Print circles that keep their size
Choose the diameters you need. The diameter is the distance straight across a circle, through its center. Pick from the common sizes or type your own, such as 2.25 or 4 1/2. The generator places every circle on as few sheets of Letter or A4 paper as it sensibly can and labels each one inside its outline, so the size stays on the piece after you cut it out. A circle too small for its label is labeled just below it.
Use the templates to trace and cut circles for quilting and appliqué, felt and paper crafts, embroidery layouts, or to plan spacing in a garden bed. The outline is drawn as a vector shape, so it prints crisply at any printer resolution.
How to use it
- Choose your paper size and inches or centimeters, then select the diameters. Add more sizes in the Other diameters box, separated by commas.
- Set how many copies of each size you want. Turn the labels and the center crosshair on or off.
- For appliqué, choose a seam allowance. The solid circle stays at the size you chose, and a dashed circle is added outside it for cutting.
- Download the PDF and print it at 100% / Actual size, with Fit to page and Shrink turned off.
- Measure the scale line at the bottom of the page with a trusted ruler before you cut. It is 2 inches for inch templates and 50 mm for centimeter templates.
The crosshair passes through the center and divides the circle into quarters. Use it to center a template on a motif or a hoop, or to mark quarter points on fabric.
Seam allowance for appliqué
In turned-edge appliqué, the solid circle is the finished size and the fabric is cut slightly larger so the edge can fold under. Instructions differ: some cut about 3/16 inch outside the template, others use 1/4 inch. Choose the allowance your pattern asks for. Cut on the dashed line for a template that includes the allowance, or on the solid line for a finished-size template you can trace around.
Sizes and accuracy
- The largest circle that fits on one sheet is 7 1/2 inches (190.5 mm) on Letter and 7 1/4 inches (18.4 cm) on A4, including any seam allowance. The page keeps 1/2-inch side margins, so most printers can print every edge. Larger circles are not split across sheets. For a bigger circle, fold your fabric or paper into quarters and draw a quarter arc with a string or ruler from the folded corner.
- The smallest circle is 5 mm, about 3/16 inch. You can add up to 16 sizes, with up to 50 copies of each, in one PDF of up to 30 pages.
- Each diameter is measured to the center of the printed line. The line is about 0.2 mm thick, so cut along its middle.
- The geometry is exact (1 inch = 25.4 mm), but your printer and paper decide the final size. Always check the scale line. If it measures short or long, look for a scaling setting in the print dialog.
The on-screen preview is reduced and is not actual size. Printing this web page gives a short note, not the templates; download the PDF for the templates. Downloading is open without an account.