A full ( plano) foolscap [2] paper sheet is actually 13 + 1⁄ 2×17in (343×432mm) in size, and a folio sheet of any type is half the base sheet size. Entry in the Dartford Holy Trinity parish register for Sir John Spielman (Spillman), 8 November 1626". Medway: City Ark Document Gallery. Medway Council . Retrieved 17 September 2009.

In the United States in the 19th century, paper was sold either flat or folded in half. Folded foolscap was often 12 + 1⁄ 2 by 16 inches (317mm ×406mm), but smaller and larger sizes were also found. [14] Legal foolscap of 8 by 24 inches (203mm ×610mm) was always sold ruled and folded in half at the printers by a folding machine, resulting in a leaflet 8 by 12 inches (203mm ×305mm), almost the same as modern A4 paper, which is 8.27 by 11.69 inches (210mm ×297mm) [14] Exchange Cap – thin, highly calendered, hard and strong paper used for bills of exchange, certificates and other blanks where light weight and ability to receive hard usages was required. The general pattern of the mark was used by Dutch and English papermakers in the late 17th and 18th centuries, and as early as 1674 the term "foolscap" was being used to designate a specific size of paper regardless of its watermark. [9]Today in the United States, a half-foolscap sized paper for printing is standardized to 8 + 1⁄ 2 by 14 inches (216mm ×356mm), widely available and sold as "legal sized paper" for printing, writing, note-taking etc. A full foolscap size paper of 14 by 17 inches (356mm ×432mm) is also widely available for arts and crafts etc. alongside the 11 by 17 inches (279mm ×432mm) tabloid size. Cresswell, Julia (2021). Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins (3rded.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780192639370. Historically, there were two prevalent Foolscap folio paper sizes: British Foolscap and Imperial Foolscap. The British Foolscap measured approximately 8.0 by 13.0 inches (203 mm by 330 mm) and was widely used in the United Kingdom for official documents and administrative records. On the other hand, the Imperial Foolscap was slightly larger, measuring around 8.5 by 13.5 inches (216 mm by 343 mm). This larger format was preferred in some regions of the British Empire for similar purposes. Both paper sizes represented an era when handwritten records and official documentation were prevalent, but they have since faded into history, replaced by contemporary paper standards. [4] [5] Europe [ edit ] a b Hills, Richard Leslie (2015). Papermaking in Britain 1488-1988: A Short History. History: Bloomsbury Academic Collections (reprinted.). Bloomsbury Publishing. p.52. ISBN 9781474241281.

Foolscap is slightly larger and measures 8.5 inches by 13.5, which makes a practical folder or clip board, allowing extra room for an A4 piece of paper to fit in, and this prevents the corners from folding or important essays or documents from becoming squashed. The foolscap size is also used for trays, again ensuring there is enough room so the A4 paper doesn’t get worn and torn. Foolscap was named after the fool's cap and bells watermark commonly used from the 15th century onwards on paper of these dimensions. [6] [7] The earliest example of such paper was made in Germany in 1479. Unsubstantiated anecdotes suggest that this watermark was introduced to England in 1580 by John Spilman, a German who established a papermill at Dartford, Kent. [8] In Mexico, the foolscap folio paper size 8 + 1⁄ 2 by 13 + 1⁄ 2 inches (216mm ×343mm) [13] and is named (locally) oficio ('official'). If you have a file handy, measure the width of the cardboard on the file. If it measures to 360mm (14.1 inches) then you are using foolscap. A measurement of 305mm (12 inches) would be an A4 size suspension file. How To Measure Suspension FilesWithout a file available, you can measure the distance between the rails. Paper size historically common in some parts of Europe, and former British territories A comparison of the A4 and Foolscap folio papersize

Foolscap folio (commonly contracted to foolscap or cap or folio and in short FC) is paper cut to the size of 8 + 1⁄ 2× 13 + 1⁄ 2in (216×343mm) for printing or to 8×13in (203×330mm) for "normal" writing paper (foolscap). [1] This was a traditional paper size used in some parts of Europe, and the British Commonwealth, before the adoption of the international standard A4 paper. Foolscap or folio is a traditional paper size used in Europe and the British commonwealth, before the adoption of the standard A4 paper. The Collation. a gathering of scholarship from the Folger Library showing image of Foolscap folio watermark