1/8 inch graph paper (8 squares per inch)
Eighth-inch graph paper puts eight squares in every inch. The small grid suits detailed scale drawings, pixel art, knitting and cross-stitch charts, and any plan that needs more resolution than quarter-inch paper.
Print at 100% / Actual size so the squares measure exactly. Printing help
What it looks like up close
Ready-made PDF downloads
Prefer a file you can save and print later? These use the default settings shown above.
How many squares per page
Each square is 0.125 in (3.175 mm). With the default margin, a sheet holds:
| Paper | Portrait (across × down) | Landscape (across × down) |
|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 64 × 84 | 84 × 64 |
| A4 | 62 × 89 | 89 × 62 |
| US Legal | 64 × 108 | 108 × 64 |
| Tabloid 11×17 | 84 × 132 | 132 × 84 |
| A3 | 89 × 128 | 128 × 89 |
Example: pixel art and cross-stitch charts
Charting a pattern on paper first lets you count stitches and check symmetry before you start. The heart is 11 squares wide and 10 tall; worked in 14-count Aida cloth it would come out about 0.8 inch wide. The bold inch lines (every eight squares) act as reference marks while counting.
What 1/8 inch paper is good for
Architects sketch at 1/8 inch = 1 foot for whole buildings, where 1/4 inch would not fit on the sheet. A Letter page holds 64 × 84 squares, which at that scale is a 64 × 84 ft footprint.
Crafters use it to chart patterns: each square is one stitch or one bead, and the bold line every inch (eight squares) makes counting large repeats easier. Pixel artists and game designers draw sprites and tile maps on it before moving to the computer.
Keep the lines light
With so many lines, a dark grid overwhelms the drawing. The default here uses a thin light-blue line and a darker line every inch. If your printer is faint, raise the line weight slightly rather than darkening the color, and print a test page before printing a stack.
Halve the density with 1/4 inch paper, or go metric with 2 mm paper for an even finer grid.
Choosing a scale on eighth-inch paper
Common architectural scales map neatly onto the grid: at 1/8 inch = 1 foot each square is a foot; at 1/16 inch = 1 foot, each square is two feet and the bold inch line is 16 feet. Write the scale in a corner before you start so you, or anyone reading the drawing later, can measure from it.
For charts and patterns, count the squares you need first. A 60-stitch sweater front fits comfortably across the 64-square Letter width; larger designs can be split across pages with an overlap of a few squares.
How to chart a pattern
- Decide the finished size and work out how many stitches or pixels that is.
- Outline the area on the grid with a light pencil line.
- Fill one square per stitch, working from the center outward to keep the design centered.
- Use colored pencils or a key of symbols for each color.
- Count rows from the bold lines to double-check before transferring the pattern.
Fine grids for drawing and design
Eighth-inch squares are small enough that the grid stays in the background when you sketch, yet each square is still large enough to count. Product designers sketch small parts at 2:1 or 4:1 on it, and comic artists rough out panel layouts.
When you need a fine metric grid instead, 3 mm paper is the closest equivalent; set the units to millimetres and the square size to 3 in the generator.
Compare with nearby sizes
Squares per page with 1/4 inch margins, portrait. All sizes are compared on the home page.
| Grid | Square (in) | Square (mm) | US Letter | A4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mm | 0.079 | 2 | 101 × 133 | 98 × 142 |
| 10 per inch | 0.1 | 2.54 | 80 × 105 | 77 × 111 |
| 1/8 inch | 0.125 | 3.18 | 64 × 84 | 62 × 89 |
| 5 mm | 0.197 | 5 | 40 × 53 | 39 × 56 |
| 5 per inch | 0.2 | 5.08 | 40 × 52 | 38 × 55 |
Questions
How big is a 1/8 inch square in millimetres?
3.175 mm.
How many squares fit on a US Letter page?
64 × 84 squares with 1/4 inch margins (8 inches by 10.5 inches of grid).
Can I print it on 11×17 paper?
Yes. Choose Tabloid (11 × 17 in) as the paper size in the generator.
Is 1/8 inch graph paper the same as 8×8 paper?
Yes. 8×8 means eight squares per inch, which is a 1/8 inch grid.
What scale is 1/8 inch = 1 foot?
A ratio of 1:96, used for whole-building floor plans.