Compass Rose
Make a compass rose for a map, a chart, a classroom worksheet or a craft. Start from one of our 15 designs (nautical, map, minimal, ornate, colouring and fill-in worksheets), then choose 4, 8, 16 or 32 points, a degree ring or a chequered band, direction labels and two colours. Type your own letters to label the rose in another language. Set the exact diameter in inches or centimetres on US Letter or A4, print one big rose or a sheet of small ones, and download a PDF, 300 DPI PNG or SVG. Nothing is uploaded.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Print at 100% (Actual size). Measure the bar at the bottom of the page to check the size. Change the letters to label the rose in another language, for example N O S W.
Design
Labels
Size and paper
Runs in your browser with our own code: nothing you type is uploaded or saved. The compass roses are our own drawings. You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed.
How to make and print a compass rose
- Pick a design to start from: nautical, map, minimal, ornate, colouring or worksheet.
- Choose the number of points (4, 8, 16 or 32), the look and the ring.
- Pick the labels and type your own direction letters if you want another language.
- Set the diameter in inches or cm, the paper and the layout.
- Download the PDF and print at 100% (Actual size), or the SVG for a map or a cutting machine.
What you can use it for
- Maps for stories, games and school projects
- Geography worksheets: label the directions
- Nautical decor, posters and invitations
- Bearing practice for orienteering and navigation lessons
- Colouring pages and craft templates
- Wall art, signs and embroidery outlines
The 15 compass rose designs
| Design | Points | Look | Ring | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nautical 32-point with degree ring | 32 | Two-tone | Degree ring, numbers every 30° | 8 directions |
| Nautical 16-point with degree ring | 16 | Two-tone | Degree ring, numbers every 30° | 16 directions |
| Map 8-point | 8 | Two-tone | None | 8 directions |
| Map 4-point | 4 | Two-tone | None | N E S W |
| Minimal north arrow cross | 4 | Thin lines | None | N only |
| Minimal 8 lines with tick ring | 8 | Thin lines | Degree ring | N E S W |
| Ornate 32-point with chequered band | 32 | Two-tone | Chequered band | N E S W |
| Ornate 16-point solid star | 16 | Solid | Chequered band | 8 directions |
| Colouring page 8-point (outline) | 8 | Outline to colour | None | 8 directions |
| Colouring page 16-point with ring | 16 | Outline to colour | Degree ring | N E S W |
| Worksheet: fill in the 8 directions | 8 | Outline to colour | None | Blank boxes (8) |
| Worksheet: fill in N, E, S, W | 4 | Outline to colour | None | Blank boxes (4) |
| Bearing practice: 360° ring, numbers every 10° | 4 | Thin lines | Degree ring, numbers every 10° | N E S W |
| All 32 point names | 32 | Solid | None | All 32 |
| Bold two-colour 8-point star | 8 | Solid | None | None |
All are our own drawings. Every design is a starting point: you can change the points, look, ring, labels and colours. Our tests check that every point tip sits at its exact bearing and every degree mark at its exact angle.
The 32 points of the compass
| Point | Short | Name | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | N | North | 0° |
| 1 | NbE | North by east | 11.25° |
| 2 | NNE | North-northeast | 22.50° |
| 3 | NEbN | Northeast by north | 33.75° |
| 4 | NE | Northeast | 45° |
| 5 | NEbE | Northeast by east | 56.25° |
| 6 | ENE | East-northeast | 67.50° |
| 7 | EbN | East by north | 78.75° |
| 8 | E | East | 90° |
| 9 | EbS | East by south | 101.25° |
| 10 | ESE | East-southeast | 112.50° |
| 11 | SEbE | Southeast by east | 123.75° |
| 12 | SE | Southeast | 135° |
| 13 | SEbS | Southeast by south | 146.25° |
| 14 | SSE | South-southeast | 157.50° |
| 15 | SbE | South by east | 168.75° |
| 16 | S | South | 180° |
| 17 | SbW | South by west | 191.25° |
| 18 | SSW | South-southwest | 202.50° |
| 19 | SWbS | Southwest by south | 213.75° |
| 20 | SW | Southwest | 225° |
| 21 | SWbW | Southwest by west | 236.25° |
| 22 | WSW | West-southwest | 247.50° |
| 23 | WbS | West by south | 258.75° |
| 24 | W | West | 270° |
| 25 | WbN | West by north | 281.25° |
| 26 | WNW | West-northwest | 292.50° |
| 27 | NWbW | Northwest by west | 303.75° |
| 28 | NW | Northwest | 315° |
| 29 | NWbN | Northwest by north | 326.25° |
| 30 | NNW | North-northwest | 337.50° |
| 31 | NbW | North by west | 348.75° |
Each point is 11.25° (one point) from the next. Points 0, 8, 16 and 24 are the cardinal directions; 4, 12, 20 and 28 the intercardinal ones; the even points in between are the three-letter names such as NNE; the odd points are the by-points such as NbE. Names as listed in the Wikipedia article Points of the compass (read 11-Nov-2026).
