Family 06 · hex grid
Hex grid paper with mathematically regular hexagons
Hex grid paper tiles the page with regular hexagons — six equal sides, six equidistant neighbours per cell. Choose the side length (5 mm for dense battle maps, 10 mm for large ones), pick flat-top or pointy-top, and download a vector PDF whose centre-to-centre spacing is the exact side × √3, so the grid tessellates perfectly when printed at 100% scale.
Quick pick
Hex grid — ready to print
One click to PDF. No signup, no watermark, exact dimensions.
Why regular hexagons, and why the spacing has to be exact
The hexagon is the only regular polygon that tessellates the plane while giving every cell six neighbours at the same distance — squares give eight neighbours but the diagonals are √2 farther away, which breaks movement fairness in games and distance counting in analysis. That equal-neighbour property is the whole reason hex grids dominate tactical maps and many simulation models.
But the tessellation only closes if the geometry is exact. For a regular hexagon of side s, adjacent centres are s × √3 apart, and the row and column pitches follow from it. A generator that spaces hexes approximately leaves gaps or overlaps that accumulate across the page. Here every vertex is computed from the exact side length, and the output summary reports the centre-to-centre distance in millimetres so you can verify it.
Which hex size and orientation?
| Size & orientation | Best for |
|---|---|
| 5 mm side · flat-top | Compact RPG battle grids and small tile maps — many hexes per page for dense tactical play. |
| 1/4″ side · flat-top | Imperial game maps; the classic tabletop hex size for miniatures on inch-measured mats. |
| 8 mm side · pointy-top | Strategy-game maps and world-building where the pointy-top orientation reads as terrain columns. |
| 10 mm side · flat-top | Large, legible hexes for chemistry benzene-ring sketches, big battle maps and marker work. |
What do people use hex paper for?
Tabletop role-playing and wargame battle maps are the biggest use: each hex is a fixed area of terrain, movement costs are whole numbers of hexes, and there is no diagonal ambiguity to argue about. Game designers prototype tile-based boards on it; chemists sketch aromatic rings; quilters and designers lay out tessellating patterns. Because the grid is regular and reproducible, a map drawn on one sheet continues correctly on the next.
For square-cell maps and general plotting use graph paper, and for 3D pictorial sketches see isometric paper. Print several hex maps in one run with the pack builder.
How do I print hex paper at true scale?
A game map whose hexes are even slightly off will not match your miniatures’ bases or your measured movement, so print at 100% scale — never “Fit to page” — and verify across several hexes: the centre-to-centre distance of a 5 mm hex is 8.66 mm, so five such steps must span 43.3 mm.
Measure centre-to-centre
Measuring between hex centres over several cells is more reliable than measuring one edge. If the pitch is short, your printer rescaled the sheet — calibrate once and the correction applies to every sheet.
Frequently asked questions
What is hex grid paper used for?
Hexagonal grids give every cell six equidistant neighbours — no diagonal ambiguity — which is why they are the standard surface for tabletop RPG battle maps, wargame terrain and strategy-game design. Chemists use them to sketch benzene rings and other aromatic structures by hand; designers use them for tile patterns and game prototyping. The hexagon tessellates the plane with no gaps, so a map drawn on hex paper tiles seamlessly.
Flat-top or pointy-top hexagons?
They are the same regular hexagon rotated 30°. Flat-top hexagons have a horizontal edge on top and stack in offset columns — the common choice for battle maps and chemistry rings. Pointy-top hexagons have a vertex on top and stack in offset rows, which many strategy games prefer for terrain that reads in horizontal bands. Pick the orientation your game or convention expects; the side length and geometry are identical either way.
How is the hexagon spacing measured?
By the side length — the edge of each regular hexagon — from which every other dimension follows exactly. The centre-to-centre distance between adjacent hexes equals side × √3, and the row and column pitches are derived from it. Getting these ratios right is what makes the grid tessellate without gaps or overlaps; this generator computes them from the exact side length, and the output summary reports the centre-to-centre distance so you can confirm it.