Graph paper that matches your fabric
Cross stitch graph paper is a grid where each square stands for one stitch. Designing on paper with the same count as your fabric has one big advantage: the drawing is exactly the size of the finished piece. Sketch on 14-count paper and a heart that is two inches wide on paper will be two inches wide on 14-count Aida. Pick 11, 14, 16 or 18 squares per inch, or a custom count for needlepoint canvas and other crafts.
The PDF is drawn on your device in the browser. Nothing is uploaded, and you can make as many pages as you like. Every page has a 1-inch check bar so you can confirm your printer did not shrink it.
Squares per page
With numbers switched on and half-inch margins, each page holds this many squares:
| Count | US Letter | A4 |
|---|---|---|
| 11-count | 78 × 103 | 75 × 111 |
| 14-count | 99 × 131 | 96 × 141 |
| 16-count | 113 × 150 | 110 × 161 |
| 18-count | 128 × 169 | 123 × 181 |
Need a design bigger than one page? Print several pages and tape them together, using the bold lines to line them up, or use a finer count and a magnifier. To check what size a design will be on a different fabric, use the size calculator.
Designing your own chart on paper
- Plan the size. Decide how big the finished piece should be and count the squares you have. The center lines show the middle of the grid.
- Sketch in pencil. Draw the outline lightly, then fill whole squares; a cross stitch cannot be half a square without fractional stitches.
- Choose symbols or colors. Colored pencils are quick; symbols photocopy better and are easier to read for people with color vision differences.
- Make a key. List each color or symbol with its thread number and count the squares to estimate thread with the floss calculator.
- Mark the center. Start stitching in the middle of the fabric where the red center lines cross, so the design ends up centered.
Printing tips for cross stitch graph paper
Printers love to "help" by scaling pages to fit. In the print dialog, look for Scale, Page sizing or Fit and set it to 100%, "Actual size" or "None". After printing, hold a ruler against the 1-inch bar at the bottom. If you print on A4 paper, choose A4 here as well, so the grid is centered with even margins.
Large print uses thicker lines and bigger numbers. It is helpful for anyone with low vision and for designs that will be photocopied, because thin gray lines can disappear on copies. If you want bigger squares, choose a lower count such as 11 or a custom 8 or 10.
Prefer starting from a picture? The pattern maker turns a photo or a name into a full chart with symbols, a color key and stitch counts.
Example results
14-count, Letter
Fill page with numbers: 99 × 131 squares, bold every 10, center lines in red.
50 × 50 grid
A 50-square grid on 14-count is 3.6 inches wide, centered on the page.
Large print, 11-count
Thicker lines and bigger numbers on 78 × 103 squares per Letter page.