70 px / square
Lightweight default. Loads fast in Roll20 and stays easy to upload. Tokens look fine at normal zoom.
D&D Grid Size Guide
1-inch squares, 5 ft scale, and the right pixels for your VTT.
Quick answer
A D&D grid square represents 5 feet in the game. For miniatures, a common printed square is 1 inch (25.4 mm) wide. Digital maps use pixels instead: a 30 x 20 grid at 70 pixels per square is 2100 x 1400 pixels. At 1 inch per square, that same map prints 30 x 20 inches. Physical size, game distance, and image resolution are three different settings.
Calculator
Export resolution calculator
Enter your grid and pixels-per-square to get exact PNG dimensions.
These are target image dimensions, not a guarantee of the editor's export resolution. Check your exported PNG before importing or printing.
30 × 20 grid at 70 px/square = 2100 × 1400 px (2.94 MP)
Common map sizes
Square counts and what they fit
Plan in 5-foot squares first. Pixels come second.
| Grid squares | 70 px/sq | 100 px/sq | 140 px/sq | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 x 20 | 1400 x 1400 | 2000 x 2000 | 2800 x 2800 | Small rooms, taverns, tight skirmishes |
| 30 x 20 | 2100 x 1400 | 3000 x 2000 | 4200 x 2800 | Roads, camps, flexible medium fights |
| 40 x 30 | 2800 x 2100 | 4000 x 3000 | 5600 x 4200 | Large arenas, streets, set pieces |
At 1 inch per square, a 20 × 20 map prints 20 × 20 inches (50.8 × 50.8 cm). Print at actual size, not “fit to page,” and measure a test square before printing the whole map.
Rule of thumb: 15–22 squares per side suits single rooms and taverns; 24–32 squares gives room to maneuver; 35+ squares is set-piece territory.
Pixels per square
How sharp should the export be?
100 px / square
A middle ground when maps are projected or players zoom in often. File sizes grow quickly on large grids.
140 px / square
Crisp for detailed art and print proofs. A 40×30 map at 140 px/square is already 5600×4200 px—check upload limits first.
The math
How to calculate export resolution
- Export width = columns × pixels per square.
- Export height = rows × pixels per square.
- Example: a 30 × 20 grid at 70 px = 2100 × 1400 px. At 140 px the same grid is 4200 × 2800 px.
Keep image dimensions divisible by your square count—that is what prevents VTT grid drift after import.
Recommended settings
Per platform
Roll20
Create the page with the same column/row count as the map, then align Roll20's grid to the image at the corners. 70 px/square keeps pages snappy. Details: Roll20 battle map export.
Foundry VTT
Set the scene grid size in pixels to match your export math, then shift the grid origin until squares track. Details: Foundry VTT battle map export.
D&D Beyond Maps
Upload the PNG through D&D Beyond's own workflow and verify token movement scale there. Details: D&D Beyond upload guide.
One tabletop inch per 5-foot square. At 300 DPI that is 300 px/square—proof one square with a ruler before printing the full map. More: printable D&D battle maps.
Pitfalls
Common mistakes
Sizing pixels before squares
Pick the encounter footprint first; pixel math only converts it for delivery.
Double grids
If your VTT draws its own grid, a second baked-in grid fights it at import. Choose one source of truth.
Oversized exports
140 px/square on a 50×50 map produces a 7000×7000 px file many platforms choke on. Match sharpness to zoom habits.
No corner check
Grid drift hides in corners. After import, verify alignment at all four corners plus center before session day.
FAQ
Battle map size FAQ
What is a common D&D battle map size?
Many encounters fit between 20 x 20 and 40 x 30 squares. Pick from the fight, not from a generic maximum.
What pixels per square should I use?
70 px/square is lightweight. 100 or 140 px/square can look sharper but increases file size.
Should the grid be baked into the PNG?
If your VTT draws the grid, a gridless export can avoid double-grid confusion. If you print, a visible grid is often useful.
What size works for print?
Decide physical scale first, then proof one square with a ruler before printing a full map.
How do I avoid VTT grid drift?
Use image dimensions that divide cleanly by your square count, then align the VTT grid at multiple corners.
Sources: D&D Basic Rules: playing on a grid and Roll20 page settings. One-inch squares are a tabletop convention; the D&D rule defines the in-game 5-foot distance.
Build the map at this size
Open the editor, set your canvas to the square count you chose, and export once to validate the whole chain.