Sometimes just a little bit of planning can save a lot of headaches. The Design Grids discussed here are intended to save you some of the frustration that comes from not mapping out the direction you want your work to take. The grids are made of special graph paper created with dimensions that match those of LEGO elements. You may find them useful when you are experimenting with different part combinations in advance of actually getting your bricks out onto the table. This planning might be for a small part of a large model or it may be for the layout of an entire mosaic image. How you use these grids is up to you. What follows are some suggestions on how to use them effectively.
Because the individual squares on each grid are exactly the same size as real LEGO elements, it is not practical to reprint them in this book. By downloading and printing out your own copies, you will ensure that the grids are sized correctly. In the following pages, you’ll see why that is so important. You can download the Design Grids (as Adobe Acrobat files) from www.apotome.com/grids.html.