Free printable resources · Original practice

Centimeter graph paper.
Measure in tens.

One cell is one centimeter along each side. Count lengths, compare areas, and work through a notched rectangle with a separate solution.

10 mm square intervals.
Two paper sizes.
Area & perimeter exercise.

Choose your paper and download

Download paper size

Every worksheet and answer is free. No signup.

Centimeter Graph Paper: Free 1 cm PDF full-sheet preview

A blank sheet, ready to use.

One cell is one centimeter along each side. Count lengths, compare areas, and work through a notched rectangle with a separate solution.

1 page per file · free · CC BY 4.0

All paper sizes & editable formats
US Letter
Print the matching PDF at Actual size / 100%. Measure the 100 mm or 4 inch bar with a physical ruler, and check a perpendicular grid span too. Print scale guide →

Check the spacing and usable cells

PaperLine intervalComplete cellsGrid width × height
US Letter10 mm19 × 22190.000 × 220.000 mm
A410 mm18 × 24180.000 × 240.000 mm

Counts describe complete cells between lines. The grid is centered in a region inset 12.7 mm at the sides and 25.4 mm at top and bottom. Physical printing has not been tested on your printer; verify the calibration before measuring.

Draw it, then check your calculation

Draw a 6 cm by 4 cm rectangle. Remove a 2 cm by 1 cm notch from its upper-right corner. Find the remaining area and perimeter.

Worked result

Area = 6 x 4 - 2 x 1 = 22 square centimeters. Perimeter = 6 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 4 + 4 = 20 cm.

The supplied worksheet has space for your drawing and calculations. The separate answer traces the completed shape. Keep the same units through the calculation; square units measure area, while plain units measure length.

Work through the page

  1. Verify Print Calibration

    Before starting your geometry practice, ensure your printer settings are correct. Select the file matching your paper size, either Letter or A4, and choose actual size printing to avoid scaling errors. Once printed, examine the calibration bars located on the sheet. These bars allow you to confirm that the line-to-line spacing is exactly ten millimeters. If the bars do not match the expected length, adjust your printer settings and reprint. Check both horizontal and vertical dimensions. A matching bar is a useful scale check, although it cannot rule out every printer defect elsewhere on the page.

  2. Draw the Base Rectangle

    Locate a clear section of your centimeter graph paper to begin drawing. Count six spaces horizontally and four spaces vertically to establish the dimensions of your main shape. Use a ruler to connect these points, creating a rectangle that measures six centimeters by four centimeters. Ensure your lines align precisely with the grid lines to maintain accuracy. This base shape serves as the foundation for the next step. By counting the spaces between the lines, you confirm the correct dimensions before proceeding to modify the shape with the required notch.

  3. Add the Notch and Measure

    Identify the upper-right corner of your drawn rectangle. From this corner, count two spaces to the left and one space down to define the notch boundaries. Draw lines to remove this two centimeter by one centimeter section. After completing the shape, calculate the area by counting the whole cells inside the figure, which should total twenty-two square centimeters. Then, trace the outer edge to count the perimeter, verifying it equals twenty centimeters. This process reinforces the relationship between grid counting and geometric measurement.

Small checks that catch common errors

Watch forCheck instead
Printing the file with fit-to-page scaling enabled, which alters the ten millimeter grid spacing and distorts measurements.Always select actual size or one hundred percent scaling in your print dialog to preserve the correct line-to-line distance.
Counting the lines themselves instead of the spaces between them when measuring lengths on the graph paper.Focus on the empty squares between the grid lines, as each space represents one centimeter of length.
Calculating the area of the full rectangle without subtracting the removed notch section from the total count.Count only the whole cells that remain inside the final shape to get the correct twenty-two square centimeter area.

Before you begin

Useful answers

Which file should I download for my printer?

Choose the Letter file if you use standard US paper, which provides nineteen columns and twenty-two rows. Select the A4 file for international paper sizes, offering eighteen columns and twenty-four rows.

How do I know if my print is accurate?

Measure the supplied 100 mm and 4 inch bars with a physical ruler, and check a perpendicular grid span too. Ten centimeter intervals should span 100 mm. If the axes differ, investigate printer distortion before measuring a drawing.

What is the correct area for the final shape?

The final shape, which is a six by four centimeter rectangle with a two by one centimeter notch removed, has an area of twenty-two square centimeters and a perimeter of twenty centimeters.

Are the answers and editable files free too?

Yes. Every linked PDF, SVG, worksheet and answer is free without signup. The original resources use CC BY 4.0: credit Zumola, link the license and indicate changes. Analytics consent is not required to download or use the resources.

Keep practicing

Further reading: NIST: inch and metric length units. The downloadable geometry and exercises on this page are original Zumola work.

Worksheet preview

Full printable sheet preview

Fit-to-screen preview. Download the PDF to print at actual size.