What Is Legal Paper Size?
Legal paper size refers to a specific dimension commonly used for a legal document, measuring 8.5 inches by 14 inches. It is particularly favored for contracts, agreements, and other official paperwork requiring more text space. When preparing a legal document, it's essential to ensure that the legal paper is in the size specified to maintain proper formatting. If you need to print a document, you may need to resize your PDF to print in legal size paper to fit these dimensions correctly.
Legal Size Paper Dimensions
The standard legal paper size, measuring 8.5 inches by 14 inches, is primarily used in the United States and Canada. Users can check this size in different units, such as centimeters (21.6 cm x 35.6 cm), to ensure compatibility with their printing needs.
Here's how big legal-size paper is in different units: inches, cm, and mm.
|
in Inches |
in cm |
in mm |
|
8.5 inches x 14 inches |
21.6 cm x 35.6 cm |
216 mm x 356 mm |
Learn how the European legal paper (A4 Paper) size differs in different dimensions compared to the US legal paper size.
|
in Inches |
in cm |
in mm |
|
8.5 inches x 11 inches |
21.6 cm x 27.9 cm |
216 mm x 279 mm |
Check this table to learn about the size in pixels for different resolutions of legal paper.
|
Number of DPI |
Size of Legal Paper in Pixels |
|
96 DPI |
1344 x 816 pixels |
|
100 DPI |
1400 x 850 pixels |
|
120 DPI |
1680 x 1020 pixels |
|
300 DPI |
4200 x 2550 pixels |
|
600 DPI |
8400 x 5100 pixels |
The legal paper size in the Philippines (also known as long bond paper) is 8.5 inches x 13 inches (216 mm x 330 mm), and in Mexico, it is 8.5 inches x 14 inches (216 mm x 356 mm). Similarly, the Government legal paper is 8.5 inches wide by 13 inches high (216 mm wide by 330 mm high) in size, and the size of Junior legal paper is 8 in x 5 in, or 203 mm x 127 mm.
Legal Size Paper VS A4 VS Letter
Are you still trying to understand the three documentation papers? Below is a table outlining the size of legal paper, A4, and Letter, highlighting their legal status in various countries and regions to help clarify which formats are officially recognized where.
|
Different Paper Sizes |
Countries or Regions Used |
|
Legal Paper |
United States, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, etc. |
|
A4 Paper |
Most countries in Europe, Asia, and Australia |
|
Letter |
North America, parts of Central and South America, including Mexico, Canada, the United States, the Philippines and Chile |
How to Scale Document to and Print Legal Size Paper
Changing documents to legal-size standard paper measurements is essential when preparing legal contracts, agreements, or official paperwork that requires specific formatting. Thankfully, SwifDoo PDF simplifies this process by allowing users to quickly scale the document to the legal paper size. Its PDF editing feature enables you to alter and reformat text effortlessly, ensuring your document meets all requirements. Additionally, you can print multiple PDF papers at once using customizable printing settings.
Let's check the process to change the paper size of the current document to the legal with the SwifDoo PDF.
Step 1: Get the SwifDoo PDF
Download and open the SwifDoo PDF on your computer. Once launched, set the UI language to meet your specific requirements.
Step 2: Reach the Print Option
Open your PDF file and go to SwifDoo > Print or use shortcut such as Ctrl + P keys to open the Print window.
Step 3: Set the legal paper for printer size
Click the drop-down button under the Paper Size and Orientation section to select Legal Paper, and choose Vertical to resize the page and modify the orientation.
Step 4: Scale the Document to Target Size
Under the Page Sizing and Handling > Page Size section, select the Scale option, adjust the scaling percentage and check the preview of the page. If all is OK, click Print.
When working with legal document paper size, it's essential to have versatile tools to edit PDFs and enhance document management. Here are several features of the SwifDoo PDF you may find helpful:
- Add annotations for clear communication
- Draw on documents for visual clarity
- Merge multiple PDFs into one file
- Print a PDF paper in reverse order
- No file size or quantity limit
- Convert legal paper-sized PDF to grayscale
- Flip on long or short edge
- Organize pages with drag-and-drop functionality
- Secure documents with password protection options
Final Wrap Up
Understanding the importance of legal size copy paper ensures your documents maintain the appropriate format for official use. Whether you're using legal size printer paper for contracts or other formal documents, having the right tools and knowledge is vital for professionalism and compliance in any legal setting. You can download and try the SwifDoo PDF to edit PDFs, scale your document and print your paper without hassle.
Charlotte