Government Letter

The Government Letter paper size is a standardized format measuring 8 inches wide by 10 inches tall, giving it a width-to-height aspect ratio of 4:5 and a surface area of 80 square inches. Government Letter was originally prescribed by Herbert Hoover when he was Secretary of Commerce to be used specifically for U.S. government forms and documents. This allowed the government to benefit from bulk paper purchasing discounts.

As photocopiers became more widespread, citizens wanted to make copies of government forms sized to Government Letter, but photocopier paper bins did not typically carry this size. So the U.S. government eventually switched to regular 8.5” x 11” Letter size under President Reagan for better accessibility. While no longer used for federal government forms, the Government Letter dimensions are still commonly employed today for notebooks, pads, and forms needing a condensed yet professional format. Government Letter's area falls between Statement and Letter sizes, and its 5:4 aspect ratio echoes the ANSI A size ratio.