Hex Grid Paper

Printable Hex Grid Paper for Tabletop Games, Maps, and Strategy Design

Download crisp hexagonal grid paper as a print-ready PDF. The template uses pointy-top hexes — the classic orientation for tactical and strategy games — and supports three hex sizes: 6 mm, 8 mm, and 12 mm edges. Whether you are mapping a dungeon, prototyping a war game, or sketching a fantasy continent, hex paper gives you equal-distance neighbours in six directions, which is perfect for movement and area-of-effect rules.

Prefer square or triangular grids? Have a look at the Graph Paper Generator or the Isometric Grid Paper.

Why hex paper?

A hex grid solves a problem every square grid has: diagonal moves. On a square grid the diagonal distance is √2 times the orthogonal one, so either movement rules become fiddly or diagonals get a little too generous. Every hex has exactly six equal-distance neighbours, so distances are intuitive and area-of-effect templates (blast circles, line of sight, flood fills) behave predictably. Use hex paper for:

• tabletop roleplaying (overland maps, regional travel, sandbox hexcrawls)
• hex-and-counter war games
• board game prototyping and playtest sheets
• 4X-style strategy sketches
• fantasy world building with regional hex keys
• procedural-dungeon planning before committing to software
• terrain movement-cost maps

What is on the page

The template renders regular, equal-edge hexagons in the pointy-top orientation. Three edge sizes are supported:

• 6 mm edge — flat-to-flat width of about 10.4 mm, for dense continental or world maps.
• 8 mm edge — flat-to-flat width of about 13.9 mm, the everyday default for regional overland maps.
• 12 mm edge — flat-to-flat width of about 20.8 mm, for larger tactical boards and hex-based battle grids.

For any edge length E, the flat-to-flat distance (the short diameter) is √3 · E, the point-to-point distance is 2E, and a hex covers an area of 3√3/2 · E². The page fits as many whole hexes as will fit with a small margin around the outside; partial hexes at the edge are clipped cleanly so your map has a tidy frame.

Who this paper is for

Students

Geography and computer-science students can use hex grids to explore pathfinding, cellular automata, and simple map projections.

Designers & makers

Board game designers prototype faster on paper than on screen. Sketch a map, play a round, erase, and iterate.

Teachers

Hex grids make great visual aids for probability, geometry, and coordinate-system lessons (offset versus axial coordinates).

Hobbyists

Tabletop roleplayers use the 8 mm default for classic hexcrawl regional maps; 12 mm suits tactical skirmish scenarios and wargame scenarios.

Edge-size options

6 mm hexes

Tightest density. Use for world-scale maps where each hex might represent twelve miles or a day of travel.

8 mm hexes

The default. Most tabletop hex maps use something in this range — room for a terrain glyph and a label without crowding.

12 mm hexes

Plenty of room for miniatures or printed counters, tactical battle boards, and for hand-drawn art in each cell.

How to use the tool

1. Pick an edge size: 6 mm, 8 mm, or 12 mm.
2. Choose A4 or US Letter.
3. Click Generate.
4. Preview the page and check the hex count feels right.
5. Download the PDF.

Print at 100% scale. The hex size stays accurate to the millimetre, which matters if you want the paper grid to match counters or miniatures at a known scale.

Worked example

Suppose you are drawing a regional hex map where each hex is six miles across. With 8 mm edges (flat-to-flat 13.9 mm), a single A4 sheet fits roughly 14 hexes across and 20 down, which gives you a map about 84 miles wide and 120 miles tall — plenty for a duchy-scale sandbox. Label hex rows A to T down the left and 01 to 14 across the top, using the every-other-row offset that pointy-top hexes naturally suggest, and you have a ready-made coordinate grid.

Methodology

The template draws each hexagon as a vector shape, so lines stay sharp at any zoom level and the edges line up pixel-perfectly when you print. Hex dimensions are derived from the edge length using exact geometric relationships (height = 2E, width = √3·E), so the 6, 8, and 12 mm presets give you predictable physical sizes on paper. Every PDF goes through the shared printable-paper template, keeping branding and QR placement consistent across the site.

Designed for A4 and US Letter printing

Both paper sizes render with the same hex size; the number of hexes per row and column changes because the sheet dimensions differ. Print at 100% to guarantee the edge length on the page matches the size you selected.

Tips for hex-map design

• Decide what one hex represents before you start — six miles, a day's travel, a square kilometre, or simply a move unit.
• Use the bold every-fifth feature of square grids? Hexes do not have that luxury, so add light shading every five rows/columns for quick scanning.
• Number the columns 01–12 along the top and rows A–T down the side to create consistent hex references.
• For RPG sandbox maps, leave space around the edges for a key and a random-encounter table.
• Counters and miniatures usually play best on 12 mm or larger hexes.

Related printable paper tools

• Map Grid Paper — numbered square-grid paper for maps
• Isometric Grid Paper — triangular line grid
• Isometric Dot Paper — triangular dot lattice
• Graph Paper Generator — custom square grids