Soroban diagram maker (free)
Enter a number to draw a soroban with that number set in beads. You can save the front view as SVG or PNG, or rotate the 3D view to any angle and save it as PNG.
The beads are placed rod by rod from the number you enter, and the dimensions match a real soroban. Free for personal and commercial use, with no sign-up required.
Decimals can also be entered.
Beads
Frame
Bead and frame colors apply to the “Color” front view and to the 3D view.
The 3D view loads when this area appears on screen.
Drag to rotate · scroll or pinch to zoom · click or tap a bead to move it
Front view
Ready-made diagrams
Diagrams of each digit from 0 to 9, plus blank boards with no beads set.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9Line artThe beads are left white, for questions in which the beads are colored in.
Download all 10 as ZIP SVG・PNG・330 KB
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9MonochromeSolid black, so the beads stay clear in black-and-white copies.
Download all 10 as ZIP SVG・PNG・198 KB
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9Blank boardsFor questions in which the beads are drawn in or colored in.
Download all 3 as ZIP SVG・PNG・458 KB
5 rods · line art
13 rods · line art
13 rods · colorClick a diagram to download it as PNG (1200px on the long side, transparent background). The ZIP files also include SVG. Diagrams of other numbers and rod counts can be made with the tool above.
Drawn to real dimensions
The beads, rods, frame and bar, and the gaps the beads move in, are drawn to match a real soroban. The SVG specifies its width and height in mm, so in software that supports mm it appears at real size at 100%.
| Rod spacing | 13.75 mm |
|---|---|
| Bead (diameter × thickness) | 13.0 × 7.7 mm |
| Flat top and bottom of each bead | Diameter × 34% |
| Rod | 2.93 mm |
| Frame / end pieces | 6.0 ／ 10.0 mm |
| Bar (white center line) | 3.5（1.3）mm |
| Bead travel (upper / lower) | 4.4 ／ 4.9 mm |
| 23-rod board (width × height) | 336.2 × 63.3 mm |
| 13-rod board (width × height) | 198.8 × 63.3 mm |
How to use
- Change the number by moving the beadsClick or tap a bead in the 3D view and it moves just as on a real soroban, and the number in the input box changes with it. If you press a raised one-bead, the beads below it move down with it.
- Placing a diagram on a colored backgroundSet “Inside the frame” to Transparent and the background color shows between the rods. Outside the frame, both SVG and PNG are transparent.
- Where the ones place goesThe ones place is set on the rightmost unit point, and decimals continue on the rods to its right. To use a different rod, please choose it under “Rod for the ones place”.
Terms of use
- Free for individuals, soroban schools, schools and companies alike. Attribution is not required.
- You may use the diagrams in worksheets, teaching materials, flyers, websites, videos, apps and more, and you may change their color or size.
- The diagram files themselves may not be redistributed or sold, either unchanged or with only minor modifications.
For the full text, please see the terms of use for the soroban images.
Questions about the diagrams
Will a printed diagram be the same size as a real soroban?
The SVG specifies its width and height in mm, so in software that supports mm it appears at real size at 100% (336 mm wide for 23 rods). However, how sizes are handled differs from program to program. A PNG has only a pixel size, so please adjust its size in the document you place it in.
Can I save the 3D view as SVG?
No. The 3D view renders lighting and texture pixel by pixel, so it can only be saved as PNG. If you need a line drawing, please set the front view to “Line art” and save it as SVG.
Does it support the older soroban with two five-beads and five one-beads?
No. It supports only the soroban with one five-bead and four one-beads on each rod, the type now widely used in soroban schools and schools.
May I sell teaching materials that use these diagrams?
Yes. Worksheets, workbooks, books and other works created with the diagrams may be sold. The diagram files themselves may not be redistributed or sold as materials.