Pixel art grid: create and print your template

How to create your grid

1

Choose the size

Select how many squares you want across and down. 16×16 is the classic size for a simple character; 32×32 allows more detail.

2

Paint in the browser

Pick a color and click the squares, or drag to paint several in a row. You can erase, undo, and flood-fill areas with the paint bucket.

3

Download and print

Download the grid as a PDF to print it and carry on in pencil, or as a PNG to save your finished design.

What pixel art is, and why it is drawn on a grid

Pixel art is a way of drawing in which every square of a grid is one indivisible unit of color: a pixel. It began out of necessity, when 1980s consoles and computers could only display images made of very few dots, and today it lives on as a style of its own in video games, illustration and crafts.

Drawing it on paper calls for a grid with an exact number of squares, not just any sheet of graph paper. The difference matters: in pixel art the canvas has a clear boundary (16 squares wide by 16 tall, say), and that constraint is exactly what gives the result its characteristic look. Every decision counts, because there is no room for fine strokes or gradients.

It is a rewarding activity for children from about six upwards: it builds attention to detail, symmetry and planning, and the result is recognisable straight away even when the drawing is simple. In the classroom it works well to print the same grid for the whole group and set a common theme — an animal, a fruit, a character.

Tips for good results

Start with the outline in a dark color and fill the inside afterwards — it is far easier to correct that way round.
Use few colors. Four or five are enough for a 16×16 drawing, and the result looks cleaner than with a wide palette.
If the drawing is symmetrical, paint one half and copy it square by square onto the other, counting out from the centre.
For printing, keep the squares large: a 16×16 grid on A4 gives squares over a centimetre across, comfortable even with a marker pen.

Frequently asked questions

What grid size is best to start with?

For a first pixel art, 16×16 squares is the most comfortable size: enough to draw a recognisable character, and colored in within a few minutes. With younger children 8×8 works better, because the squares come out larger when printed and are easier to paint. From 32×32 upwards you can add details such as shading or texture, but it takes considerably longer.

Do I need to sign up or pay?

No. The tool runs entirely in your browser, needs no account, and the downloads are free. Your drawing is never sent to a server.

Can I print the empty grid to draw by hand?

Yes. If you download the PDF without painting anything, you get the empty grid with its squares marked out, ready to fill in with pencils or markers. That is the usual way of doing pixel art on paper in class.

How is this different from ordinary graph paper?

Graph paper has a fixed square size and covers the whole sheet. Here you set a grid with an exact number of squares (16×16, for example), which is how pixel art works: each square is one pixel of the finished drawing, and the canvas has a clear boundary.