Oval Template
Print an oval at the exact size you need. Type the width and height and the tool draws a true ellipse, x²/a² + y²/b² = 1, or a four-centre oval made of four circle arcs (the kind you draw with a compass). Print one oval at real size (tiled over sheets if it is bigger than the paper), fill a sheet with one size, print a set of sizes, or draw nested rings a constant distance apart. Mark the centre lines, the two foci and the pins-and-string lines, and the tool gives the perimeter and the string length for drawing a big oval on the ground or on a board. Download a PDF for US Letter or A4, a 300 DPI PNG, or an SVG at real size. Nothing is uploaded.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Print at 100% (Actual size) and check the bar at the bottom. Big ovals print over several sheets: cut each sheet on its dashed line and butt the edges together, matching the corner marks.
Oval
Marks
Page
Runs in your browser with our own code: nothing you type is uploaded or saved. Every curve and number is worked out from x²/a² + y²/b² = 1 (or the four arcs) by our own code. You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed.
How to print an oval template
- Pick a preset, or choose the shape (true ellipse or four-centre oval) and the layout.
- Type the width and height (or a list of sizes for a set, or the rings and gap for nested ovals) and the unit.
- Tick the marks you want: centre lines, foci, pins-and-string lines, arc centres, the size inside.
- For one oval choose Real size (tiled if needed) or Fitted to one page.
- Download the PDF and print at 100% (Actual size); check the bar at the bottom of the page.
What you can use it for
- Cutting ovals for photo frames, mats, cameos and lockets
- Oval mirrors, tabletops, rugs and garden beds (with the string length)
- Card making, scrapbooking and labels
- Sewing and quilting patterns
- Woodwork and sign blanks
- Maths lessons: ellipses, foci and perimeter
The 15 presets
| Preset | Shape | Size | Layout | Perimeter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 × 7 in oval (true ellipse) | Ellipse | 5 × 7 in | one, real size | 18.981 in |
| 4 × 6 in oval | Ellipse | 4 × 6 in | one, real size | 15.865 in |
| 8 × 10 in oval (real size, tiled) | Ellipse | 8 × 10 in | one, real size | 28.362 in |
| Sheet of 3 × 5 in ovals | Ellipse | 3 × 5 in | sheet | 12.763 in |
| Sheet of 2 × 3 in ovals | Ellipse | 2 × 3 in | sheet | 7.933 in |
| Sheet of small 1 × 1.5 in ovals | Ellipse | 1 × 1.5 in | sheet | 3.966 in |
| 10 × 15 cm oval | Ellipse | 10 × 15 cm | one, real size | 39.66 cm |
| Sheet of 30 × 40 mm ovals | Ellipse | 30 × 40 mm | sheet | 110.5 mm |
| Set of sizes: 2 × 3, 3 × 4, 4 × 6, 5 × 7 in | Ellipse | 2 × 3, 3 × 4, 4 × 6, 5 × 7 in | set | 7.933 in |
| Nested ovals: 4 × 6 in, 4 rings 1/4 in apart | Ellipse | 4 × 6 in | nested rings | 15.865 in |
| Four-centre oval 6 × 4 in (four arcs, centres marked) | Four-centre oval | 6 × 4 in | one, real size | 15.919 in |
| Gardener’s method: 1.2 × 0.8 m bed (foci and string, fitted) | Ellipse | 120 × 80 cm | one, fitted | 317.31 cm |
| Oval mirror 50 × 70 cm (real size, tiled) | Ellipse | 50 × 70 cm | one, real size | 189.81 cm |
| Placemat 18 × 12 in (real size, tiled) | Ellipse | 18 × 12 in | one, real size | 47.596 in |
| Wide oval 2:1, 8 × 4 cm, with foci | Ellipse | 8 × 4 cm | one, real size | 19.38 cm |
Every value is worked out by the tool.
Oval sizes: perimeter, foci and string
| Size (width × height) | Perimeter | Foci apart | String tied to both pins | Closed loop round both pins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 3 in | 7.933 in | 2.236 in | 3 in | 5.236 in |
| 3 × 4 in | 11.052 in | 2.646 in | 4 in | 6.646 in |
| 3.5 × 5 in | 13.456 in | 3.571 in | 5 in | 8.571 in |
| 4 × 6 in | 15.865 in | 4.472 in | 6 in | 10.472 in |
| 5 × 7 in | 18.981 in | 4.899 in | 7 in | 11.899 in |
| 8 × 10 in | 28.362 in | 6 in | 10 in | 16 in |
| 11 × 14 in | 39.411 in | 8.66 in | 14 in | 22.66 in |
| 10 × 15 cm | 39.66 cm | 11.18 cm | 15 cm | 26.18 cm |
| 13 × 18 cm | 49.01 cm | 12.45 cm | 18 cm | 30.45 cm |
| 20 × 25 cm | 70.9 cm | 15 cm | 25 cm | 40 cm |
| 30 × 40 cm | 110.52 cm | 26.46 cm | 40 cm | 66.46 cm |
For the pins-and-string method: put the pins on the long axis, the foci distance apart. A string tied to both pins is as long as the oval is long; a closed loop is that plus the distance between the pins.
