better with wide ruled or even wider custom spacing.

Print a test sheet first

Different spacings look very different on a real page. Print one sheet of each spacing you are considering and write on it with the pen or pencil you plan to use. Gel pens and markers spread more than pencils, so they can change which spacing feels comfortable.

Once you know the spacing you like, set it as a custom value and keep using it. Consistent spacing makes pages look neat and easier to read back later.