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Is long bond paper the same as legal?

In the Philippines and nearby markets, “long bond” usually means 8.5×13 inches. US Legal is one inch taller. Get the numbers once, then see the height gap on a true-scale chart before you set Word or load the tray.

Short bond, long bond, and Legal at true scale

Numbers look close until you stack the sheets. Keep Letter (short bond), long bond (8.5×13), and US Legal (8.5×14) on one scale.

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Long bond paper size in inches, cm, and mm

Long bond paper—also sold or labeled as Folio or Government Legal in some software—is 8.5 inches wide by 13 inches tall.

UnitWidth × height
Inches8.5 × 13
Centimeters21.59 × 33.02
Millimeters215.9 × 330.2

That is the same width as short bond / US Letter, with two extra inches of height. The sheet is not an ISO A-series size; it sits between Letter and US Legal on length alone.

If a form’s footer clips or a table spills onto a second page after you “switch to Legal,” you almost always picked 14″ stock or the Legal preset by mistake. Measure the ream: 13″ vs 14″ is easy to feel with a ruler along the long edge.

Long bond vs Legal: the one-inch trap

NameInchesmm (approx.)Common where
Short bond / Letter8.5 × 11216 × 279Everyday PH / US office
Long bond / Folio8.5 × 13216 × 330PH schools, offices, many local forms
US Legal8.5 × 14216 × 356US contracts; many printer presets

Same width. Different height. Printing a long-bond layout on Legal paper leaves a blank strip; printing a Legal layout on long bond clips the bottom. Driver labels that only say “Legal” are not a safe stand-in for 13″ stock.

Folio, Government Legal, and F4

Folio / Government Legal

In many Word and printer lists, these map to 8.5 × 13. On SizeComparison.org the same sheet is listed as Government Legal.

F4

Sometimes used for a similar tall office sheet; metric F4 is often quoted near 210 × 330 mm (A4 width, long-bond height). Do not assume F4 and 8.5×13 are identical without checking the label.

“Long legal” marketing copy

Retail language varies. Trust the printed 8.5 × 13 (or 216 × 330 mm) on the wrapper.

Before you print on long bond

  1. In the document, set page size to 8.5 × 13 in (or 21.59 × 33.02 cm). Prefer Folio / Government Legal if listed; otherwise create a custom size. Do not choose Legal (8.5 × 14) as a shortcut.
  2. In the printer dialog, match that size and turn off “fit to page” unless you intentionally want a shrink.
  3. Confirm the tray or manual feed can take 13″ length. Compact trays that stop at Letter/A4 will jam or skew.
  4. Load actual 8.5 × 13 paper—not a Legal ream “close enough.”
  5. Print one proof page for forms, exams, or multi-column tables.

Who still asks for 8.5×13

Schools, local offices, and many Philippine workflows still specify short or long bond by name even when A4 is common elsewhere. Long bond gives more vertical room for tables, answer blanks, and signatures without jumping to US Legal length. If a brief says “long bond” and your template is A4 or Legal, rebuild the page size first—scaling rarely preserves margins.

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Common questions

What is long bond paper size?
Commonly 8.5 × 13 inches (about 21.59 × 33.02 cm / 216 × 330 mm). In the Philippines this is the usual meaning of “long bond,” not US Legal.
Is long bond the same as legal?
No. Legal is 8.5 × 14 inches. Long bond is one inch shorter.
Long bond paper size in cm / mm?
About 21.59 × 33.02 cm or 215.9 × 330.2 mm.
Is long bond the same as A4?
No. A4 is 210 × 297 mm—narrower and shorter than long bond.
Is Folio the same as long bond?
Often yes for 8.5 × 13. Always confirm the numeric size in the dialog.
Can every printer use long bond?
Only if the hardware accepts ~13″ feed length. Check the tray and the driver’s maximum paper size.

Sources and rounding

Dimensions follow common US Trade / Folio (8.5×13) practice and millimetre equivalents used in office software. Reams can vary by a millimetre after cutting; measure critical forms yourself. This page explains sizes and comparison; it is not a substitute for a school, agency, or printer’s written requirements.