Kirigami Cut Calculator

Cut pattern for pop-up card and kirigami designs.

Paper size (cm)

Number of folds

Cuts per folded section

Pop-up slit length (cm)

Tab to move between fields

Total paper layers

Total cuts when unfolded

Symmetry order8

Folded section length (cm)3.8

Folded section width (cm)7.5

Max safe cut length (cm)3.4

Pop-up height (cm)3

Cutting difficulty (1-10)3

Structural integrity (1-10)9

Paper Removed (%)7.2%

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the side length of your square paper in centimeters.
Set the number of folds before cutting — 3 folds creates 8 layers for snowflake-style symmetry; 1 fold gives mirror symmetry.
Enter the number of cuts you plan to make in the folded section — each cut will be mirrored across all layers.
For pop-up cards, enter the slit length in centimeters (set to 0 for flat kirigami designs).
Read the total layers, total cuts when unfolded, and symmetry order to plan your design.
Use the cutting difficulty and structural integrity scores to gauge whether your cut plan is feasible.

What each input means

Paper size (cm): Side length of the square paper in centimeters.
Number of folds: Times the paper is folded before cutting. 3 folds = 8 layers (snowflake-style), 1 fold = mirror symmetry.
Cuts per folded section: Number of separate cuts made in the folded paper. Each cut multiplies across all layers.
Pop-up slit length (cm): For pop-up cards: length of the parallel slits that create the pop-up element. Set to 0 for flat kirigami.

Total paper layers: Number of layers created by folding (2^n).
Total cuts when unfolded: Total number of cut marks visible when the paper is fully opened.
Symmetry order: Rotational symmetry order of the resulting pattern.
Folded section length (cm): Length of the paper after all folds.
Folded section width (cm): Width of the paper after all folds.
Max safe cut length (cm): Longest cut that maintains structural integrity in the folded section.
Pop-up height (cm): Height the pop-up element will stand when the card is opened to 90°.
Cutting difficulty (1-10): Difficulty of cutting through multiple layers precisely.
Structural integrity (1-10): How sturdy the paper remains after cutting (higher = sturdier).

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Paper size (cm) = 15, Number of folds = 3, Cuts per folded section = 3, Pop-up slit length (cm) = 3 = 4 input(s) provided
Calculate Total paper layers
Total paper layers
8 = 8
Calculate Total cuts when unfolded
Total cuts when unfolded
24 = 24
Calculate Symmetry order
Symmetry order
8 = 8
Calculate Folded section length
3.8 = 3.8