Log-frequency horizontal axis with linear gain (dB) vertical axis: the standard sheet for sketching frequency response.

Free printable Bode plot paper PDF. Log frequency over 4 decades by 60 dB linear gain — the standard format for frequency-response sketches in EE and control.

Bode Plot Paper | Free Printable PDF (4 Decade, 60 dB)

Bode Plot Paper

For each pole or zero, draw the piecewise-linear asymptotic contribution. The actual response curves smoothly through the corners (3 dB below the asymptote at the corner frequency for a first-order pole), but the asymptotic sketch is the right first step. Smooth the corners only after the overall shape is correct.

Sketch by asymptotes first, smooth later

At each pole, the slope drops by 20 dB per decade. At each zero, it rises by 20 dB per decade. By the time you've passed all poles and zeros, you know the asymptotic slope at high frequency. If your sketch doesn't match that high-frequency slope, you've miscounted somewhere.

Count slope changes at each corner

Every corner on the Bode plot has a known frequency — the pole or zero that caused it. Label each corner with its frequency directly on the paper. This makes debugging much faster when the sketch doesn't match the simulation.

Label corner frequencies on the plot

Magnitude (this template) and phase are typically plotted on stacked sheets that share the frequency axis. Print two copies for related Bode plots; align them vertically along the frequency axis when comparing magnitude and phase.