What Size Is Legal Paper?
Legal, part of the US / ANSI / Arch under the US Paper Sizes group, measures 215.9 x 355.6 mm, which is 21.59 x 35.56 cm or approximately 8.5 x 14.0 inches. It follows the US Standard specification and has an area of approximately 0.0768 m².
Legal Paper Size Dimensions & Conversions
Legal Dimensions in Different Units
| Unit | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Millimeters | 215.9 mm | 355.6 mm |
| Centimeters | 21.59 cm | 35.56 cm |
| Inches | 8.5 in | 14.0 in |
| Feet | 0.71 ft | 1.17 ft |
| Meters | 0.216 m | 0.356 m |
| Points | 612 pt | 1008 pt |
| Picas | 51.0 pc | 84.0 pc |
What Is Legal Paper Used For?
Office Documents
This size is a standard American paper or drafting format used in business, legal, and technical settings.
Design and Layout
Designers and print professionals use Legal when a layout calls for this specific format.
Reproduction and Scaling
Legal can be scaled up or down to produce related sizes in the same series.
Presentations and Displays
Legal is suitable for boards, handouts, or displays sized to this format.
Archiving and Filing
Printed materials in Legal are stored and filed using standard folders sized for this format.
Digital Reference
Legal dimensions are used as a page-size preset in design and publishing software.