How to print graph paper
Graph paper, also called grid paper, is paper printed with a regular pattern of fine lines or dots. It keeps drawings to scale, lines up columns of numbers and turns a rough sketch into a floor plan, a pattern or a chart. This free graph paper generator draws the sheet in your browser, so you can choose every detail and print it straight away:
- Choose a paper type or a preset: square grid, dot grid, isometric, hexagon, polar, logarithmic, lined or music staff.
- Set the spacing: pick a standard size such as 1/4 in or 5 mm, or type an exact size, and choose how often a heavier line appears.
- Pick the paper size and orientation: Letter, Legal, Tabloid, A3, A4 or A5, portrait or landscape, and set the margins.
- Adjust the lines: color, weight and opacity, and add a border, a name and date line or a scale check bar if you like.
- Print at 100% (Actual size), or download the vector PDF, an SVG file or a 300 DPI PNG image.
The preview is the real sheet at its true proportions, and it updates as you type. The summary above it tells you exactly what you will get, for example 30 × 40 squares of 1/4 in on Letter paper with half-inch margins. The grid always uses whole squares, centered between the margins, so no row ends in a sliver. Your settings are remembered in this browser for next time.
How to print graph paper at actual size
Graph paper is only useful if the squares come out the size the label says. The most common reason they do not is scaling: a print dialog or a PDF viewer shrinks the page to fit the printer’s printable area, and every square ends up a few percent too small. The W3C’s CSS Paged Media specification even lists scaling the page to fit the sheet as one of the things a browser may do when the page and the paper differ. To get true size:
- Scale 100%. In the print dialog choose 100%, Actual size or Default scaling, and never Fit to page, Fit to printable area or Shrink oversized pages.
- Same paper size. Choose the same paper in the print dialog as on the Page tab. The page asks the browser for that exact size, and some browsers preselect it.
- Headers and footers off, so the browser does not add a date or a web address to your sheet.
- Check with a ruler. Four 1/4 in squares should measure exactly 1 in (25.4 mm), and ten 5 mm squares 5 cm. Or turn on the scale check bar on the Page tab: printed at 100%, it measures 1 in, or 5 cm when you work in millimeters.
The tool helps from its side too. When you press Print it sets the page size to the paper’s exact dimensions with no browser margin, and prints a copy of the sheet whose width and height are written in millimeters, with your margins drawn inside it, so the printout matches the PDF line for line. The downloaded PDF is vector, at the exact paper size, and asks PDF viewers to print without scaling. Many viewers respect that, but check the scale setting before you print anyway.
Most printers cannot print all the way to the edge of the sheet. Keep the margin at least as wide as your printer’s unprintable border (often a few millimeters; the printer’s manual lists it), or the outermost lines may be cut off. The grid inside stays at true size either way.
| Paper | Inches | Millimeters | PDF points | PNG at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | 8.5 × 11 in | 215.9 × 279.4 mm | 612 × 792 | 2,550 × 3,300 px |
| Legal | 8.5 × 14 in | 215.9 × 355.6 mm | 612 × 1,008 | 2,550 × 4,200 px |
| Tabloid | 11 × 17 in | 279.4 × 431.8 mm | 792 × 1,224 | 3,300 × 5,100 px |
| A3 | 11.69 × 16.54 in | 297 × 420 mm | 841.89 × 1,190.55 | 3,508 × 4,961 px |
| A4 | 8.27 × 11.69 in | 210 × 297 mm | 595.28 × 841.89 | 2,480 × 3,508 px |
| A5 | 5.83 × 8.27 in | 148 × 210 mm | 419.53 × 595.28 | 1,748 × 2,480 px |
Types of graph paper and what they are for
Every kind of paper below is one setting away in the Paper type list, and the presets set up the most common versions in one step.
| Paper | What it looks like | Often used for |
|---|---|---|
| Square grid | Squares, with a heavier line every few | Math, charts, floor plans, pixel art, knitting and cross-stitch charts |
| Engineering paper | Five squares per inch, light green, a header | Calculations, sketches and lab notes in engineering classes |
| Coordinate plane | A square grid with numbered x and y axes | Graphing lines, functions and points; math worksheets |
| Dot grid | A dot at every grid corner | Bullet journals, lettering, sketching, user-interface wireframes |
| Isometric | Equilateral triangles, or their corner dots | 3D sketches of objects and buildings, cube drawings, patterns |
| Hexagon | A honeycomb of hexagons | Game maps, organic chemistry rings, quilting and tile layouts |
| Polar | Rings around a center with spokes at set angles | Polar coordinates, angles, radar and wind charts, circular designs |
| Semi-log and log-log | Lines that crowd together toward each power of ten | Growth, decay, frequency response and other data that spans powers of ten |
| Lined | Ruled lines, handwriting rows or the Cornell layout | Notes, letters, handwriting practice, study notes |
| Music staff | Groups of five lines | Writing music by hand, theory exercises |
Engineering paper, as it is commonly sold, prints its grid on the back of the sheet so the lines show through faintly and do not compete with the writing on the front. A printer can only print one side at a time, so here the grid is simply printed in a light color; choose a lighter color or a lower opacity if you want it fainter still.
