About cross-stitch graph paper
Counted cross-stitch is worked square by square, so a chart is really a grid where each square is one stitch. Bold lines every ten squares let you count your place quickly, exactly as printed patterns do, and center arrows mark the middle of the design so you can line it up with the center of your fabric. Set the square size to suit how detailed your pattern is.
A counted cross-stitch chart maps one grid square to one stitch, so the paper is simply a square grid you color in. Following the convention of printed patterns, a bold line every ten squares breaks the field into blocks you can count at a glance, which keeps you from losing your place across a large design. The center arrows mark the middle of the sheet so you can match it to the center of your fabric and stitch outward.
Choose the square size for how much detail you want rather than the real thread count — charts are usually drawn larger than the finished stitching so the symbols stay readable. A pale grid with darker count lines works best, leaving room to pencil in symbols or block in color for each thread.
Great for
- Designing counted cross-stitch patterns
- Charting a photo or motif by hand
- Blackwork and needlepoint grids
- Planning stitch counts before you start
Common questions
Why are there bold lines every ten squares?
Counting in tens is the cross-stitch convention: the heavier lines divide the chart into ten-by-ten blocks so you can track stitch counts and find your place quickly on a big pattern.
What do the center arrows mean?
They mark the horizontal and vertical center of the chart. Matching them to the center of your fabric means the finished design ends up centered, which is why patterns tell you to start stitching from the middle.
Guides for this paper
Printing at the right size
Every sheet is drawn in real units, so it prints true to size as long as you print at 100%. In the print dialog, set the scale to 100% and turn off “Fit to page” or “Shrink oversized pages” — then a 5 mm square really measures 5 mm. Download a vector SVG to edit later, a PNG at up to 600 dpi, or a ready-to-print PDF. Everything is generated in your browser, nothing is uploaded, and every sheet is free to print for personal, classroom and commercial use. See the guide to printing at true size or the FAQ for more.