Frequently asked questions

Are the templates really free?

Yes. Every SVG on GridCraft is released under Creative Commons Zero (CC0 1.0). You can download, print, modify, embed in a commercial product, or hand copies to students. No account, no watermark, no email gate, no usage cap.

Will the grids print at true 1:1 scale on my desktop printer?

Yes, provided your print dialog is set to 100% scaling (not "fit to page", not "shrink oversized"). Every SVG carries the physical sheet dimensions in millimetres, so a compliant print driver will reproduce it at exact scale by default. Our how-to-print guide includes a 30-second calibration test you can use to verify your printer.

Why does my A4 print come out slightly wrong?

In almost every case, the cause is "fit to page" being enabled silently in the print dialog. That setting shrinks every page by 3 to 6 percent to avoid touching the edge margin. Turn it off, choose 100% scaling, and the grid will measure correctly. If the result is still wrong, the print driver may be applying a printer-specific calibration; the printing guide covers the major makes.

Can I use these for a regulated construction drawing?

Use them as reference paper, not as a stamped drawing. The geometry is generated to ISO and ANSI conventions, but a tendered construction document needs a verified title block, a traceable scale bar, and a signature, none of which a free template provides. For preliminary sketching, layout studies, and hand-marked overlays they are perfectly suitable.

Why isometric at 30 degrees and not 26.57?

The 30 degree convention is the ISO 5456-3 standard for technical isometric and is what almost every professional drafting board uses. The 26.57 degree variant (arctan 1/2) appears in older pixel-art and game-development tooling but it is not the engineering convention. We stock the 30 degree version because it is the one a working drafter will recognise.

What is the difference between axonometric and isometric?

Isometric is a special case of axonometric where all three axes are foreshortened equally. General axonometric (planometric, cabinet, cavalier) uses different angles and different foreshortening ratios on each axis. The compare page walks through the trade-offs and the projection guide explains when to reach for each one.

Can I edit the SVGs in Illustrator or Inkscape?

Yes. The files are plain SVG with the geometry expressed as line and path elements; no rasters, no embedded fonts, no proprietary metadata. Open them in any vector editor and modify freely. A common workflow is to drop the grid on a locked background layer and draw on top in a second layer.

Do you offer paper sizes beyond A4 and Letter?

Yes. Every grid family is available on A4, A3, A2, US Letter, US Legal, and Tabloid, in both portrait and landscape. That is 12 sheet variants per grid family, 576 templates total. The paper-sizes index lists every variant grouped by sheet.

Can I request a grid that is not in the catalogue?

Yes. Write to the requests address on the contact page. We have added several grid families in response to reader emails. We cannot promise to add every request, but the catalogue grew from this kind of feedback.

How accurate are the historical notes?

Each grid family has a short history section that summarises the documented origin of the projection or the chart paper. Where dates or attributions are uncertain, we say so. We do not invent provenance. If you spot an error, the corrections inbox on the contact page is the fastest path to a fix.

Do you track me?

No. GridCraft sets no cookies, runs no client-side analytics, and does not embed third-party tracking pixels. Your browser will cache the stylesheet for performance, the way it does on any site. See the privacy page for the full picture.

Where do I report a bug on the site?

Email the editorial address on the contact page with the URL and a short description. Include a screenshot if the issue is visual. We treat broken internal links as bugs and we fix them; please tell us if you find one.