Graph paper square sizes
In the United States, standard graph paper has 1/4 in squares, four to the inch, often called “4 squares per inch” or “quad-ruled” paper, usually with a heavier line every inch. Engineering paper uses 1/5 in squares, five to the inch, with a heavier line every inch. Finer 1/8 in and 1/10 in grids suit detailed drawings and data. In metric countries, 5 mm squares are the usual school grid, 1 cm squares are easy for younger students to count, and millimeter paper has 1 mm squares with heavier lines every 5 mm or 1 cm. The table shows how many whole squares fit on a page with this tool’s defaults:
| Square size | Letter, 0.5 in margins | A4, 10 mm margins |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 in (6.35 mm) | 30 × 40 | 29 × 43 |
| 1/5 in (5.08 mm) | 37 × 50 | 37 × 54 |
| 1/8 in (3.175 mm) | 60 × 80 | 59 × 87 |
| 1/10 in (2.54 mm) | 75 × 100 | 74 × 109 |
| 1 cm | 19 × 25 | 19 × 27 |
| 5 mm | 38 × 50 | 38 × 55 |
| 2 mm | 95 × 127 | 95 × 138 |
| 1 mm | 190 × 254 | 190 × 277 |
The count is simply the room inside the margins divided by the square size, rounded down: Letter is 8.5 in wide, so with 0.5 in margins there are 7.5 in for the grid, and 7.5 ÷ 0.25 gives 30 squares. When the room is not a whole number of squares, the leftover is split evenly on both sides. Set any size you like in the Exact box, from 1 mm up to 5 cm, in inches or millimeters.
Printable lined paper: wide, college and narrow rule
Choose Lined in the Paper type list for ruled notebook paper. The three US rulings are named for the space between the lines. They are common conventions rather than a formal standard:
| Ruling | Line spacing | Lines on Letter, 0.5 in margins |
|---|---|---|
| Wide rule | 11/32 in (8.73 mm) | 29 lines |
| College rule | 9/32 in (7.14 mm) | 35 lines |
| Narrow rule | 1/4 in (6.35 mm) | 40 lines |
Wide rule is common for younger students and large handwriting, college rule is the usual notebook paper for older students and adults, and narrow rule fits the most writing on a page. The optional margin line sits 1¼ in from the left edge, as on many notebooks. Two other layouts are on the same list:
- Handwriting paper draws each row as a solid top line, a dashed midline and a heavier baseline, with a gap below for descenders. Rows of 3/8 in to 1 in are offered; larger rows suit beginning writers.
- Cornell notes follows the layout of the note-taking system developed by Walter Pauk at Cornell University: a cue column ruled 2.5 in from the left edge and a summary area 2 in deep at the bottom of the page, with lines for notes. Add the name and date line from the Page tab for a title.
Printable coordinate planes
Tick Coordinate plane on a square grid to turn it into a graph for plotting points and lines. Set the range of each axis, from −50 to 50, and how often a number appears. The x and y axes are drawn heavier with arrowheads, the numbers sit beside them, and the plane is centered on the page. A plane from −10 to 10 has 20 squares each way, so with 1/4 in squares it is 5 in wide; with 1/8 in squares, four of them fit on one Letter page for a worksheet. A range that starts at 0 gives a first-quadrant graph with the axes along its edges. If the planes you ask for do not fit, the tool says how much room they need and how much the page has, rather than shrinking the squares.
Isometric, hexagon, polar and log paper
Isometric graph paper
Isometric paper is made of equilateral triangles: vertical lines plus lines at 30° on either side of horizontal, the three directions of an isometric drawing. The spacing you choose is the side of a triangle; the vertical lines are then side × √3 ÷ 2 apart, so 1 cm triangles have columns 8.66 mm apart. Switch to horizontal lines to turn the pattern a quarter turn, or to dots for isometric dot paper.
Hexagon paper
Hexagons are sized across the flats, the distance between two opposite sides; each side is that distance ÷ √3. Only whole hexagons are drawn, flat side up or point up, and shared edges are drawn once so they print evenly.
Polar graph paper
Polar paper has rings at equal steps from the center and spokes every 5°, 10°, 15°, 30° or 45°. Angles are numbered counterclockwise from 0° on the right, as in math classes, and the spokes at 0°, 90°, 180° and 270° are drawn heavier. With fine spokes, the ones that are not multiples of 30° start at the first ring so the center stays readable.
Semi-log and log-log paper
On a logarithmic scale a value v sits at log10(v) of the way along its cycle, and each cycle covers one power of ten. So 2 is 30.1% of the way up a cycle and 5 is 69.9%, and the lines crowd together toward the top of each cycle. Semi-log paper puts that scale up the page and an ordinary grid across it; log-log paper uses it both ways. Choose from 1 to 5 cycles; the finer lines between the whole numbers appear only where there is room for them.
Music staff paper
Staff paper prints five-line staves across the page. Choose the staff height, the distance from the bottom line to the top one, and the page fills with as many staves as fit, evenly spaced.
