SIZING
Letterhead size and stationery sizes
The standard letterhead size first, then every other stationery standard (folded notes, menus, tags, folders, labels) in inches and millimetres.
By Austin Terrill · Print Peppermint · Updated · 8 min
On this page
The standard letterhead size is 8.5 × 11 inches (216 × 279 mm), US Letter, in the United States and Canada. Almost everywhere else it's A4: 210 × 297 mm (8.3 × 11.7 in). Monarch letterhead, 7.25 × 10.5 in, is the smaller executive size for personal correspondence. Every other stationery standard follows below, in inches and millimetres.
What is the standard letterhead size?
| Format | Inches | Millimetres | Where it's used | Envelope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 8.5 × 11 | 216 × 279 | US, Canada, Mexico, Philippines | #10, folded in three |
| A4 | 8.3 × 11.7 | 210 × 297 | Europe, UK, most of the world | DL, folded in three |
| Monarch (executive) | 7.25 × 10.5 | 184 × 267 | Personal and executive correspondence | Monarch (#7¾), folded in three |
| Half-letter | 5.5 × 8.5 | 140 × 216 | Notes, memos | A2 (folded in half) |
If your letters go to US addresses and get printed in a US office, use US Letter: every American printer tray, binder and #10 envelope is built around it. If most of your correspondence is in Europe or the UK, use A4.
Don't mix the two in one set. A4 is 6 mm narrower and 18 mm taller than Letter. Folded in three, an A4 sheet slides around in a #10 envelope and a Letter sheet is a tight squeeze in a DL, and a letter template built for one size prints off-centre on the other.
Monarch is the one I'd look at for a second set. It's smaller, so a note on it reads as personal rather than corporate, which makes it a good executive or founder's sheet alongside the everyday Letter set.
Letterhead and business stationery
| Piece | Inches | Millimetres | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letterhead, US | 8.5 × 11 | 216 × 279 | Folds in three into a #10 |
| Letterhead, metric | 8.3 × 11.7 | 210 × 297 | A4 · folds in three into a DL |
| Monarch letterhead | 7.25 × 10.5 | 184 × 267 | Personal correspondence · #7¾ envelope |
| Half-page letterhead | 5.5 × 8.5 | 140 × 216 | Notes, memos · A2 envelope |
| Continuation (second) sheet | 8.5 × 11 | 216 × 279 | Blind or mark only, no full address block |
| Compliment slip | 8.25 × 3.9 | 210 × 99 | ⅓ A4 · slips into a DL |
| Invoice / statement | 8.5 × 11 | 216 × 279 | — |
| Presentation folder | 9 × 12 closed | 229 × 305 | 4 in pockets · holds Letter · flat sheet 18 × 12 + glue tabs |
| Pocket folder, mini | 6 × 9 closed | 152 × 229 | Holds half-Letter |
Letterhead dimensions in pixels and points
| Format | Points (1/72 in) | Pixels at 300 ppi (print) | Pixels at 150 ppi (screen draft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 612 × 792 pt | 2550 × 3300 px | 1275 × 1650 px |
| A4 | 595 × 842 pt | 2480 × 3508 px | 1240 × 1754 px |
| Monarch | 522 × 756 pt | 2175 × 3150 px | 1088 × 1575 px |
Build the masthead as vector (a PDF or AI file) if it's going to be pressed or foiled. A 300 ppi image is fine for full colour, but a letterpress plate or foil die is cut from outlines. See print-ready files.
Letterhead margins and safe area
- If the design runs to the edge (a colour band, a full-bleed photo), add 3 mm (1/8 in) of bleed on every side that bleeds. Keep type and the logo at least 3 mm inside the trim, because cutting moves slightly.
- If the sheet will go through an office printer, remember that most desktop printers can't print right to the edge. Keep your letter's text area well inside the masthead and footer. We build the letter template with those margins set, so the letter never collides with the address block.
- Leave the writing area alone. The masthead lives in the top 1.5–2 in (40–50 mm); the footer, if you use one, in the bottom inch.
We print business letterhead in letterpress, hot foil or full colour, sized for either standard.
Folded notes and greeting cards
| Piece | Flat, inches | Folded, inches | Folded, mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2 folded note | 8.5 × 5.5 | 4.25 × 5.5 | 108 × 140 |
| A6 folded note | 9 × 6.25 | 4.5 × 6.25 | 114 × 159 |
| A7 folded card | 10 × 7 | 5 × 7 | 127 × 178 |
| Greeting card, US | 10 × 7 | 5 × 7 | 127 × 178 |
| Greeting card, A5 | 11.7 × 8.3 | 5.8 × 8.3 | 148 × 210 |
| Square note | 10.5 × 5.25 | 5.25 × 5.25 | 133 × 133 |
| Tent card / place card | 3.5 × 4 | 3.5 × 2 | 89 × 51 |
Scoring, not folding. Anything above about 250 gsm has to be scored before it folds — a crease pressed into the fibre. Fold a heavy cotton sheet without scoring and the outside of the fold cracks. Above roughly 400 gsm, score on both sides or double-score.
See notecards and thank-you cards.
