Variations
What prints with the starting settings
| Paper | US Letter — 215.9 × 279.4 mm (8.5 × 11 in) |
|---|---|
| Hexagon side | 12.7 mm = 1/2″ |
| Across flats | 0.866″ |
| Across corners | 1″ |
| Margins | 1/2″ |
| Line weight | 0.18 mm (bold 0.35 mm) |
| Print setting | Scale 100% / Actual size |
The quilter’s hexagon
Half-inch hexagons are a popular size for English paper piecing, small enough for Grandmother’s Flower Garden-style rosettes in a modest quilt. Because this grid uses the same side length, each cell on the page is exactly the size of a finished patch. Colour the grid to plan a rosette, a full quilt or a table runner, and you can count straight from the page how many hexagons of each fabric to cut.
Other uses
- Board and war games: a grid of medium hexes for terrain and movement, with room to write in each cell.
- Chemistry: draw benzene rings and molecular structures to a consistent size.
- Design and tiling: sketch honeycomb patterns, tiles, logos and garden layouts.
- Teaching geometry: show how hexagons tessellate and split into six equilateral triangles.
Sizes compared
At 1/2 inch, the grid is between the fine 1/4 inch hex paper for detailed maps and the large 1 inch hexes used for miniatures. For paper templates to cut out and baste fabric around, use the matching 1/2 inch EPP hexagons.
Printing
Print at 100% / Actual size so the hexagons keep their exact half-inch sides. Measure one side with a ruler before planning a quilt from the page.
More hexagonal sheets
Frequently asked questions
How is the hexagon size measured?
By side length, as in quilting: each side is 1/2 inch (12.7 mm). Corner to corner the hexagon is 1 inch, and flat side to flat side it is 0.866 inch (22 mm).
Is this the same as 1 inch hex paper for gaming?
No. Gaming hexes are measured across the flats, so a 1 inch game hex has sides of about 0.577 inch. For that size, see 1 inch hex paper.
Can I plan a hexagon quilt on it?
Yes. Each hexagon on the page is the same shape and size as a 1/2 inch EPP hexagon, so a coloured plan matches your finished patchwork one to one.
Flat top or pointy top?
It is the same grid rotated by 30 degrees. Choose whichever matches the direction of your rows: flat top gives straight vertical columns, pointy top gives straight horizontal rows.
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