Download graph paper as a PDF, SVG or PNG
Download PDF writes a one-page vector PDF at the exact paper size, made in your browser by the page’s own small PDF writer: every line is a real line, so it stays sharp at any zoom and prints crisply on any printer. Download SVG gives the same sheet as a vector image whose width and height are written in millimeters, for drawing programs, cutting machines and laser cutters. Download PNG makes an image at 150, 300 or 600 dots per inch; at 300 DPI a Letter page is 2,550 × 3,300 pixels. The PNG records its resolution in the file, so an image viewer can print it at the right size too. All three use the same drawing as the preview and the printout.
Private by design
- Nothing is uploaded. The preview, the PDF, the SVG and the PNG are all made on your device. The page’s Content-Security-Policy only allows connections back to this site, and the tool makes none.
- Only your settings are kept, in this browser’s local storage, so the paper you made last time is there when you come back. Reset all settings on the Page tab goes back to the defaults.
- No account, no cookies and no watermark. Once the page has loaded, it works offline.
Frequently asked questions
How do I print graph paper at the right size?
Print at 100% scale, which some print dialogs call Actual size or Default, never Fit to page or Shrink to fit, and pick the same paper size as the sheet. Turn headers and footers off. Then check with a ruler: four 1/4 in squares should measure exactly 1 in, and ten 5 mm squares 5 cm.
What size are the squares on standard graph paper?
In the United States the most common size is 1/4 in, four squares to the inch, usually with a heavier line every inch. Engineering paper commonly uses 1/5 in, five squares to the inch. Metric graph paper usually has 5 mm or 1 cm squares, and millimeter paper 1 mm squares with heavier lines every centimeter.
How many squares fit on a sheet of graph paper?
It depends on the square size and the margins. On Letter paper with 0.5 in margins there is room for 30 × 40 squares of 1/4 in, or 38 × 50 squares of 5 mm. On A4 with 10 mm margins, 5 mm squares give 38 × 55. This tool always uses whole squares and centers them inside the margins.
What is engineering paper?
Engineering paper, also called engineering computation paper, is graph paper with five squares per inch and a heavier line every inch, commonly printed in light green, with a header for a name, a date and a page number. The Engineering paper preset sets all of that up.
What is isometric graph paper used for?
Isometric paper is a grid of equilateral triangles. Its three line directions match the three axes of an isometric drawing, so it is used for sketching boxes, buildings and machine parts in 3D, for drawing cube structures in math classes, and for tile and quilt patterns. Isometric dot paper does the same with dots only.
What is the difference between college ruled and wide ruled paper?
The space between the lines. Wide rule is 11/32 in, about 8.73 mm, and is common for younger students and larger handwriting. College rule is 9/32 in, about 7.14 mm, so more lines fit on a page. Narrow rule is 1/4 in, 6.35 mm. These are common US rulings, not a formal standard.
How do I make a coordinate plane to print?
Choose Square grid, tick Coordinate plane, and set the range of each axis, for example −10 to 10. The tool draws the axes with arrows and numbers. Choose 2, 4 or 6 planes per page for a worksheet, and use smaller squares if they do not fit.
What is semi-log graph paper?
Semi-log paper has a logarithmic scale on one axis and an ordinary linear scale on the other, so data that grows by the same factor in each step plots as a straight line. Each cycle covers a factor of ten, so choose as many cycles as the powers of ten your data spans. Log-log paper is logarithmic on both axes.
Can I print graph paper on A4 paper?
Yes. Choose A4 on the Page tab, in portrait or landscape, along with A3, A5, Letter, Legal or Tabloid. The grid is redrawn for that sheet, and the printout and the PDF are made at the exact A4 size of 210 × 297 mm, so pick A4 in the print dialog too.
Is this graph paper generator free and private?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark, and everything is made in your browser: the preview, the PDF, the SVG and the PNG. The page sends nothing anywhere, and only your settings are remembered, in this browser’s local storage.
Sources
- NIST Office of Weights and Measures: SI Units – Length. The inch is exactly 25.4 mm; every conversion here uses that value.
- W3C: CSS Paged Media Module Level 3 (the
@pagesize, the paper size keywords, and when a browser may scale a page to fit) and CSS Values and Units Module Level 4 (1 in = 2.54 cm = 96 CSS pixels; physical units for print). - ISO 216:2007, Writing paper and certain classes of printed matter: Trimmed sizes, A and B series (A3, A4, A5).
- ISO 32000-2:2020, Document management: Portable document format, Part 2 (PDF 2.0): the file structure, page size in points and the print-scaling viewer preference used by the PDF download.
- W3C: Portable Network Graphics (PNG) Specification, Third Edition (the pHYs resolution chunk) and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 2.
- Wikipedia: Ruled paper, for the common US rulings (wide 11/32 in, college 9/32 in, narrow 1/4 in) and the margin line about 1¼ in from the edge.
- Cornell University Learning Strategies Center: The Cornell Note Taking System and the University of Manitoba Academic Learning Centre handout (cue column 2.5 in, summary 2 in).