Hospitality and event
| Piece | Inches | Millimetres | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu, tall | 4.25 × 11 | 108 × 279 | The elegant one · ¼ of a Letter sheet lengthwise |
| Menu, standard | 8.5 × 11 | 216 × 279 | Single sheet, heavy stock |
| Menu, half | 5.5 × 8.5 | 140 × 216 | — |
| Menu, bifold | 17 × 11 → 8.5 × 11 | 432 × 279 → 216 × 279 | Four pages |
| Menu, trifold | 11 × 8.5 → 3.67 × 8.5 | 279 × 216 → 93 × 216 | Panels differ by 1/16 in so it closes |
| Wine list | 5.5 × 14 · 6 × 12 | 140 × 356 · 152 × 305 | — |
| Table tent | 4 × 6 · 5 × 7 panels | 102 × 152 · 127 × 178 | Two panels + base tabs |
| Coaster, square | 3.5 × 3.5 · 4 × 4 | 89 × 89 · 102 × 102 | Pulpboard 50–80 pt or duplexed cotton |
| Coaster, round | 3.5 · 4 dia | 89 · 102 dia | Die-cut |
| Loyalty / punch card | 3.5 × 2 · 2 × 3.5 | 89 × 51 | Business-card trim |
| Gift certificate | 8.5 × 3.67 · 6 × 4 | 216 × 93 · 152 × 102 | ⅓ Letter or its own trim |
See menus and programs, place cards and coasters.
Tags, labels and packaging inserts
| Piece | Inches | Millimetres | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hang tag, standard | 2 × 3.5 | 51 × 89 | Business-card stock rotated · 3–5 mm hole, 6 mm from edge |
| Hang tag, small | 1.5 × 3 · 1.25 × 2.5 | 38 × 76 · 32 × 64 | — |
| Hang tag, square | 2 × 2 · 2.5 × 2.5 | 51 × 51 · 64 × 64 | — |
| Bottle neck tag | 2.5 × 3.5 · 3 × 4 | 64 × 89 · 76 × 102 | Die-cut neck aperture 32–38 mm |
| Earring / jewellery card | 2 × 2 · 2 × 3 · 2.5 × 3.5 | 51 × 51 · 51 × 76 | Two 1.5–2 mm holes, 10–15 mm apart |
| Bookmark | 2 × 6 · 2 × 7 · 2.5 × 8 | 51 × 152 · 51 × 178 | — |
| Sticker, square | 2 × 2 · 3 × 3 · 4 × 4 | 51 × 51 · 76 × 76 | — |
| Sticker, round | 1.5 · 2 · 3 dia | 38 · 51 · 76 dia | Seals: 1.5 in / 38 mm is the classic |
| Product label, rectangular | 2 × 3 · 3 × 4 · 4 × 6 | 51 × 76 · 76 × 102 | Sized off the container circumference |
| Candle / jar label | 2.5 × 3 · 3 × 2 | 64 × 76 · 76 × 51 | Leave 6 mm gap at the seam, never wrap to meet |
| Tissue paper | 20 × 30 sheet | 508 × 762 | Repeat pattern, not a placed mark |
| Belly band, packaging | 2–3 tall | 51–76 | Length = box perimeter + 25 mm overlap |
How I'd choose
Size the set around the envelope you'll actually post, not the sheet you like on screen. Settle Letter or A4 before anything is designed. And if a piece is going to be folded and it's heavier than about 250 gsm, it needs a score; ask for it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard letterhead size?
In the US and Canada, letterhead is 8.5 × 11 inches (216 × 279 mm), the same as US Letter paper. In most other countries it's A4, 210 × 297 mm (8.3 × 11.7 inches). Monarch letterhead, 7.25 × 10.5 inches, is a smaller executive size for personal correspondence.
Is letterhead A4 or letter size?
Both, depending on where you are. US and Canadian businesses use Letter (8.5 × 11 in). Europe, the UK and most of the world use A4 (210 × 297 mm). Pick the one your recipients' printers and envelopes use, and don't mix them in one set: A4 is narrower and taller, so folded in three it sits loose in a #10 envelope, and Letter is a tight fit in a DL.
What are letterhead dimensions in pixels?
At 300 ppi, the print standard, US Letter letterhead is 2550 × 3300 pixels and A4 is 2480 × 3508 pixels. In points (used by Word and design apps) they're 612 × 792 pt and 595 × 842 pt. If the masthead will be letterpressed or foiled, build it as vector, not pixels.
What margins should letterhead have?
Keep the logo and type at least 3 mm (1/8 in) inside the trim, and add 3 mm of bleed on any edge where colour runs off. If the sheet goes through an office printer, keep the letter's text well inside the masthead and footer, because most desktop printers can't print to the very edge.
What is a Monarch letterhead?
Monarch (or executive) letterhead is 7.25 × 10.5 inches (184 × 267 mm), smaller than US Letter. It's used for personal and executive correspondence and folds in three into a Monarch envelope, sometimes listed as #7¾. Firms often keep a Monarch set alongside their Letter-size letterhead.
What size is a compliment slip?
A compliment slip is usually a third of A4: 210 × 99 mm (about 8.25 × 3.9 in). It slips into a DL envelope with a card or brochure. In the US, a third of Letter (8.5 × 3.67 in) works the same way with a #10 envelope.
Can I print a size that isn't on any of these lists?
Yes. We cut to whatever you specify. The only cost is yield: an odd size may fit fewer pieces per sheet, so you pay for more sheets. We'll tell you when you're a few millimetres away from a size that would land better, and what the difference is worth.
Should I brief in inches or millimetres?
Either, as long as you say which. Give the trim size and the orientation. If you're using a letter code (A7, C6, #10), add the dimensions, because those codes mean different things in different systems.
Does a folded card need bleed on all four sides?
Bleed goes on every outer edge of the flat sheet, not at the fold. Set the artwork up at the flat size with the score marked, and let us position it on the sheet.
More on Print Sizes
- Paper and press sheet sizes →
- Business card sizes →
- Invitation, flat card and postcard sizes →
- Envelope sizes →
- All print sizes →
Related products
Printing letterhead, menus or tags?
We cut to the standard or to whatever size you specify, and a person checks the file before the proof. Tell us the piece, the size and the quantity.