Sizes
| Paper | Largest rose, portrait | Landscape |
|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 7.5 in (19 cm) | 7 in (17.8 cm) |
| A4 | 7.25 in (18.4 cm) | 6.75 in (17.2 cm) |
| Diameter | Roses per US Letter page | Per A4 page |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 in (38.1 mm) | 20 | 20 |
| 2 in (50.8 mm) | 12 | 12 |
| 3 in (76.2 mm) | 4 | 6 |
| 4 in (101.6 mm) | 2 | 2 |
| 6 in (152.4 mm) | 1 | 1 |
Every page has a 1 in (or 2 cm) bar at the bottom to check the print is at 100%. For one rose over several sheets, use the Poster Tiler; to measure angles on screen, the Online Protractor.
What prints
| Download | What is in it |
|---|---|
| Every page at real size, vector: rose, ring, labels and the size bar | |
| PNG 300 DPI | One picture per page (a ZIP when there are several) |
| SVG | The page on screen at real size, with ring, star and labels in separate groups |
Which tool to use
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| A compass rose for a map, chart or worksheet | Compass Rose (this page) |
| A whole map for a story or game | Fantasy Map Generator |
| The night sky for a date and place | Star Map |
| Round patterns for colouring | Mandala Maker |
Put your rose on a map from the Fantasy Map Generator, the City Map Generator or the Dungeon Map Generator.
More free tools
Maps, angles and round designs?
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Frequently asked questions
What is a compass rose?
A star-shaped figure on a map or chart that shows the directions. Its points mark north, east, south and west (the cardinal directions) and, on bigger roses, the directions in between. Many roses add a ring marked in degrees from 0 to 360.
What are the cardinal and intercardinal directions?
The cardinal directions are north (0°), east (90°), south (180°) and west (270°). The intercardinal (or ordinal) directions sit halfway between them: northeast (45°), southeast (135°), southwest (225°) and northwest (315°).
What are the 32 points of the compass?
Sailors split the circle into 32 points, 11.25° apart. Between N and NE come north by east (NbE), north-northeast (NNE) and northeast by north (NEbN), and so on round the circle. Saying all 32 in order is called boxing the compass. The full list is in the table below.
How do I draw a compass rose?
Draw a cross for north, south, east and west and a circle round the middle. Add the four long points as thin diamonds, then shorter points halfway between them. Shade one half of every point dark and the other light so the star looks raised. Add N, E, S and W outside the tips.
Can I label it in another language?
Yes. Type the four letters for north, east, south and west, for example N O S W in German or N E S O in Spanish. The in-between labels (NO, NNO and so on) are built from your letters. A fifth letter sets the by-word used on the 32 points.
Does it show magnetic north?
No. The rose points to the top of your page, which on most maps is true north. On a nautical chart the magnetic rose is turned by the local variation; check the chart for that value.
How big can I print it?
One rose fits up to 7.5 in (19 cm) across on US Letter portrait and 7.25 in (18.4 cm) on A4 portrait. For a bigger rose, download the SVG and print it at size or tile it over several sheets.
Can I use it as a colouring page or a worksheet?
Yes. The colouring designs print as black outlines on white. The worksheet designs leave empty boxes where the direction letters go, so students can write N, E, S, W or all eight directions.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The roses are drawn by JavaScript in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved when you close the page.