Any musical notation (clefs, bars, notes, etc.) may be written in as desired by the artist. The most basic page is laid out with a series of five-line staves, each spanning the width of the page.

Manuscript paper is used for handwriting music.

Log-log ruled paper is similar to semi-log ruled except that both the horizontal and vertical lines are spaced logarithmically.

Semi-log ruled paper is similar to quadrille ruled, except the horizontal lines are spaced according to the logarithmic scale instead of being evenly spaced.

It is useful in mathematics to keep numbers in columns when doing manual operations such as long division or long multiplication, and in spreadsheets or accounts.

Quadrille ruled paper (or quad paper) is similar to graph paper but without the bolded tenth lines.

Often every tenth or fifth line is bolded to assist in counting the lines when plotting data.

Graph paper has horizontal and vertical lines evenly spaced over the entire page to create a grid of squares and is used for drafting, drawing and plotting graphs.The example shown right is described as A4, bound, with narrow feint and margin. The layout usually consists of evenly spaced horizontal lines, or feints, with vertical lines drawn to indicate margins, the middle of the page, or sections of a line. Note paper (or Writing paper, Filler paper, Loose leaf paper, Binder paper) is typically used for handwriting and is produced in different layouts and sizes.Many different line layouts support handwriting, calligraphy, plotting data on graphs, musical notation or help teach students to write in a particular language or script. The ruling layout is not determined by the paper size but by the purpose, style of handwriting or the language used. Lines on ruled paper provide a guide to help users keep their writing or drawing consistent with a predetermined set of rules. On 15 June 1770, English inventor John Tetlow patented a 'machine for ruling paper for music and other purposes.' A later machine was invented by William Orville Hickok in the mid-19th century. Scribes could rule their paper using a 'hard point,' a sharp implement which left embossed lines on the paper without any ink or color, or could use 'metal point,' an implement which left colored marks on the paper, much like a graphite pencil, though various other metals were used.

Initially, paper was ruled by hand, sometimes using templates.

Newspaper line spacing word