Which square size?
- 1/4 inch (4 squares per inch): the classic "quad ruled" paper used in US schools for math, charts and floor plans.
- 1/5 inch (5 squares per inch): common for engineering and science; see also engineering paper.
- 1/8 and 1/10 inch: fine grids for detailed plots, pixel art and cross-stitch charts.
- 5 mm and 1 cm: the metric standard in most of the world; 5 mm is the usual square in European school notebooks.
- 1/2 and 1 inch: big squares for young children, quilting plans and garden layouts.
Major lines make counting easy: every 4 squares on 1/4 inch paper marks an inch, every 5 squares on 1/5 inch paper too, and every 10 squares on 1 mm-based grids marks a centimeter or a larger unit.
What people use graph paper for
- Math homework: graphing functions, geometry, area and perimeter. For axes with numbers, use the coordinate plane.
- Floor plans and furniture layouts, at a scale like 1 square = 1 foot.
- Pixel art, knitting and cross-stitch charts, bead patterns.
- Science lab graphs and engineering sketches.
Printing tips
- Print at 100% (Actual size), not Fit to page, so squares and line spacing keep their exact size.
- Light lines (gray or light blue) are easy to write over and fade into the background of a scan or photo; use darker lines for drawing practice or when the paper will be photocopied.
- Need a stack? Set the number of pages and print the PDF once, or print one page and photocopy it.
- Thicker paper (24 to 32 lb or 90 to 120 gsm) takes ink pens and markers without bleeding through.