Making a checkered background for a page

Question

I am writing a math work, and I'd like to create a background which looks like a math notebook. Any idea how to do it ?

I found this solution, but I don't know how to put it in a mini-page ...

%%%
%%% quarre Kaestchenmuster
%%%
\def\quarre{%
\raisebox{\footskip}[0pt][0pt]{%

setlength{\unitlength}{.01\textwidth}% Einheit_1/100_Textweite
\begin{picture}(100,115)%
\color{black!10}%
\linethickness{0.075mm}%
\multiput(2,0)(2,0){49}{\line(0,1){110}}% 110-VER
\multiput(0,2)(0,2){54}{\line(1,0){100}}% 54-HOR
\color{black}%
\put(1,112.1){%
\begin{footnotesize}
\textsl{\textbf{Notizen}}
\end{footnotesize}}%
\end{picture}%
}%
}

would be great to combine it with this: Background image for minipage

Answer 1

Here's one possible solution using the background package:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{background}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\newlength\mylen
\setlength\mylen{\dimexpr\paperwidth/40\relax}

\SetBgScale{1}
\SetBgAngle{0}
\SetBgColor{blue!30}
\SetBgContents{\tikz{\draw[step=\mylen] (-.5\paperwidth,-.5\paperheight) grid (.5\paperwidth,.5\paperheight);}}

\begin{document}
\lipsum[1-20]
\end{document}

And here's an adaptation for TikZ of the code found here, for the case of minipages; the main environment is gridmp with an optional argument (the color for the rules) and a mandatory argument (the width of the minipage):

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\newcommand\MyGrid[3]{%
  \begin{tikzpicture}[remember picture,overlay]
    \draw[step=3mm,color=#1] (0,0) grid (#3,#2);
    \draw[color=#1] (0,#2) --  (#3,#2);
  \end{tikzpicture}%
}

\newlength\MaxHt
\newsavebox\mybox

\newenvironment{gridmp}[2][lightgray]
  {\def\mycolor{#1}
    \begin{lrbox}{\mybox}%
      \begin{minipage}{#2}}
  {\end{minipage}%
   \end{lrbox}%
   \setlength\MaxHt{\dp\mybox}\addtolength\MaxHt{1.1\ht\mybox}
   \noindent%
   \raisebox{-\dp\mybox}{\MyGrid{\mycolor}{\MaxHt}{\wd\mybox}}%
   \usebox{\mybox}
   \vspace{0.5cm}}

\begin{document}

\begin{gridmp}{\linewidth}
\lipsum[2]
\end{gridmp}

\begin{gridmp}[blue!30]{\linewidth}
\lipsum[2]
\end{gridmp}

\begin{gridmp}[green!30]{\linewidth}
\lipsum[2]
\end{gridmp}

\end{document}

Answer 2

From a German website a nice solution which does work with the old tex-live.

\documentclass[ngerman]{scrartcl}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage{tikz}
\newcommand{\karos}[2]{
 \begin{tikzpicture}
   \draw[step=0.5cm,color=gray] (0,0) grid (#1 cm ,#2 cm);
 \end{tikzpicture}
}
\begin{document}

\begin{minipage}{\textwidth}
 \karos{15}{4} % Karos der Breite 15cm und Höhe 4cm
\end{minipage}

%mini page ohne 
\karos{8}{3} % Karos der Breite 8cm und Höhe 3cm
\end{document}