Hexagonal tessellation: perfect for tabletop wargaming, organic chemistry and tile-based games.

Free printable hexagonal graph paper. Hex grids for tabletop games, organic chemistry and tile maps.

Hexagonal Graph Paper | Free Printable Hex Grid PDF

Hexagonal Graph Paper

Hex grids don't have (x, y) coordinates by default, you have to pick a convention. The two common systems are offset coordinates (row, col with every other row shifted) and axial coordinates (two skewed axes at 60°). For tabletop games, offset is more intuitive; for procedural generation in code, axial is much cleaner.

Pick an axial coordinate system early

Flat-top hexes (two horizontal edges) are the wargaming standard because units placed on them line up in rows you can read across. Pointy-top hexes (two vertical edges) are more common in computer games like Civilization where the rendering pipeline prefers them. Both work geometrically; the choice is convention.

Use flat-top hexes for wargaming, pointy-top for video games

Wargames typically label columns A, B, C and rows 1, 2, 3. Add the labels by hand before the first game. Pre-printed labels rarely match the campaign's coordinate convention.

Number the rows in offset coordinates

Benzene rings live inside individual hexes, not across multiple of them. Treat the grid as a placement aid, not a structural constraint. Most molecules will span just a few hexes.