Wide Ruled Paper Printable: Free & Easy Print!

Need wide-ruled paper but you don’t have time to head to the store?

Or maybe you went to the store, but all the back-to-school shoppers wiped out the supply?

In my situation, it is usually that I thought I had a packet of it somewhere…but I didn’t. So frustrating when my homeschooled children have an assignment to complete and I’ve run out of paper.

But, have no fear!

Whether your student needs to start keeping journal entries, they have an essay to write, a math assignment to complete, or they have some friendly letters for language arts, I’ve got your paper needs covered.

All you will need is a computer to download the pdf files, a blank sheet of printer paper, and a printer to put a warm copy in your waiting hands.

Below you will find a blank paper printable template of standard wide ruled paper, down to the line colors.  You have two styles to pick from.

At the bottom of this post, you will find simple instructions to download the pdf format of this free lined paper.

This post will guide you through:

• Comparing The Printable Paper Template and Store Bought Paper
• The Difference Between College-Ruled and Wide-Ruled Paper
• When Wide-Ruled Paper Is Appropriate For Kids
• Why There Are Two Template Options
• The Purpose of Printed Vertical Margins
• FAQ About Printing The Lined Paper Templates

Is This Printable Template Exactly Like Wide Ruled Paper From The Store?

For expectations, I wanted to show you what the printable template looked like compared to a real peice of wide ruled paper I took out of my daughter’s math binder. 

As you can see, the store-bought paper has three holes punched in the left-hand side of the page and the printable does not.

The store-bought paper is also slightly more narrow and shorter than standard printer paper. So if you wanted to slide into another stack of wide ruled paper, there will be a difference in size.

Most importantly though, the lines are exactly the same height when directly compared.

****There are 27 lines on the store-bought paper and 30 lines on the template – due to printer paper being longer.

What Is The Difference Between College-Ruled And Wide-Ruled Paper?

What is the big deal anyway? I mean they both have lines to write on, right?

Well, they are actually very similar. The only difference is when it comes down to mm spacing between lines.

The college-ruled paper has 7.1mm of space between each horizontal line. The wide ruled paper is about 8.7mm between the lines.

A 1.6mm difference might not sound like a big deal, but for young writers, it can matter a lot. 

Standard wide-ruled paper has 27 lines and college-ruled paper has 33 lines.

When Is Wide-Ruled Paper Appropriate To Use With Kids?

Different ages call for different line heights when it comes to writing.

In an earlier post, I shared handwriting worksheets that are appropriate for kindergarten – 2nd grade. This handwriting paper helps young kids who are just beginning to write.

The middle dotted lines guide children with letter size and handwriting. The large space also matches their developing fine motor skills.

Graduating to wide ruled paper really depends on the development and handwriting skills of your student. 

A bright second grader might be ready, but third grade may be more appropriate for others. 

Either way, wide ruled paper is used by middle school students and elementary schools. When kids graduate to the high school level, they will start to take notes and do assignments on college rule paper. 

Older students often prefer this type of paper because the smaller lines are not difficult for their advanced fine motor skills and they can fit more on the page with small lines. 

College students will also probably use college standard rule paper.

Wait, Why Do You Have Two Ruled Paper Templates?

Yes, I did provide different styles of wide ruled notebook paper. Both paper templates are wide ruled with standard blue horizontal lines.

They also both have a red vertical line margin on the left side of the paper. On the right sides is where they differ.

One has a right hand margin line and the other doesn’t.

Depending on your purpose for the free printable papers, you may or may not want that margin line. 

What Is The Purpose Of Those Vertical Margin Lines On Lined Paper Anyway?

We all know the blue lines are to help people write in perfectly straight lines. But what are those vertical lines actually for?

You might think that they exist to give teachers space to make notes on an assignment. That’s what I always thought anyway.

Maybe it’s space for a three hole punch or helps the paper company sell more paper. 

As a fun trivia fact, the margins are actually due to rats and mice.

Apparently, they love the taste of paper. In years past, they would love to nibble on the edge of paper, so people would write within the margins to protect their work. 

Paper manufacturers began to provide printed margins to help with this issue.

Have you ever been more thankful for living in modern times?

Check Out Your Printable Lined Paper Template

FAQ For Printable Lined Notebook Paper

1. Can It Be Printed In Different Colors?

The color of the lines is not customizable.

You can print on different types of paper though. Colored paper, card stock, etc.

2. Can It Be Printed In Black and White?

Yes. Just go to your printer settings and select black and white.

3. Can It Be Printed In Different Paper Sizes?

This wide ruled paper is intended to be printed on US letter size paper.

You can print it on smaller or larger paper, but that may adjust the row heights. 

If desired, you could cut down your printer paper to the exact size of notebook paper. 

4. What About Double-Sided Printing?

Yes, as long as your printer is capable of double-sided printing.

Just download the template and go to printer settings. Let’s say you select 10 pages to be printed and check the double-sided box.

That will produce 5 pages of doubled sided wide-ruled paper. 

Click Here For Your Wide Ruled Paper Printable!

The above text link will take you to the pdf version of the free printable writing paper. Microsoft Word and Adobe Reader are not required.

Terms of Use: Use of our printables is not authorized for commercial use. Classroom, homeschool, co-op, and personal use are appropriate.

I hope this letter size wide ruled paper meets your urgent paper needs today!

You can print a single page or as many sheets of paper as you need from the download link.

If you need help with any more printables of school supplies, be sure to dig deeper into this blog!

Below you will find very popular picture writing prompts that will get your student excited to write!

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