how big is a piece of printer paper

February 13, 2026

A regular piece of printer paper is usually about 8.5 inches by 11 inches (around 21.6 cm by 27.9 cm), or, in many countries, A4 size, which is about 8.27 inches by 11.69 inches (21.0 cm by 29.7 cm).

Quick Scoop: How Big Is Printer Paper?

For most everyday printing, “normal” paper means one of two sizes:

US Letter (used in the U.S. and Canada)
- 8.5 × 11 inches
- About 21.6 × 27.9 cm
- This is the default in most North American home and office printers.

A4 (used in most of the rest of the world)
- 8.27 × 11.69 inches
- 210 × 297 mm
- Standard for documents, schoolwork, and office use internationally.

So if you grab a random sheet from a home or office printer:

In the U.S. or Canada, it’s almost certainly 8.5 × 11 in.

In Europe, Asia, and most other regions, it’s almost certainly A4 (210 × 297 mm).

A Tiny Story To Visualize It

Imagine a thin rectangle just a bit taller than it is wide:

Lay your hand flat on the page: you’d need roughly two hand widths across the short side and a bit more than two down the long side (for an average adult hand).
If you stack two A4 sheets one on top of the other along the short edge, you’re close to the height of a small poster.

HTML Table: Common “Printer Paper” Sizes

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Paper Name</th>
      <th>Dimensions (inches)</th>
      <th>Dimensions (mm)</th>
      <th>Where It’s Standard</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>US Letter</td>
      <td>8.5 × 11</td>
      <td>216 × 279</td>
      <td>USA, Canada [web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>A4</td>
      <td>8.27 × 11.69</td>
      <td>210 × 297</td>
      <td>Most of the world (international standard) [web:1][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Why You Hear Different Answers Online

People on forums or Q&A sites will often answer:

“Printer paper is 8.5 by 11.”

They’re usually speaking from a U.S./Canada perspective.

Others answer:

“Standard printer paper is A4 (210 × 297 mm).”

They’re answering from an international perspective, where A4 is the default.

Both are right; it just depends on where your printer lives.

TL;DR

If you’re in North America: a piece of printer paper is 8.5 × 11 inches (216 × 279 mm).

If you’re almost anywhere else: it’s A4, 8.27 × 11.69 inches (210 × 297 mm).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.