---
title: "How to create sprite sheets for Unreal Engine / Paper 2D"
description: "Free Tutorial: Learn how to create sprite sheets and flipbook animations for UnrealEngine/Paper2D using TexturePacker"
canonical: "https://www.codeandweb.com/texturepacker/tutorials/how-to-create-sprite-sheets-with-unreal-paper2d"
date: "2026-09-08T00:00:00.000Z"
modified: "2026-09-08T00:00:00.000Z"
source: "html"
---

# How to create sprite sheets for Unreal Engine / Paper 2D

Joachim Grill

Last updated: September 8, 2026

[texturepacker](https://www.codeandweb.com/texturepacker/tutorials.md),  [tutorial](https://www.codeandweb.com/tags/tutorial),  [unrealengine](https://www.codeandweb.com/tutorials/unrealengine.md),  [paper2d](https://www.codeandweb.com/tutorials/paper2d.md),  [sprite-sheets](https://www.codeandweb.com/tags/sprite-sheets),  [animation](https://www.codeandweb.com/tags/animation)

![How to create sprite sheets for Unreal Engine / Paper 2D](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/837d3e27d3cdd3bc00220fc1cc06b3cc/a6312/_opengraph-image.png)

## Create sprite sheets

With TexturePacker you can easily create Paper 2D sprite sheets. Paper 2D is Unreal Engine's 2D system for building sprite-based games.

Download TexturePacker, it is available for macOS, Windows and Linux. You can test it within a 7-day trial period before purchasing a license:

[Download TexturePacker 8.3.0](https://www.codeandweb.com/texturepacker/download/8.3.0/win)

for Windows

[Also available for macOS and Linux](https://www.codeandweb.com/texturepacker/download.md)

Start TexturePacker and drop the sprites that should be packed in a sprite sheet on TexturePacker's main window. You can also drop folders, TexturePacker will automatically scan them for image files and add them to the sheet.

![UnrealEngine Paper 2D: Add sprites for packing](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/ecd1f6903f2632a3b49d72325c0c65a2/1a37a/texturepacker-drop-files%402x.png)

![UnrealEngine Paper 2D: Sprites added for packing](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/18413731a344e7985e78e7f35d358d75/1a37a/texturepacker-sprites-added%402x.png)

Click on the **Framework** button at the top of the right sidebar, select **UnrealEngine - Paper2d** as data format. The sprite sheet data contains for each sprite its coordinates on the sheet, its size and its pivot point. It is used by Paper 2D to extract the sprites from the sheet automatically.

![Select the UnrealEngine Paper2d framework](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/623df911aa20ccc91c6405ee08963353/ed497/texturepacker-select-unreal-paper2d%402x.png)

Use the **Data file** field (below the framework button) to select the location and file name of the data file. The file name extension _.paper2dsprites_ is added automatically. The **Texture file** name can be left empty, TexturePacker will save the PNG containing the sprite sheet next to the data file.

Press the **Publish sprite sheet** button in the toolbar. This will save the sprite sheet image, and a _.paper2dsprites_ file containing the sprite coordinates.

## Enable the Paper 2D plugin

Paper 2D ships with Unreal Engine and is enabled by default. The plugin provides the importer for _.paper2dsprites_ files and everything needed to work with sprites and flipbooks. If the import does nothing, open **Edit > Plugins** in the Unreal Editor and check that "Paper 2D" has not been disabled in your project. Restart the editor after enabling it.

## Import sprite sheets in Paper 2D

Use the Content Browser to add the _.paper2dsprites_ file to your project. When you save the generated files from TexturePacker directly in your Unreal project's _Content_ folder, the Unreal Editor will automatically detect them and ask if you want to import them.

Paper 2D automatically generates a Texture asset for the sprite sheet in the _Textures_ folder, and it creates Sprite assets in the _Frames_ folder for all sprites of the sheet.

![TexturePacker sprite sheet imported in Unreal Paper 2D](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/d7673eb3d81704f2a0789381cc039fe0/b8533/unreal-paper2d-spritesheet-frames%402x.png)

As you can see, the directory names and the full sprite file name are part of the sprite name, the characters `/ \ .` are replaced by an underscore. To get rid of the _\_png_ suffix, you can enable the **Trim sprite names** option in the TexturePacker settings and re-publish the sheet.

The way how a sprite sheet that you have updated with TexturePacker is re-imported in Unreal editor depends on the location where TexturePacker saves the texture and the .paper2dsprites file. You can place these files either inside the Content folder of your Unreal project or outside:

![Sprite sheet changed](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/36058062d254391b2b27075556208392/ffbe1/unreal-paper2d-spritesheet-changed%402x.png)

If they are placed inside, the Unreal editor is able to detect file changes and asks if it should reload the assets.

  

![Reimport sprite sheet](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/43a9f947bd3341de29e282a5c31a424f/ffbe1/unreal-paper2d-spritesheet-reimport%402x.png)

If you place them outside, you have to reload the sprite sheet asset manually (**Reimport** in the context menu of the sprite sheet). Note: it is not sufficient to reimport only the texture!

## Animations

Sprite animations are called Flipbooks in Paper 2D. You can select a bunch of sprites and use the **Create Flipbook** in the context menu to create a flipbook asset with the selected sprites. Or you can use **Create Flipbooks** on a Sprite Sheet asset to create flipbooks for all sprites of the sheet. Paper 2D will automatically group sprites which only differ in a number.

![Automatically create flipbooks for sprite sheet](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/55590dacb22881e2fb3cf831ee3dcdf7/70514/unreal-paper2d-flipbook-animations%402x.png)

Drag a Flipbook into the viewport to add the animation to your scene, or double click it to open the Flipbook editor.

## Pivot points

For proper alignment of your sprites you can edit the pivot points of the sprites in TexturePacker. Click on the **Sprite settings** button in the toolbar to open the editor:

  ![TexturePacker's pivot point editor](https://www.codeandweb.com/static/1a43a3020aaad7833884fb01ec7a116d/283d3/texturepacker-pivot-point-editor%402x.png)

Select one or multiple sprites on the left side. The pivot point coordinates you are setting here will be written to the data file and imported by Paper 2D.

You can use the **Preview Anims** button in the toolbar to watch the animation while editing the pivot points.

## Structured data

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "TechArticle",
  "headline": "How to create sprite sheets for Unreal Engine / Paper 2D",
  "author": [
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "name": "Joachim Grill"
    }
  ],
  "dateModified": "2026-09-08T00:00:00.000Z",
  "image": "/static/837d3e27d3cdd3bc00220fc1cc06b3cc/a6312/_opengraph-image.png"
}
```