Graph paper/size comparison
Pick the right grid first time
Graph paper sizes and types, compared
5 mm and 1/4 inch look almost identical in a thumbnail and are 21 % apart on paper. Put the sizes you are torn between side by side, see the actual squares, and check how many fit on a sheet before you download.
Compare up to four sizes
Every preview is the real sheet geometry at the same zoom — so the size difference you see is the size difference you get.
Pick the sizes to compare
| Size | In mm | Squares on A4 | Squares on Letter | Typical use | Best tool |
|---|
Still torn? Print one sheet of each at Actual Size and hold them together. The bars at the bottom confirm both are true to size, then you can compare for real.
Common graph paper sizes and types
The size of graph paper means the size of one square, not the size of the sheet. These are the square sizes people actually print, with the other names each one goes by.
| Square size | In mm | Also called | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mm | 2.00 | 2 mm grid paper, fine metric grid | Lab plotting, fine drafting |
| 1/10 inch | 2.54 | 10 squares per inch, engineering paper | Engineering computation, precise plots |
| 1/8 inch | 3.175 | 8 squares per inch | Cross stitch, pixel art, bead patterns |
| 5 mm | 5.00 | 5 mm squared paper | School maths outside North America |
| 1/4 inch | 6.35 | Quad ruled, 4 squares per inch | US classroom default, 1/4″ floor plans |
| 1 cm | 10.00 | 1 cm grid paper, centimetre squared paper | Primary maths, area, 1:100 plans |
| 1/2 inch | 12.70 | Half inch grid paper, 2 squares per inch | Young learners, large print |
| 1 inch | 25.40 | 1 inch grid paper | Floor plans, quilts, tabletop maps |
Graph paper, grid paper or squared paper? They are the same thing under different names. Squared paper is the usual term in UK and Australian schools, grid paper in US and Canadian classrooms, and graph paper everywhere. Engineering paper is a 1/10 inch or 1/5 inch grid, and quad paper is a 1/4 inch grid.