What is a Jigsaw Puzzle, Variations in Sizes & Types ?

Today We Will Give A Quick Summary About What Jigsaw Puzzle is, The Variations in its Sizes and Types.

• What is a Jigsaw Puzzle?
• Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces
• Variations in Puzzle Size
• Types of Jigsaw Puzzles

What is a Jigsaw Puzzle?

A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of many small interlocking and tessellating pieces. Each piece is a small part of a picture when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture.

Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces :

Most puzzles are "fully interlocking" - that means that adjacent pieces are connecting such that if you move one piece horizontally you move all, preserving the connection.

A large number of fully interlocking puzzles have all the pieces of a similar shape, with rounded tabs out on opposite ends and corresponding gaps on other sides to receive the tabs of adjacent pieces. Usually, jigsaw puzzle pieces have four sides but there are puzzles with pieces that are unregularly shape. The uniform-shaped fully interlocking puzzles are considered to be the most difficult to solve, because of the subtle differences in shapes and sizes between pieces.

Some puzzles also have pieces with non-interlocking sides that are usually slightly curved in complex curves. These are considered to be the easiest to solve.

Most jigsaw puzzles are square, rectangular, or round, with edge pieces that have one side that is either straight or smoothly curved to create this shape, plus four corner pieces if the puzzle is square or rectangular. Some jigsaw puzzles have edge pieces that are cut just like all the rest of the interlocking pieces, with no smooth edge, to make them more challenging. Other puzzles are designed so the shape of the whole puzzle forms a figure, such as an animal. The edge pieces may vary more in these cases.

Since the earliest days of jigsaw puzzles, the manufacturers have constantly endeavored to create new cutting styles that differentiate their work. Even amongst modern, mass-produced puzzles, there is considerable variation in the size, shape, and intricacy of individual pieces.

Variations in Puzzle Size :

Jigsaw puzzles typically come in 300-piece, 500-piece, 750-piece, and 1000-piece sizes, however, the largest commercial puzzle has 32,256 pieces and spans 544 cm by 192 cm. The most common layout for a thousand-piece puzzle is 38 pieces by 27 pieces, for a total count of 1,026 pieces. The majority of 500-piece puzzles are 27 pieces by 19 pieces. Children's jigsaw puzzles come in a great variety of sizes, rated by the number of pieces. A few puzzles are made double-sided so that they can be solved from either side. This adds a level of complexity because it cannot be certain that the correct side of the piece is being viewed and assembled with the other pieces.

Types of Jigsaw Puzzles :

- Family Sized Jigsaws

There are also Family Puzzles, which come in 400-piece with three different sized pieces from large to small. The pieces are placed from large to small going in one direction or towards the middle of the puzzle. This allows a family or puzzlers of different skill levels and different size hands to work on the puzzle at the same time.

- 3D Jigsaws Puzzles

There are also three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles. Many of these are made of wood or styrofoam and require the puzzle to be solved in a certain order; some pieces will not fit in if others are already in place. Also common are puzzle boxes: simple three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles with a small drawer or box in the center for storage.

Another type of jigsaw puzzle, which is considered a 3-D puzzle, is a puzzle globe. However, like a 2-D puzzle, a globe puzzle is often made of cardboard and the assembled pieces form a single layer. But mainly like a 3-D puzzle, the final form is a three-dimensional shape. Most globe puzzles have designs representing spherical shapes such as the Earth, the Moon, and historical globes of the Earth.

- Mobile Apps and Online Jigsaw Puzzles

There are also Mobile apps & Online versions of jigsaw puzzles, which have the advantages of requiring zero cleanup as well as no risk of losing any pieces. You can download such games for your PC and cell phones or play them online on sites like the one you're on right now.

- Best Online Jigsaw Puzzles Websites

- Best Jigsaw Puzzle Mobile Apps