Ledger paper size at a glance
Ledger paper is 11 x 17 inches, which is 279.4 x 431.8 mm. Tabloid is the same sheet. The two names describe the same dimensions and differ only in how the page is turned: ledger usually means the sheet in landscape (17 in wide, 11 in tall), and tabloid usually means portrait (11 in wide, 17 in tall). Many printer menus list it as “Tabloid”, “Ledger” or simply “11 x 17”.
It is exactly twice the area of US Letter, which is why it is the usual choice for spreadsheets, floor plans, posters and two-page spreads that fold down to Letter.
Common sizes compared
| Size | Inches | Millimeters |
|---|---|---|
| Letter | 8.5 x 11 | 215.9 x 279.4 |
| Legal | 8.5 x 14 | 215.9 x 355.6 |
| Ledger / Tabloid | 11 x 17 | 279.4 x 431.8 |
| A4 | 8.27 x 11.69 | 210 x 297 |
| A3 | 11.69 x 16.54 | 297 x 420 |
Legal is the same width as Letter but 3 inches longer. Ledger and tabloid are the nearest US sizes to A3, which is slightly wider and slightly shorter in inches than ledger is. For A4 against Letter, see our guide on A4 vs Letter.
Can your printer print ledger or tabloid?
Most home inkjet and small laser printers are built for Letter or A4 and cannot take a sheet as wide as 11 inches. Some wider inkjets and office machines can. The reliable way to know is to look in your printer’s specifications for “Tabloid”, “11 x 17” or “A3” under supported paper sizes. If the size is not listed, loading larger paper will not work and can cause a jam.
Printers that handle A3 can usually print ledger too, but check the maximum width and the paper tray, because a few models accept only a bypass tray for oversize sheets.
Printing an 11 x 17 file on Letter paper
If your printer only takes Letter, you can still print a ledger or tabloid file by scaling it to fit. An 11 x 17 page shrunk to fit Letter prints at about 65 percent of its true size, so small text becomes much smaller. Use “Fit” or “Shrink to fit” in the print dialog, then print our scale check sheet to see how far the result is from true size. Tiled printing across several Letter sheets keeps full size but needs taping the pages together.
Paper size settings must agree
As with any size, the document size, the paper size selected in the print dialog and the paper actually in the tray should all match. When they do not, you get scaling, clipping or wide margins. A test page printed on the intended paper is a quick way to see where the edges land before you print a large job.