How to
How to make printable graph paper
- Pick the grid. Square for math and charts, dot for journals and sketching, isometric for 3D drawings, hexagon for maps and games, polar for angles, and semi-log or log-log for data that spans powers of ten.
- Set the spacing. Type a size in inches or millimeters, or click a common one. Fractions like 1/4 are fine.
- Choose the page. Letter, Legal and Tabloid, or A5 to A3, in portrait or landscape, with the margin you want. The grid is centered and ends on whole squares.
- Download and print. The PDF is vector, so every line prints crisp. Print at Actual size, 100%, to keep the spacing exact.
Why the grid does not fill the whole margin
A letter page is 8.5 inches wide, so with half-inch margins there are 7.5 inches for the grid: exactly 30 quarter-inch squares. With 5 mm squares the same space holds 38 squares with 0.5 mm left over. Rather than cut the last square short, the grid stops at the last whole square and is centered, so the margin grows by a fraction of a square on each side.
Semi-log and log-log paper
On a log axis each cycle covers one power of ten, such as 1 to 10 or 10 to 100, and the lines inside a cycle sit at 2, 3 and so on up to 9, bunched toward the top of the cycle. Semi-log paper has a log scale on the vertical axis and an even scale on the horizontal one, which turns exponential growth into a straight line. Log-log paper uses the same number of cycles on both axes, for power laws.
Plotting data rather than drawing by hand? The line graph maker and the scatter plot maker draw the grid and the points for you.
Questions people ask
Is this graph paper maker free?
Yes. Every grid type, paper size and spacing is free, with no sign-up and no watermark on the PDF or the image. The paper is drawn in your browser, and you can make as many sheets as you like: download once and print it as often as you need, or save a link to your settings with Copy link.
How do I print graph paper at the right size?
Download the PDF and, in the print dialog, choose Actual size or a scale of 100%, not Fit to page or Shrink to fit. Pick the same paper size as the PDF. Then a quarter-inch grid measures exactly a quarter inch. Measure ten squares with a ruler after the first print to check your printer.
What spacing is standard for graph paper?
In the US the most common grid is four squares per inch, a quarter-inch grid, often with every fourth line darker. Engineering paper usually has five squares per inch. Metric graph paper is typically 5 mm squares for school work, or 1 mm lines with a darker line every 10 mm for precise drawing.
What is isometric graph paper used for?
Isometric paper has lines in three directions, 60 degrees apart, forming a grid of triangles. It is used to sketch 3D objects, such as buildings, furniture or game levels, because the three lines follow the width, depth and height of a box drawn in isometric view. Dot versions of the same grid are popular for bullet journals.