Markdown to PDF - A4 vs Letter
A4 in most of the world; US Letter in North America. The difference between them is small (a quarter of an inch in width, half an inch in height) but it matters when the document gets printed.
A4 - the global default
Used in every country except the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and a few others. If you don't know your audience's printing setup, A4 is the safer default - it prints fine on US Letter trays (with margins added) but the reverse causes content to crop.
US Letter - when to switch
If the recipient is in North America AND will print the document, use Letter. The dimensions are 8.5×11in vs A4's 8.27×11.69in - about a quarter inch wider, half inch shorter.
If the document is read on screen and never printed, the choice is invisible - both fit any monitor. Pick A4 for global compatibility.
What changes between the two
- **Body width** - Letter is wider by ~17pt; one or two extra characters per line.
- **Total page count** - Letter pages are shorter; documents tend to be one page longer.
- **Margins** - both use 64pt margins by default; the printable area scales accordingly.
- **Tables** - wide tables fit slightly more comfortably on Letter.
FAQ
Where is the page size setting?
In the Page section of the sidebar. The default is A4. Switch to Letter for US-printable output.
Will A4 print correctly on a US printer?
Most US printers will accept an A4 PDF and either centre it on Letter paper (with extra margin) or scale it slightly. Both are acceptable for an emailed document; for production printing, match the page size to the paper.
What about A3 / Tabloid for posters?
Not currently supported. The converter is built for documents, not posters. For poster output, scale the PDF up at the printer.
Related
https://md2document.com/markdown-to-pdf-a4-letter/