If you’ve used legal-size paper before, you already understand its negatives, like not fitting in a regular file folder, and worst of all, you’d have a difficult time trying to get them to fit into a standard-size cabinet drawer. Thankfully, printing on legal paper is a simple process of changing your printer’s settings.
Key Takeaways_
- Legal-size paper is three times longer than standard paper at 8.5 X 14 inches.
- Legal-size paper is commonly used in U.S. offices and businesses for drafting contracts such as those done in accounting, legal, and real estate.
- For most printers in the U.S., letter size is the default printing option. However, you can still change the settings to legal-size paper when you need to use this format.
Legal-size paper is three inches longer than standard paper at 8.5 X 14 inches, and most all-in-one printers can print legal paper. Below we will show you how to adjust the printer preference settings on your high-quality printer to print on this paper. If your printer is not able to support printing on legal size paper, explore our review of the Best Large Format Printers in 2025.
However, if you need to print a different style document like a postcard, we also have a guide on printing half-letter size paper. Alternatively, we also have a guide on how to print on photo paper if you need to print out some fond memories or artwork. If you want to explore which printer will best suit your needs, take a look at our analysis of the Best Type of Printers.
Difference between Legal and Letter Size
Legal and letter-size papers are perhaps the two most commonly used papers around businesses in the U.S. You are probably familiar with both formats, though they serve different functions.
Letter size is the most prevalent paper in the U.S. and measures 8.5 x 11 inches. If you’ve used a printer before, it was most likely with a letter-size paper. So, considering its size, you are probably wondering if it will fit in your printer.
Legal-size paper is much longer than letter size, measuring in at 8.5 x 14 inches. Its extra length comes in handy when drafting contracts such as those done in accounting, legal, and real estate.
Many printers in the market can print legal-size paper as long as you can tweak the correct settings on your printer so that you are only left with adjusting for its increased length. The same is required when it comes to photocopying legal-size paper.
STAT: The average U.S. office worker uses about 10,000 sheets of paper in a single year. Companies in the U.S. spend more than $120 billion on printed forms per year, and about 45% of printed paper in offices gets trashed by the end of the day. (source)
Common Printer Paper Sizes
| Paper Size | Dimensions (inches) | Dimensions (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Letter | 8.5 x 11 | 216 x 279 |
| Legal | 8.5 x 14 | 216 x 356 |
| A4 | 8.27 x 11.7 | 210 x 297 |
| Tabloid | 11 x 17 | 279 x 432 |
Guide to Printing on Legal Size Paper
Printing on legal size paper (8.5 x 14 inches) requires specific printer settings to ensure proper alignment. Here’s how to do it on both Mac and Windows.
Printing Legal Size Letters
Most multi-functional printers can print legal-size paper with no issues. All you need to do is change the printer preference settings to legal-size paper. The same procedure is done for other formats.
It is important to note that exact steps can vary by software and printer models.
To print legal-size paper, do the following
For Windows:
- Open the document.
- Go to “File” and select “Print.”
- Choose your printer
- Look for an option that says something along the lines of “Page Setup” or “Properties.”
- Select the paper size. May be listed as “Legal” or by dimensions (8.5 x 14 inches)
- Print your document.
For Mac:
- First, open the document.
- Go to “File” and select “Print.”
- Choose your printer
- Look for an option that says something along the lines of “Page Setup” or “Paper Size.”
- Select the paper size. May be listed as “Legal” or by dimensions (8.5 x 14 inches)
- Print your document.
Troubleshooting Legal Paper Printing Issues
- Paper Jams: Ensure the paper is loaded correctly and that the printer supports legal size.
- Defaulting to Letter/A4 Size: Adjust printer settings and verify the selected paper size before printing.
- Legal Size Not Showing in Options: Update printer drivers or manually input paper dimensions.
Best Printers for Legal Paper
A printer like the Epson EcoTank Et 8550 is ideal for handling legal-size printing as it is a wide format printer. That said, while wide format printers certainly expand your printing capabilities and are great for legal paper, many standard printers can do the job too. If you’re looking for a solid home or office printer, We recently crowned 6 champion printers. Explore our results for the Best Printers in 2025.
