Handwriting Paper
Handwriting paper has rows of three lines: a top line, a dashed middle line and a base line, so children can size tall, small and tailed letters. Set the row height, the gap between rows and the color, add a drawing space if you like, and the sheet is drawn for your paper size.
Your sheet
Printing: choose Actual size or 100%, not “Fit to page”, so 1 cm prints as 1 cm. How to check.
How are the rows spaced?
Each row is three lines: top, middle at half the height, base. Rows = whole part of (page height − 24 mm − drawing space + gap) ÷ (row height + gap).
Worked example. 25 mm rows with an 8 mm gap on A4: (297 − 24 + 8) ÷ 33 = 8.5, so 8 rows, each with its dashed line at 12.5 mm. The first row starts 12 mm from the top and the last ends at least 12 mm from the foot.
Teaching letter heights
Name the lines with the child: “sky line”, “grass line” (the dashed one) and “ground line” is a common set. Small letters live between the grass and the ground; tall letters reach the sky; tails dig below the ground. A sheet with a few model letters at the start of each row helps at first; write them in before printing copies.
From primary paper to ordinary lines
As control improves, shrink the rows: 28 mm, then 16 mm, then 13 mm with the dashed line, then 9.5 mm without it, then wide ruled paper. Changing one thing at a time keeps the writing steady.
Draw and write pages
A drawing space above a few rows turns the sheet into a story page: draw the picture, then write about it. For early writers use three rows of 25 mm under a 100 mm space; for older children, five rows of 13 mm under 80 mm.
Questions about handwriting paper
What line height should a child use?
There is no single standard, so match the school. Common US ruled sizes are about 28 mm (1 1/8 inch) rows for kindergarten, 16 mm (5/8 inch) for first grade, 13 mm (1/2 inch) for second and 9.5 mm (3/8 inch) after that, then ordinary wide ruled paper. Bigger rows let a child form letters with the whole hand before the fingers take over.
What is the dashed middle line for?
It marks the height of small letters like a, e and n. Tall letters (b, d, h) and capitals reach the top line; letters with tails (g, p, y) drop below the base line. Untick it for a plain two-line row.
Can I add a space for a picture?
Yes. Set “Drawing space at the top” to 80 or 100 mm and the top of the page is left blank with a light frame, for the classic draw-and-write page.
How many rows fit on a page?
With 25 mm rows and an 8 mm gap on A4, 8 rows. With 16 mm rows, 11; with 13 mm, 13. A 100 mm drawing space with 25 mm rows leaves 5 rows.
Why blue lines?
Blue is the colour most printed handwriting books use, and it is gentle on the page; some schools use red for the base line. Change the color to match whatever your child’s school uses.