RPG Maker character sheets
RPG Maker is strict about its character sheets — but the format is simple once you've seen it drawn out. Get the layout right and the engine does the rest.
The format, exactly
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| One character | 3 columns × 4 rows of cells |
| Direction rows (top → bottom) | Down, Left, Right, Up |
| Columns within a row | Step frame, idle (middle), step frame — the engine cycles 1-2-3-2 |
| Standard cell size (MV/MZ) | 48 × 48 px (the engine divides the file; other cell sizes work if the file keeps the 3×4 proportions per character) |
| Single-character file | Prefix the file name with $, e.g. $hero.png — the file is exactly one character block (3×4 cells) |
| Combined file | 8 characters in a 4 × 2 arrangement of blocks (12 × 8 cells total), no $ prefix |
| Special prefixes | ! disables the 6px ground offset and pixel-perfect stepping offset (used for doors/objects); $! combines both |
| Location | img/characters/ in your project |
Pack one with the Maker
- Prepare 12 frames per character, and name them so they sort in engine order: all three down frames first, then left, then right, then up — for example
down_0.png … down_2.png, left_0.png …. - Open the Sheet Maker, drop the 12 frames, and set them in that order with the ↑/↓ buttons if needed.
- Layout: Grid, columns 3, padding 0, trim off (RPG Maker divides the file by proportions — trimmed or padded sheets break the cell math).
- Download the PNG and rename it with the
$prefix, e.g.$hero.png. - Copy it into
img/characters/, then pick it as an actor's character graphic in the Database, or as an event's image — the engine shows a 3×4 selection grid; pick your block (the only one, for a$file).
The two classic mistakes: (1) leaving trimming on in any packer — the file no longer divides into equal cells and the character slides; (2) ordering rows by "up, down, left, right" as in some other engines. RPG Maker's order is Down, Left, Right, Up, top to bottom.
Face graphics, briefly
Facesets live in img/faces/ as a 4 × 2 grid of faces — 144 × 144 px per face in both MV and MZ. The same discipline applies: uniform grid, no trimming, no padding. Our Maker's grid mode with columns 4 packs a faceset the same way.
Next steps
Pack the character sheet · Convert artwork to pixel style first · New to sheets in general? Read What is a sprite sheet?