Making a Hex Grid

Computer Illustration

by Richard Irving



If you use a drawing program, like Illustrator or Corel Draw, you need to use Snap to Grid and you need to reset the grid spacing. All you need for that is little math. Here is the simplest way to do it:

For hexes:

  • Decide on the height of hexes (lets just just say 1")
  • Set the vertical spacing at 1/2 that amount. (which would be 0.5")
  • Set the horizontal spacing at 4/7 of the amount for the vertical spacing (or 2/7 of the original hex height.) (Or 0.286")

Now draw a three line figure like this (sideways "Y") with the diagonal lines are 1 unit horizontal and 1 vertical grid point lines, the horizontal line is a 2 horizontal unit line.

  • Group that figure, then duplicate it as needed to fill your page. (This does not take very long--copy along a vertical row, group that and then copy a second vertical offset by vertical unit, group that, and finally copy along the horizontal.
  • You may need a few lines to finish the edges of your board. For hexes rotated 90 degrees, switch the horizontal and vertical spacings calculated above. These hexes are not quite perfect, the diagonal lines are less than 1% longer than the horizontal lines. But you'll never notice.


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