What Is 11×17 Called on Printer? | Tabloid, Ledger, ANSI B

When your printer asks for 11×17 paper, it typically means tabloid (portrait) or ledger (landscape) paper, also known as ANSI B under U.S. standards.

Figuring out what 11×17 paper is called inside a printer dialog can stop a print job cold. The short answer: it goes by multiple names, but they all describe the same 11 × 17-inch sheet. The name you see depends on your printer driver, your software, and whether you’re working in portrait or landscape orientation. Here’s exactly what to look for and how to avoid the common pitfalls.

The Official Name: Tabloid, Ledger, and ANSI B

The 11 × 17-inch sheet is formally known as ANSI B under the American National Standards Institute’s U.S. paper-size conventions. In everyday printing, you’ll most often see it labeled as Tabloid (for portrait orientation) or Ledger (for landscape orientation). Some printer drivers and applications treat the two terms as interchangeable for the same physical size, so you may only see one label. The exact dimensions are 11 × 17 inches, or 279.4 × 431.8 mm (27.94 × 43.18 cm).

Where You’ll Find It Used

This size is common in North America, particularly the United States and Canada, where printer dialogs follow U.S. conventions. It pops up in engineering, architecture, construction, posters, brochures, newsletters, and larger office print jobs. It’s roughly double the size of Letter paper on the long edge, and while many people compare it to A3, the two are not identical — the dimensions and aspect ratio differ slightly, so never substitute A3 without verifying fit.

How to Select 11×17 in Your Printer Dialog

The exact name varies by application and driver, but the process is straightforward:

• Open Page Setup or Print settings in your document or image software.
• Look for the paper-size dropdown. Options you may see include 11 × 17 in, Tabloid, Ledger, or B size.
• If none of those labels appear, click More Paper Sizes or Custom Size and enter 11 inches wide by 17 inches high.
• Match the orientation to your output: portrait for a typical tabloid layout, landscape for a ledger layout.
• Before printing, confirm your printer physically supports 11×17 media — not all standard printers can feed or print this size.

If your printer driver lacks the option, you can still get the job done by using the custom size entry; the wording varies by software, but “custom paper size” or “manage custom sizes” is the usual gateway.

For a full rundown of printers that handle this size reliably, check our tested roundup of the best 11 x 17 printers.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing 11×17 with A3: They are close but not the same size or aspect ratio. Using A3 settings when the printer is loaded with 11×17 can cause scaling or clipping.
• Assuming tabloid and ledger are different sheet sizes: Multiple official sources treat them as the same physical 11 × 17-inch sheet, with naming tied to orientation — not size.
• Entering A4 or Letter settings: This can cause the printer to scale or clip the output when 11×17 stock is loaded.
• Assuming every printer supports it: Support depends on the printer’s paper path, tray, and driver capabilities. Always verify before loading the tray.

Safety and Compatibility Notes

The main concern is compatibility: your printer must support 11×17-inch media both physically and in the driver, or printing will fail or feed incorrectly. Because the sheet is larger than Letter, always check your document layout for margins, image scaling, and page breaks before sending the job. If you need exact cross-region matching, do not substitute A3 for 11×17 without verifying fit — the dimensions are genuinely different.