Wide Ruled Vs. College Ruled

Wide Ruled vs. College Ruled is a common topic while buying loose paper bundles or notebooks. In these days of tablets, smartphones and other technologies, it’s not hard to believe that some people don’t know the differences between the types of writing paper used in schools. Fewer pupils are taught handwriting in school, and many start typing earlier than the prior generations.

Imagine shopping for back-to-school supplies without any supply boxes. Online purchase is an option, but you prefer the traditional way. Remove loose leaf paper. Wide and college-ruled notebook paper are on the shelf. Your child’s teacher wrote the type of paper required for their grade. What if you didn’t check the list and grabbed any notepad paper? Differences? Is all filler paper equal?

This article is all about the wide ruled and college ruled paper to remove your confusion regarding those papers and suggest you the best options for purchasing them.

Various Types of Paper

College, Wide, Gregg, Pitman and Quadrille ruled paper are the types of paper that are used the most frequently, where narrow ruled paper is used rarely.

Ruled junior legal paper is for junior legal pads; Manuscript paper has a dotted line between the top and bottom ruled lines for teaching kids to write letters; Quadrille paper contains equal sized squares throughout the page designed for drawing and graphing; and for stenography, Pitman Ruled Paper has 1/2-inch lines where Gregg Ruled Paper has 11/32 line spacing. Narrow ruled paper offers tighter lines of ¼-inch spacing, allowing for smaller handwriting and more writing per page.

Wide ruled and College ruled papers are the most commonly used papers for various purposes. Wide ruled, also called legal ruled, paper contains 11/32-inch lines where the college-ruled paper has 9/32-inch line spacing.

Wide Ruled vs. College Ruled: What is the difference?

Initially, the difference is clear. Wide-ruled paper has wider lines than college-ruled paper. 

Wide-ruled paper is the most common choice of paper for children in elementary school ranges, especially suitable for K-4 pupils. The 11/32-inch (8.7 mm) lines are for children beginning to write numbers and letters and also for people with larger than usual handwriting. 

On the other hand, middle school to college students use 9/32-inch (7.1 mm) college-ruled, also called medium-ruled, paper. This paper usually contains a white background with closer light blue lines for more writing per page. “College” refers to pupils who have stopped using wide-ruled paper. Older youngsters have smaller handwriting and don’t need more space. Teens and college students usually choose wide-ruled paper for essays as well as book reports.

Wide-ruled and college-ruled paper have the same spacing regardless of brand. Brand-to-brand ruled paper quality is nearly identical. Yet, computer printer paper has many functions and is characterized by weight, kind and color.

What is a Wide Ruled Composition Notebook?

Wide ruled composition notebooks are smaller than 8.5 x 11 inch notebooks. Most composition notebooks measure 7.5 x 9.75 inches. Teachers and parents can get composition notebooks in numerous styles and colors today. The basic notebook has stitched pages and a typical black & white cover with tape binding.

What is a College Ruled Composition Notebook?

In a college ruled notebook, the college-ruled pages allow room for notes and figures where the edge binding prevents page loss. 7.5 x 9.75-inch college ruled notebooks are great for recording lectures as well as business meetings.

Best Wide Ruled Paper Notebooks

1. Oxford Wide Ruled Spiral Notebook: Keep it Simple with Oxford 1 Subject Notebooks. The notebook is perfect for keeping organized, in-class notes, assignments and other school assignments. With 70 sheets of wide ruled paper (140 pages), this spiral notebook will quickly become your go-to product!

2. Mead Primary Composition Notebook: If you’re looking for a book to help keep students organized, this Mead Primary Composition Notebook is an excellent choice. The double-sided 100 pages provide plenty of writing space. This notebook is appropriate for Grade K-2 level students. Each page measures 9-1/2″ x 7-1/2″. 

3. Mead Wide Ruled Composition Notebook: The classic Mead Composition Book is the choice for journaling and lab notes. With 100 sheets, you’ll have plenty of space to take notes, journal, draw and more. Black marble covers are easy to spot in a classroom setting and durable enough to withstand daily use. Sewn binding ensures pages stay secure even on your most active days.

