Sheets are counted in cells
| Sheet | Grid | Cells |
|---|---|---|
| 200-cell | 20 × 10 | 200 |
| 400-cell | 20 × 20 | 400 (two 200-cell sheets) |
Cells hold more than letters: spaces, the empty first cell of each paragraph, the unused rest of a paragraph’s last line, and the title lines all take room. So a character count without spaces underestimates, and even a count with spaces falls short when there are many paragraphs.
A worked example
A three-paragraph Korean essay (299 characters without spaces, 405 with) laid out with the app’s rules:
| Paper | Lines needed | Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| 200-cell (20 × 10) | 21 (body only) | 3 |
| 200-cell with a title | 24 | 3 |
| 400-cell (20 × 20) | 21 | 2 |
405 characters with spaces looks like it fits one 400-cell sheet, but the paragraph indents and short last lines push it to 21 lines. A sheet with even one line on it counts as a sheet.
Reading length limits
- "About 80 sheets of 200-cell paper" — Korean literary contests state length this way. For example, one newspaper’s 2026 spring literary contest asked for short stories of about 80 sheets of 200-cell paper.
- "200–300 characters" in TOPIK II — On the paper-based test, the answer sheet is a grid, so the grid itself is your ruler. See the TOPIK writing answer sheet.
- Rule of thumb — In the example, about 0.7 Korean characters (without spaces) went into each cell. Dialogue-heavy text with many line breaks fits far less. Use the ratio as a start, then lay it out to check.
Matching a length with the app
Pick the paper format
Tap the gear, then Manuscript style, and choose 200-cell (20×10), 400-cell (20×20), 100-cell (10×10) or 160-cell (20×8).
Watch characters and sheets
Below the text box the app shows “93 chars · 2 sheet(s)” style counts. Characters are the body without spaces or line breaks; sheets come from the full layout including the title.
Compare drafts
Saved writings keep the date, characters and sheets on the Saved tab, so saving a revision under a new title makes it easy to compare.
The app’s English screenshots show a Korean sample text, because the grid is meant for writing in Korean.
FAQ
My word processor gives a different sheet count.
Programs count spaces, paragraphs and punctuation differently. If a contest specifies a method, use that.
Does the title count?
It depends on the contest. The app’s sheet count includes the title lines, so leave the title empty to see the body alone.
Sources: Segye Ilbo, 2026 spring literary contest call (Korean) · TOPIK Lab, TOPIK II writing format and answer sheet
Manuscript Paper: Writing Pad
Type the normal way and see it laid out on Korean manuscript paper instantly. No sign-up, works offline, and your writing stays on your phone. Free on Android, in English and Korean.