1/4 inch graph paper
Print at 100%. In the print dialog choose Actual size (or Scale: 100), not Fit to page. Then hold a ruler to the line at the bottom of the sheet.
How to print at actual size, dialog by dialog
- Chrome and Edge: open More settings, find Scale, and pick Actual size if it is listed. If it is not, pick Custom and type 100. Avoid Fit to printable area and Fit to paper.
- Firefox: untick Fit to page width, then set Scale to 100.
- Safari and Preview on a Mac: set Scale to 100%, not Scale to Fit.
- Adobe Acrobat and Reader: under Page Sizing, choose Actual size. The file already asks for it.
- iPhone and iPad: the print sheet has no scale setting. Print, then measure the line.
- Android: this depends on the printer app. Turn off any Fit to page option, then measure the line.
- Any browser: pick the file that matches the paper in your printer. A US Letter file on A4 paper, or the reverse, gets shrunk to fit.
Printable 1/4 inch graph paper: four squares to the inch, with a heavier line every inch so you can count in whole inches without counting squares. On US Letter the sheet is 32 squares across and 40 down, a grid exactly 8 by 10 inches. On A4 it is 28 by 40 squares, a grid 7 by 10 inches.
This is the ruling most US schools mean by graph paper, and the one sold in pads as quad ruled or quadrille paper. The generator above starts from it; every setting can still be changed, and the ready-made PDFs under the download buttons are this exact sheet.
Quad ruled, quadrille and 4x4: one ruling
Quad ruled paper, quadrille paper, 4x4 graph paper and 1/4 inch graph paper all describe the same thing: squares a quarter of an inch on a side. The 4x4 name counts them, four squares by four squares in every square inch. Some store pads print every line at the same weight and some add a darker line each inch. This sheet adds one by default. To get the plain version, set Heavier line to None.
Quad ruled is not the same as 5 mm squared paper, although the two look alike. A quarter inch is 6.35 mm, so across a row of 32 squares the difference grows to 43 mm, more than an inch and a half. If a worksheet or a pattern asks for one of them, use that one.
The sheet, square by square
The grid is centered, with 1/4 inch margins at the sides and a strip at the bottom for the calibration line. On US Letter that leaves room for exactly 8 inches of grid across and 10 inches down, which is 32 by 40 squares, 1,280 in all, with the heavier lines making an 8 by 10 grid of one-inch blocks.
On A4 paper the page is narrower and taller, so the same squares fit 28 across and 40 down, 7 by 10 inches of grid, 1,120 squares. The squares themselves do not change size. If you are in a country that uses A4 and want quarter inch squares, this is the file to print, not the Letter one.
What 1/4 inch graph paper is for
- Math. Plotting points, sketching graphs of functions, lining up digits in long division and multiplication. Four squares to the inch is small enough for a full coordinate plane on one page and large enough to write a digit in each square.
- Floor plans. A quarter inch to the foot is the standard scale for house plans in the US, so each square is one foot. A single sheet holds a plan 32 by 40 feet, and the heavier lines mark every 4 feet.
- Charts and patterns. Knitting and cross-stitch charts, pixel art and seating plans all work square by square.
- Measured sketches. Woodworking and garden layouts at a quarter scale, where the inch blocks make the arithmetic easy.
Print it at 100%
Four squares on the printed sheet should measure exactly one inch. That only happens when the print dialog leaves the page alone. In Chrome and Edge, open More settings and set Scale to Actual size, or to Custom and 100. In Safari or Preview set Scale to 100%. Turn off Fit to page anywhere you see it. The dialog-by-dialog list is under the download buttons.
Use the US Letter file on Letter paper and the A4 file on A4. Printing one on the other makes most printers shrink it, even at 100%.
Check it with the line
The line at the bottom of the sheet is exactly 4 inches long, with a small tick every half inch. Measure it with a ruler, or count: 16 squares should span it exactly.
| The 4 in line measures | One square measures | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 4 in, within about 1/32 in | 1/4 in | Printed at actual size. |
| about 3 7/8 in (3.89 in) | about 0.243 in | A US Letter file was shrunk to fit A4 paper. |
| about 3 3/4 in (3.76 in) | about 0.235 in | An A4 file was shrunk to fit US Letter paper. |
| about 3.8 to 3.9 in | about 0.24 in | Fit to printable area or Fit to page was on. |
| about 4 1/16 to 4 1/8 in | about 0.256 in | Borderless printing enlarged the page. |
A square of 0.243 inch looks right on its own. It only shows up across a row: 32 of them come to about 7 25/32 inches instead of 8.
Other sizes
The same generator draws 5 mm graph paper, 1 cm graph paper, isometric graph paper and dot grid paper. For any other size, including 1/5 inch and 1/8 inch, change Spacing on the main graph paper page or right here.
Frequently asked questions
Is quad ruled paper the same as 1/4 inch graph paper?
Yes. Quad ruled, quadrille and 4x4 all mean squares a quarter of an inch on a side, four to the inch. Some quad pads add a darker line each inch and some do not; this sheet adds one, and you can turn it off.
How many squares are on a sheet of 1/4 inch graph paper?
On US Letter with 1/4 inch margins, 32 across and 40 down, 1,280 squares. On A4, 28 across and 40 down, 1,120 squares. Smaller margins can add a row or a column, but most printers cannot print closer than about 1/5 inch to the edge.
Can I print 1/4 inch graph paper on A4?
Yes. Choose A4 at the top of the generator, or use the A4 file under the download buttons. The squares stay exactly 1/4 inch; the sheet just fits 28 of them across instead of 32.
Why do my squares measure a little less than 1/4 inch?
The page was scaled down when it printed. Measure the 4 inch line at the bottom: if it is close to 3 7/8 inches, a Letter file went to A4 paper, and if it is 3.8 to 3.9 inches, Fit to page was on. Set Scale to 100 and print again.
Can I make the lines darker?
Set Line weight to Bold and Color to Black. Bold draws 0.6 point lines with 1.2 point lines every inch, which prints clearly on any printer, including one in draft or toner saving mode.