Four-centre oval or true ellipse
| Size | End arc radius | Side arc radius | Perimeter (four arcs) | Perimeter (ellipse) | Largest gap between them |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 × 4 in | 1.566 in | 4.151 in | 15.919 in | 15.865 in | 0.031 in |
| 7 × 5 in | 2.028 in | 4.56 in | 19.026 in | 18.981 in | 0.03 in |
| 8 × 4 cm | 1.38 cm | 7.24 cm | 19.54 cm | 19.38 cm | 0.07 cm |
| 9 × 3 cm | 0.92 cm | 12.24 cm | 20.35 cm | 20.05 cm | 0.11 cm |
The four-centre oval has the same width and height as the ellipse but a slightly different outline. Choose the true ellipse when the shape must match an elliptical frame or cut-out exactly.
How close is Ramanujan’s formula?
| Width : height | Error of Ramanujan’s second formula |
|---|---|
| 1.5 : 1 | 2.5 × 10^-10 % |
| 2 : 1 | 4.6 × 10^-8 % |
| 3 : 1 | 3.3 × 10^-6 % |
| 5 : 1 | 8.5 × 10^-5 % |
| 10 : 1 | 1.2 × 10^-3 % |
| 20 : 1 | 5.2 × 10^-3 % |
Compared with the tool’s numerical perimeter. Ramanujan gave this approximation in §16 of his paper Modular Equations and Approximations to π.
What prints
| Download | What is in it |
|---|---|
| One oval (real size, tiled or fitted), a sheet of one size or a set of sizes, with the marks you ticked and a check bar | |
| PNG 300 DPI | The same sheets as pictures (a ZIP when there is more than one) |
| SVG (real size) | Only the ovals: ellipses as SVG ellipses, four-centre ovals as four arcs, rings as paths |
For a cutter that needs DXF, use SVG to DXF. For frame and mat openings, the Picture Frame Sizes calculator works out the opening for a print.
Which tool to use
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| An oval or ellipse at an exact size | Oval Template (this page) |
| Round shapes and rings | Circle Template |
| An oval rubber-stamp design with text | Stamp Maker |
| Frame and mat sizes | Picture Frame Sizes |
| Stencils from your own shapes | Stencil Maker |
Other tools: the Stamp Maker designs round and oval stamps with curved text, the Stencil Maker turns shapes into stencils and the Graph Paper maker prints grids at real size.
More free tools
Templates, nets and shapes to print?
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an oval and an ellipse?
An ellipse is one exact curve: x²/a² + y²/b² = 1, the set of points whose distances to two fixed points (the foci) add up to the same total. Oval is a looser word for any egg-like rounded shape. This tool draws a true ellipse, or a four-centre oval built from four circle arcs, and labels which one you printed.
What is a four-centre oval?
An oval drawn with a compass from four centres: two small arcs at the ends and two large arcs at the sides, meeting where they share a tangent so the outline is smooth. It is close to an ellipse but not the same curve; the table below shows how far apart they are for some sizes.
How do I draw a big oval with string?
Mark the two foci (the tool gives their spacing), push in two pins or pegs, tie a string to both pins with a length equal to the oval’s width along the long axis, then keep it tight with a pencil and go round. For a 1.2 × 0.8 m bed the pegs are 89.44 cm apart and the string is 120 cm; with a closed loop round both pegs, use 209.44 cm. This is often called the gardener’s ellipse.
How is the perimeter worked out?
For a true ellipse the tool integrates the curve’s length numerically and also shows Ramanujan’s approximation; the table below gives the gap between the two for different shapes. For a four-centre oval the perimeter is exact: the sum of its four arcs.
Are nested rings smaller or bigger ellipses?
Neither. Each ring is drawn exactly the gap outside the last one everywhere, which is an offset (parallel) curve. An offset of an ellipse is not itself an ellipse, so the tool does not call the rings ellipses. Our tests check every ring point is the gap away from the oval.
How accurate is the print?
The PDF draws each ellipse from 16 curve pieces within 0.001 mm of the true ellipse in our tests, and the printed size is within 0.2 mm on US Letter and A4 when you print at 100% (Actual size). The check bar on each page lets you confirm the scale.
What if my oval is bigger than the paper?
Choose Real size: the tool turns it if that makes it fit, or splits it over as many sheets as it needs, each with a dashed edge, corner marks and a label such as A1. Cut each sheet on its dashed line and tape the edges together in order.
Can I cut it with a machine?
Yes. The SVG is at real size, with each true ellipse as an SVG ellipse and four-centre ovals as four arcs. For a program that wants DXF, convert the SVG with our SVG to DXF tool.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.
Is anything uploaded?
No. Every line and number is worked out by JavaScript in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved when you close the page.