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Origami Paper Calculator

Find the largest square you can cut from a sheet, how many squares it holds, and how many folds the paper will realistically take.

Paper Crafts
Origami starts with a square, and the size of that square decides both the size of the finished model and how many folds the paper will take before it becomes impossible. This calculator takes the sheet you have, finds the largest square in it, works out how many squares of a chosen size the sheet yields, and estimates the practical fold limit for that paper weight, which is the number that decides whether a complex model is worth attempting.

At a glance

What you enter
Sheet you are starting from, Custom sheet width, Custom sheet height, Square size you want, Paper weight, Layers at the thickest fold
What you get
Largest square from the sheet, Leftover strip width, Modular strips in the offcut, Squares from one sheet, Squares along one side, Waste as a share of the largest square, Diagonal of the square, Paper caliper, Thickness at the thickest point, Stack as a share of the square side, Halvings the paper will take, Layers at that limit, Paper can carry this model, Most layers this paper handles well, Smallest square that stays foldable
Formula shown
Yes, every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy
Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓

Sheet you are starting from

Only used when the sheet above is set to Custom.

Only used when the sheet above is set to Custom.

The size of the squares you want to fold. It has to divide the largest square, or the yield drops.

Kami is about 60 gsm, copier paper 80, and card 200 and up.

How many layers the model stacks at its thickest point. A simple crane is about 4, a complex insect 16 or more.

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Origami Paper Calculator

  1. 1 Enter Sheet you are starting from
  2. 2 Enter Custom sheet width (mm), Only used when the sheet above is set to Custom.
  3. 3 Enter Custom sheet height (mm), Only used when the sheet above is set to Custom.
  4. 4 Enter Square size you want (mm), The size of the squares you want to fold. It has to divide the largest square, or the yield drops.
  5. 5 Enter Paper weight (gsm), Kami is about 60 gsm, copier paper 80, and card 200 and up.
  6. 6 Enter Layers at the thickest fold, How many layers the model stacks at its thickest point. A simple crane is about 4, a complex insect 16 or more.
  7. 7 Press Calculate. You get Largest square from the sheet, Leftover strip width, Modular strips in the offcut, Squares from one sheet, Squares along one side, Waste as a share of the largest square, Diagonal of the square, Paper caliper, Thickness at the thickest point, Stack as a share of the square side, Halvings the paper will take, Layers at that limit, Paper can carry this model, Most layers this paper handles well, Smallest square that stays foldable, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
  8. 8 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

A 150 mm square from A4

The standard origami paper size cut from a sheet of copier paper.

You enter

Sheet you are starting from
1
Custom sheet width
0 mm
Custom sheet height
0 mm
Square size you want
150 mm
Paper weight
80 gsm
Layers at the thickest fold
4

You get

Largest square from the sheet
210.00 mm
Leftover strip width
87.00 mm
Modular strips in the offcut
5
Squares from one sheet
1
Squares along one side
1
Waste as a share of the largest square
49.0%
Diagonal of the square
296.98 mm
Paper caliper
0.08 mm
Thickness at the thickest point
0.32 mm
Stack as a share of the square side
0.2%
Halvings the paper will take
6
Layers at that limit
64
Paper can carry this model
1
Most layers this paper handles well
8
Smallest square that stays foldable
2.00 mm

One 150 millimetre square from a 210 millimetre square, with 44 percent of the square wasted. Cut 105 millimetres instead and the yield is four.

Open this example in the calculator →

Seventy millimetre squares from A4

Small squares for modular units, where the size divides the sheet evenly.

