How to Print Coloring Pages at Home: The Right Paper, Settings and Size for Crayons, Pencils and Markers

To print coloring pages at home, choose the paper for the supplies your child will use, print in black and white at standard quality with "fit to page" or "actual size" set correctly, and let the ink dry for a few minutes before anyone colors. Everyday 20 lb copy paper is fine for crayons and colored pencils. Markers need heavier paper, around 24 to 32 lb, or a scrap sheet underneath. Paint needs cardstock or mixed-media paper, and only if your printer can feed it.

That covers most families. The rest of this guide explains each choice in plain words: what the numbers on a paper box mean, which settings keep the lines crisp without wasting ink, what to do when a page is made for A4 and your printer uses US Letter (or the other way round), and how to stop a favorite picture from bleeding onto the table.

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Step 1: Choose the paper for the supplies

Paper boxes describe thickness by weight. In the United States it's usually given in pounds (lb); almost everywhere else, and on most boxes as well, in grams per square meter (gsm). The higher the number, the thicker and sturdier the sheet.

A simple habit that works: keep a big box of everyday paper for practice and a smaller ream of heavier paper for "special" pages and anything that will be colored with markers. Children quickly learn which pile to ask for.

Step 2: The printer settings that matter

You don't need to understand every option in the print dialog. Four settings make the difference:

1. Color: black and white (or grayscale). Coloring pages are black line art, so there's no reason to use color ink. Some printers still blend in a little color ink for their grayscale black; a "black ink only" option, where it exists, saves the most.
2. Quality: standard. "Draft" or "economy" modes save ink by printing lighter, which can make thin lines look gray or broken. Standard quality gives solid black lines; "best" is rarely needed for line art.
3. Paper type: what's actually in the tray. Tell the printer if you've loaded heavier paper or cardstock (often called "matte", "thick" or "cardstock"). It adjusts how much ink it lays down and how it feeds the sheet.
4. One-sided printing. Double-sided printing is great for story pages and guides, but never for coloring pages that will meet markers: the ink comes through and spoils the picture on the back.

Step 3: Get the size right (A4 or US Letter)

Most of the world prints on A4 paper (210 × 297 mm). The United States and Canada mostly use US Letter (8.5 × 11 in, about 216 × 279 mm). Letter is a little wider and A4 is a little taller, so a page made for one can lose its edges on the other.

• If there's a version for your paper size, choose that one. It will fit without any scaling.
• If not, choose "fit to page" (some printers call it "shrink to fit" or "scale to fit"). The picture shrinks slightly so nothing is cut off.
• "Actual size" (100%) is right only when the file and the paper match. Use it for anything that has to be an exact size, like a bookmark or a card that folds.
• Borderless printing is for photos. Leave it off for coloring pages: it can enlarge the image and crop the outline.

Step 4: Stop markers bleeding through

Markers are the supply most likely to ruin a print. Washable markers carry a lot of water-based ink, and thin paper soaks it up and passes it on to whatever's underneath. A few habits fix most of it:

• Use heavier paper (24 lb and up) for any page planned for markers.
• Slide a scrap sheet or a placemat underneath, so any bleed lands there rather than on the table or the next page in a pile.
• Let inkjet prints dry for a few minutes. Fresh inkjet lines can smudge when a wet marker or brush goes over them. Laser-printed lines are dry the moment they leave the printer.
• Color large areas lightly and build up color rather than going back and forth in one spot, which soaks and can tear the paper.

Our guide to washable markers for kids covers which tips and inks are gentlest on thin paper.

Which printer suits a family that prints a lot?

Any home printer can print coloring pages. What changes is the running cost. Cartridge inkjets are cheap to buy but expensive per page, which is why many families ration their printing. Ink-tank printers cost more up front but are refilled from bottles, so printing another copy of a favorite page costs very little. If your family prints most weeks, an ink-tank model usually pays for itself; if you print a few pages a month, the printer you already have is fine.

These are the printing picks from our Creative Supplies shelves, with an honest note on who each one suits:

Paper and printers for printing coloring pages at home

Pick	Best for	Good to know	Buy
Everyday upgrade for mixed suppliesHammermill Premium Multipurpose Paper, 24 lb, Letter	Heavier than standard 20 lb paper	A large box to store	$56.90 on Amazon.com Price as of Oct 28, 2:20 AM UTC Details Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Check price on AmazonView on Amazon Paid link
For markers and keepsake pagesHP Premium32 Printer Paper, 32 lb, Letter	Noticeably sturdier pages	Costs more than everyday paper	$22.99 on Amazon.com Price as of Oct 28, 2:20 AM UTC Details Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Check price on AmazonView on Amazon Paid link
Ink-tank printer for frequent printingEpson EcoTank ET-2800 Wireless All-in-One Printer	Low cost per page once set up	Costs more up front than cartridge printers	$189.99 on Amazon.comSave 21% Price as of Oct 28, 2:20 AM UTC Details Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Check price on AmazonView on Amazon Paid link
Ink-tank alternativeCanon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer	Low running cost for frequent printing	Higher price up front	$245.00 on Amazon.com Price as of Oct 28, 2:20 AM UTC Details Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Check price on AmazonView on Amazon Paid link

Amazon shows the current price and delivery. Tap any name for our full write-up, including what it’s not good for.

Printing for different supplies, at a glance

Not sure which supplies to use in the first place? Our comparison of crayons, colored pencils and markers covers what each one is best at.

After printing: keep pages flat and ready

A printed page that's crumpled at the bottom of a bag is much less inviting. Keep a few pages ready in a folder or tray by the coloring spot, store paper flat and dry (damp paper curls and jams), and print a new page when the last one is finished rather than a whole pack at once. If a picture turns out to be a favorite, you can always print it again.

When a finished page is worth keeping, our guide to keeping, displaying and protecting kids' artwork picks up from there.

Free printable · 2 pages

Lunai and the Quiet Moon

Lunai and Myro find a second moon in a puddle beside the lantern path.

Print it free →

The short checklist

Right paper for the supplies, black and white at standard quality, the right size or "fit to page", one side only, a few minutes to dry. Get those five right and almost every coloring page prints clean, crisp and ready for whatever colors your child chooses.