Generators
College Ruled Paper
College ruled paper with lines exactly 9/32 inch (7.1 mm) apart, set up like US notebook filler paper. Download it as a PDF and print at 100%.
Print at 100% (“Actual size”), not “Fit to page”, so the spacing measures true.
Preview of the one-page PDF.
The paper and PDF are made in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
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Frequently asked questions
How far apart are college ruled lines?
9/32 inch, which is 7.14 mm or 20.25 points. That is 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) closer than wide ruled paper, so a college-ruled Letter page with ½-inch margins holds 36 lines instead of 30.
Why is it called college ruled?
Because it was the ruling sold for high school and college students, whose handwriting is smaller than young children's. It is also called medium ruled. Most notebooks and filler paper sold in the US for older students and adults are college ruled; wide ruled is the usual request on elementary school supply lists.
Is college ruled paper the same as 7 mm or 8 mm paper?
Close to 7 mm, not to 8 mm. College ruling is 7.14 mm, so 7 mm paper looks almost identical. UK and Australian A4 pads are usually 8 mm “feint”, which is between college (7.1 mm) and wide ruled (8.7 mm). You can print any of these here.
Does college ruled paper have a margin line?
Standard US college ruled filler paper has a vertical margin line about 1¼ inches from the left edge and a wider band at the top for a heading. This page draws the margin line by default; add a header for the top band, or untick the margin line for lines only.
Can I print college ruled paper on both sides?
Yes. Print one side, turn the stack over and print again — or use your printer's two-sided setting. For binder paper, the holes are on the left of the front side; on the back they would be on the right, so for double-sided binder pages print the back with holes turned off, or use a printer that punches automatically.
About this tool
College ruled paper is the default writing paper for most US students from middle school on, and for adults taking notes at work. Its lines are 9/32 inch apart — a sixteenth of an inch closer than wide ruled — which suits smaller, faster handwriting and fits about 20% more lines on a page.
This page prints it to exact size. The lines are 20.25 points apart in the PDF, the page is exactly 8½ × 11 inches (or the size you choose), and the margin line sits 1¼ inches from the left edge, where it is on bought filler paper. Printed at 100%, a sheet lines up with the paper in a store-bought notebook.
Practical uses: refilling a binder the night before school, printing a few pages of note paper when the notebook runs out, making practice sheets for timed writing or copywork, or preparing lined inserts for a disc-bound or ring-bound planner. The two-per-sheet option makes half-size college-ruled pages for a pocket notebook.
If the lines feel cramped, try wide ruled paper instead; for very small writing or technical notes, narrow ruled (¼ inch) is in the spacing list too.