Page 2 of ruled pads

Legal pad types

Yellow legal pads come in different types that are often determined by the size of the paper. Notepads are usually 8.5 x 11 inches, the same size as printer paper. Memo pads are a bit smaller, with most common sizes of 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 inches. They are designed for taking quick notes and can be carried in bags without taking up much room. Steno pads are designed for stenography notes and are traditionally 6 x 9 inches. They have a line down the middle of the paper, creating two note-taking areas. Message pads come in various sizes but usually have pre-printed sections for notes on each page.

Ruled yellow legal pad sizes

Ruled legal notepads have lines to help keep writing straight. The size of the gap between the lines varies and have different names. Smaller gaps are good for small handwriting and have lots of lines for notes. Larger gaps are useful for large handwriting that needs to be easier to read from a distance. Different rule sizes include:

• Narrow ruled: 1/4-inch spacing
• College ruled: 9/32-inch spacing, often found in journals and composition pads
• Wide ruled (or legal ruled): 11/32-inch spacing
• Gregg ruled: 11/32-inch spacing with center vertical line
• Unruled: no lines at all, such as multipurpose paper for art or calligraphy

Legal pad binding types

Notepads have different types of binding that hold the pages together. Glued binding is the most common, and when bulk notebooks are purchased, this type of binding is usual. The pages are glued at the top or side and covered in paper or tape. Spiral and ringed notebooks are bound with metal wire at the top or left-hand side of the pages, making it easy to flip each sheet over or to tear them out when necessary.