4. Five Star Spiral Notebooks: Five Star notebooks are reliable as well as durable with features like non-bleeding paper, waterproof covers and reinforced pockets. They also come with spiral lock wire that prevents the coil from getting snagged on your clothes or backpacks!

5. Mead Wide Ruled Spiral Notebook: Mead Wide Ruled Spiral Notebooks are the best spiral notebooks you can buy. They are the most durable notebooks on the market. You and your family will definitely love the notebook for your kids. 

Best College Ruled Paper Notebooks

1. Five Star College Ruled Spiral Notebook: This five-subject spiral notebook is perfect for those focused on education, project management, design and graphic arts professionals. The water resistant cover protects your notes and the spiral lock wire prevents clothes and backpack from getting snagged. Made of material SFI-certified paper resists bleed-through and ghosting. 

2. Oxford College Ruled Spiral Notebook: Whether you’re taking notes in class, studying all night, or writing a term paper, these 8″ x 10-1/2″, college-ruled notebooks will make your life easier. They come in a pack of six and each notebook is to help you organize your thoughts.

3. Mead College Ruled Composition Notebook: With 100 dual-sided college ruled sheets, you’ll have plenty of space to take notes, journal and draw. Each book has room for at least three full 8.5″ x 11″ pages (plus extra sheets). Sewn binding is smooth and keeps pages securely in place. It lays flat on any surface.

4. Yoobi x Marvel Spiral Notebooks: Are you looking to add some extra fun to your students’ assignments? Well look no further than these Marvel Spiral Notebooks! Each set contains six notebooks, with each subject represented by an Avenger hero. The notebooks have a spiral binding, perforated pages and two interior pockets for organization.

5. EMSHOI Spiral Notebook: Ever wished you could jot down your thoughts and ideas in a notebook that was simple, well-crafted and durable? EMSHOOI notebooks are made for just that, to represent the best qualities of note-taking. The PVC hardcover makes the ruled notebook journal more durable and waterproof. And with 100gsm thick paper, B5 size 7.48″ x 10.15″, you can write on both sides without ghosting or bleeding through.

FAQ

What does college ruled paper mean?

College ruled, also called medium ruled, paper is ideal for taking notes and is designed with a white page containing 7.1 mm spaced light blue lines with margins. It is called “College Ruled Paper” because it is mostly used by college students as their handwriting tends to be small and they prefer writing more on a page while taking notes.

Can I use a wide ruled paper notebook in college?

US kids from K-4 typically use wide ruled paper notebooks as their handwriting is bigger than usual. So, if your handwriting is larger than normal and you don’t worry about the number of pages needed for note-taking, a wide ruled paper notebook could be ideal for you.

Is college ruled better?

Those with tiny handwriting should use college-ruled paper. Small letters seem and read better in small spaced lines. It’s also helpful for pupils who love writing and prefer to be wordy.

How many lines on the college ruled paper?

The most commonly used college ruled paper in the US has 9/32-inch (7.1 mm) line spacing with a 1-1/4 in (31.75 mm) vertical margin from the left edge. Thus, a page usually contains 33 lines. 

How wide is legal ruled paper?

Wide ruled sheets come in different sizes. In the U.S., the two most common ones are letter and legal sizes. Letter size writing paper measures 8.5 x 11 inches while a legal size sheet has a dimension of 8.5 x 14 inches.

What is French ruled paper?

French-ruled, or Seyes, paper is perfect for learning cursive. It has 3 thin lines between thick lines with every 8 mm vertical lines. In France, students use it as a standard lined paper.

Spiral or composition? Which notebook is better?

Composition notebooks are easy to stack and don’t shred when torn. Without a spiral, they fit easily in bookbags and last the complete school year. So, teachers prefer them more today.

Is wide-ruled the same as a primary composition notebook?

The distinction between wide-ruled and primary composition notebooks is the liner. The paper in the wide-ruled notebook has two blue lines spaced far apart to help children write within the lines. On the other hand, primary composition notebook paper has an additional line running horizontally through the wide-rule lines. This extra line helps pupils learn to write the letters properly.

Conclusion

From the above article, I hope you have got a clear idea regarding the Wide Ruled and the College Ruled papers. The suggested notebooks will also help you find the right one for your intended use. 

So, buy a notebook or paper wisely. Be Bookish!