Hex map maker
Make a sheet of hexes or squares at the exact size you want, shade in some terrain, and print it at true size. Use it for battle maps, world maps or anything you want to draw on.
- Cells
- 72
- Across
- 8
- Down
- 9
Nothing fits. Try a smaller cell, a bigger sheet or a smaller margin.
Tap a cell to paint it
Print at 100% or "actual size", not "fit to page". Then lay a ruler on the check line at the foot of the sheet: it should measure 2 in. If it does, every cell is the size you chose. The map, your painting and the settings are all in the link, so you can share it with your group.
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How to use it
Choose hexes or squares, then the cell size: 1 inch, 25 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm or your own in inches or millimeters. Pick the paper, which way round it goes and the margin. The lines start light gray so your pencil and pens stand out on top of them. Check Number each cell if you want a reference in every space.
To shade terrain, tap a tone (light gray, dots, lines, cross lines or dark) and then tap the cells. Tap a cell again to clear it. All five tones print fine on a black and white printer. When it looks right, press Print the map, or Download as SVG to open it in a drawing program.
Print it at the right size
In the print box, set the scale to 100% or "actual size". "Fit to page" shrinks everything a little, and your hexes come out smaller than your bases. Every sheet has a 2 inch check line at the foot. Lay a ruler on it: if it measures 2 inches, every cell on the sheet is the size you chose.
What "1 inch hex" means here
We measure a hex flat to flat: from one straight side across to the opposite side. That's what most people mean by a 1 inch hex, and it's also the distance from the middle of one hex to the middle of the next, so moving one hex is moving one inch. Corner to corner, the same hex is a little over 1.15 inches (29.3 mm).
Flat top and pointy top are the same hexes turned 30 degrees. Flat top makes neat columns running up and down the page, and pointy top makes neat rows running across it.
How it works
It is general hexagon geometry. For flat-top hexes, the columns sit 1.5 times the center-to-corner distance apart, and every other column drops by half a hex so they lock together. The tool fits as many whole cells as it can inside your margins, keeps a strip at the foot for the check line, and centers the grid on the page. The numbers in each cell are column then row, so 0101 is the top left and 0302 is the third column, second row.
Painting figures to go on your map? Our guide to painting miniatures starts from the beginning, and the scale converter helps you size scenery to match.
Questions and answers
How big is a 1 inch hex?
Here, exactly 1 inch (25.4 mm) from one flat side to the opposite flat side, which is also the step from one hex center to the next. Measured corner to corner, the same hex is about 1.15 inches.
Should I use flat-top or pointy-top hexes?
Either works, they are the same hex turned. Flat top gives you straight columns up the page, pointy top gives you straight rows across it. Pick the one that matches the map or board you already use.
Why did my hexes print smaller than I set?
The print box was probably set to "fit to page", which shrinks the sheet slightly. Choose 100% or "actual size", print again, and check the 2 inch line at the foot with a ruler.
Can I print it bigger than Tabloid?
Download it as SVG. The file is drawn in real millimeters, so a print shop or a drawing program can tile it or print it large without losing the size.