You enter

Sheet you are starting from
1
Custom sheet width
0 mm
Custom sheet height
0 mm
Square size you want
70 mm
Paper weight
80 gsm
Layers at the thickest fold
4

You get

Largest square from the sheet
210.00 mm
Leftover strip width
87.00 mm
Modular strips in the offcut
5
Squares from one sheet
9
Squares along one side
3
Waste as a share of the largest square
0.0%
Diagonal of the square
296.98 mm
Paper caliper
0.08 mm
Thickness at the thickest point
0.32 mm
Stack as a share of the square side
0.2%
Halvings the paper will take
6
Layers at that limit
64
Paper can carry this model
1
Most layers this paper handles well
8
Smallest square that stays foldable
2.00 mm

Three by three is nine squares of 70 millimetres with almost nothing wasted, because 70 divides 210 exactly.

Open this example in the calculator →

A complex model in thin paper

A 300 millimetre square of 60 gsm kami for a model stacking sixteen layers.

You enter

Sheet you are starting from
5
Custom sheet width
0 mm
Custom sheet height
0 mm
Square size you want
300 mm
Paper weight
60 gsm
Layers at the thickest fold
16

You get

Largest square from the sheet
300.00 mm
Leftover strip width
0.00 mm
Modular strips in the offcut
0
Squares from one sheet
1
Squares along one side
1
Waste as a share of the largest square
0.0%
Diagonal of the square
424.26 mm
Paper caliper
0.06 mm
Thickness at the thickest point
0.96 mm
Stack as a share of the square side
0.3%
Halvings the paper will take
8
Layers at that limit
256
Paper can carry this model
1
Most layers this paper handles well
16
Smallest square that stays foldable
6.00 mm

A stack of 16 layers is about 0.96 millimetres, which is 0.32 percent of a 300 millimetre side, so the paper carries the model comfortably.

Open this example in the calculator →

Guides that go with it

Standard Paper Sizes for Crafts and Handmade Projects

If you are pricing a paper project, the honest headline is this: most small handmade paper projects cost somewhere between a few dollars and about $30 in materials, and a bigger run of cards, journals...

The Complete Handcraft Measurement Guide for Beginners

If you are new to crafting, measuring is usually the first place things go sideways: a cut is 3 mm short, two "identical" squares are not identical, or a pattern that looked fine on paper does not fit...

How to Avoid Wasting Materials When Making Crafts

Most craft waste is not caused by clumsy hands. It is caused by decisions made before you pick up a tool: buying too much, cutting before measuring, or starting a project with no plan for the offcuts....

Frequently asked questions

What size square do I get from A4 paper?
A 210 millimetre square, because the square is limited by the shorter side of the sheet. A4 is 210 by 297, so the 210 millimetre square leaves a 210 by 87 millimetre strip. That strip cuts into five 15 millimetre strips for modular work, or folds in half as a card blank, so it is worth keeping rather than throwing away.
How many times can you fold paper in half?
About six times for 80 gsm copier paper at A4 size, and seven or eight for thin 60 gsm origami paper on a large sheet. Each halving doubles the layers at the crease, so after six folds the edge is 64 layers thick and after eight it is 256. The limit is the layer count rather than the sheet, which is why record attempts use sheets the size of a warehouse.
What paper is best for origami?
Kami, the thin coloured paper sold in packs, at around 60 gsm, is the standard for simple and intermediate models. It is thin enough to take many folds and it holds a crease. For complex models, tissue foil or double tissue holds a crease better still and is worth the trouble. Heavy decorative paper looks beautiful and takes very few folds, so it suits simple boxes and envelopes rather than animals.
Why does my origami paper tear at the folds?
Because the layers have become too thick for the paper to bend around, so the crease tears instead. A model that stacks six or eight layers needs paper that is thin enough and a square that is large enough. Doubling the square size halves the stress at the fold, because the stack keeps its thickness while the side it has to wrap around doubles. Try the same model in a square twice the size before you decide the model is beyond you.
How do I cut a square from A4 accurately?
Fold one corner across so the short edge lies along the long edge, which marks the 210 millimetre point, then cut the rectangle below the triangle away. The fold and cut method keeps the square true because the fold defines the right angle and the diagonal at the same time. Measure with a rule instead and the square is usually a millimetre or two out, which is enough to make a difference on a model with many folds.

More money questions answered →

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