Choose the paper your printer actually holds, then choose the direction that gives your handwriting enough room. A larger-looking preview does not change the PDF’s physical page size.
A4 and US Letter are different shapes
| Choice | Portrait size | Practical implication |
|---|---|---|
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | Taller and slightly narrower than Letter; use it when your paper tray contains A4. |
| US Letter | 8.5 × 11 in (215.9 × 279.4 mm) | Wider and shorter than A4; match a Letter paper tray. |
Landscape swaps width and height. An A4 file printed on Letter may shrink or clip depending on the print dialog. The safe first decision is to match the tool, printer settings and loaded paper.
Rows or columns?
Portrait rows give each day a wide writing line and place optional goals/tasks beside the days. Try this for short sentences, lists, and a narrow clipboard. With both extras enabled, daily writing width is smaller; turn one or both off if the day rows feel cramped.
Landscape columns place all seven days side by side, with optional extras along the bottom. This makes adjacent days easy to compare, but each column is narrow. Long sentences may wrap awkwardly in handwriting. It is a weekly overview, not an hourly timetable.
Make the choice with a one-page test
- Select your loaded paper and usual first weekday.
- Preview a week that includes a month boundary, so you can see the full date labels.
- Download one page and print it using the printing guide.
- Write one ordinary task on each day. If it feels squeezed, change the orientation or remove an optional area.
- Save the preferred settings only after the page works for you.
Two mistakes to avoid
Do not choose A4 just because it looks taller on screen when your printer holds Letter. Do not print a full year before checking whether a landscape column can hold your usual handwriting. A test page costs less paper than discovering the mismatch after 53 pages.
Where customization ends
This tool does not provide A5, freely entered custom margins, hourly slots or editable PDF fields. Browser zoom changes only the screen view. Chinese output uses the same vector glyph outlines in preview and PDF; glyphs are not an editable text layer, and copy/search behavior depends on the PDF reader. English uses standard PDF fonts with small possible appearance differences.
Ready to choose? Create your test page, or learn how to fill a realistic week.
Sources and review
Dimensions follow this tool’s page-size contract. Official format choices were reviewed on OnPlanners’ one-page planner and Vertex42 on October 4, 2026. This comparison describes our own layout tradeoffs; it is not a ranking or a speed claim.
When pages need binding
Choose standard, left, right or mirrored fixed margin presets. The binding margin guide explains the side changes; paper dimensions stay the same.