Variations
What prints with the starting settings
| Paper | A4 — 210 × 297 mm (8.27 × 11.69 in) |
|---|---|
| Line spacing | 8 mm = 0.315″ |
| Ruling | Medium ruled |
| Writing lines on this page | 31 |
| Margins | 10 mm |
| Line weight | 0.18 mm (bold 0.35 mm) |
| Print setting | Scale 100% / Actual size |
The exercise-book standard
Across most of the world, “lined paper” means an A4 sheet with pale blue lines and a red margin. Students fill exercise books with it from primary school onward, and refill pads for ring binders use the same pattern. The usual spacing is 8 mm, sometimes printed as “8 mm feint ruled with margin” on the cover. This page reproduces that layout at true size, so a printed sheet sits comfortably alongside paper from a shop-bought pad.
It is the obvious choice for homework and classwork in metric countries, for exam practice where students need the same feel as the answer booklet, and for office notes wherever A4 is the paper in the printer.
Feint lines also photocopy lightly, which is one reason teachers favour them for worksheets that will be reproduced for a whole class.
8 mm, 7 mm or 6 mm?
The three common A4 rulings suit different writers:
- 8 mm — the standard for school; suits most handwriting and is easy on younger students.
- 7 mm — a little tighter, often preferred by older students and adults who want more lines.
- 6 mm — narrow; good for compact handwriting, revision notes and summaries.
If a pupil is moving up from primary handwriting paper, start at 8 mm. Adults who find 8 mm wasteful usually settle on 7 mm.
How the common rulings compare on an A4 page with the default margins and header space:
| Ruling | Spacing | Lines on A4 |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow (US) | 6.35 mm | 40 |
| College (US) | 7.1 mm | 35 |
| Feint (UK and Europe) | 8 mm | 31 |
| Wide (US) | 8.7 mm | 29 |
| Extra wide | 10 mm | 25 |
See college ruled and wide ruled for the US standards, and 10 mm lined paper for early writers.
Setting it up
The page opens on A4 with the margin at 30 mm. Use the variations to change the ruling or add a name, class and date header. Teachers can set Pages in the PDF to a class set and switch on page numbers for booklets of work. If you are in the US but need metric ruling, Letter is available as a second size; for American college ruling on A4, see college ruled paper.
Printing tips
Print at Actual size — A4 PDFs opened on a printer set to Letter are a common cause of shrunken lines, so check that the paper size in the print dialog says A4. Feint lines are pale by design; if your printer renders them too faint, increase the line weight slightly in Advanced options. For structured notes on the same paper, the A4 Cornell notes template adds a cue column and summary box.
More lined paper sheets
- College ruled paper (Letter & A4)
- Wide ruled paper (Letter & A4)
- Notebook paper (college ruled, with holes)
- Narrow ruled paper (Letter, A4 & Legal)
- Writing paper (wide lines for letters and stories)
- Genkō yōshi (Japanese manuscript paper)
- Legal pad paper (yellow, Legal & Letter)
- Seyès paper (French ruled)
- A5 lined paper for journals and planners
- Arabic lined paper (right-hand margin)
- Wongoji (Korean manuscript paper)
- Pitman ruled paper (1/2 inch lines)
Frequently asked questions
What is the line spacing on standard A4 lined paper?
The most common A4 refill and exercise-book ruling is 8 mm, often labelled "feint ruled" or "8 mm ruled". 7 mm and 6 mm are also widely sold; both are one click away in the variations.
How many lines fit on an A4 page?
With 10 mm margins and the default header space, an A4 page holds 31 lines at 8 mm. The 7 mm ruling gives 36 lines. On US Letter, 8 mm spacing gives 29.
How does 8 mm compare with US rulings?
It sits between college ruled (7.1 mm) and wide ruled (8.7 mm), a comfortable middle size for most adult handwriting. Note that in the US "medium ruled" means college ruled, which is narrower than 8 mm.
What does "feint and margin" mean?
Feint describes the pale blue horizontal lines, printed lightly so they do not overpower writing. Margin means a vertical red line near the left edge. This page uses both, with the margin at 30 mm.
Why is the margin at 30 mm and not 1¼ inch?
30 mm is the usual position on metric A4 paper. American notebooks put it at 1¼ inch (31.75 mm), so the difference is under 2 mm. You can type any position into the margin setting.
Can I punch these sheets for a ring binder?
Yes, but the hole guides in the generator follow the American three-ring spacing. For two- or four-ring A4 binders, punch with your own hole punch and keep the default 10 mm left margin clear.
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