How to Print Coloring Pages

Every printable coloring page on CPForKids is available as a free, high-resolution 300 DPI PDF designed for clean home, classroom, and homeschool printing on US Letter or A4 paper. No account is needed — just open the PDF and print.

Before You Print — Quick Setup

Most printing problems come down to four basic settings. Get these right and everything else usually takes care of itself:

• Paper Size: US Letter or A4
• Orientation: Portrait
• Scale: Fit to Page
• Quality: Best or High

That’s it for most cases. The steps below walk through the full process for computers, phones, and tablets.

Step 1 → Click and Download

Click any coloring page image on the site. The PDF opens in a new browser tab. To save it to your device, click the download icon in your browser’s PDF viewer — or go to File → Save As and choose a folder.

CPForKids printable PDFs are designed for convenient printing on both US Letter and A4 paper. If needed, select Fit to Page to keep the complete design inside your printer’s printable area.

Step 2 → Open in a PDF Viewer

Open the file in any PDF viewer — Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview on Mac, or your browser’s built-in viewer all work. Printing from a PDF viewer rather than directly from the browser tab avoids headers, footers, and URLs appearing on the printed page.

Step 3 → Print From a Computer

Press Ctrl + P on Windows or Cmd + P on Mac. In the print dialog, use these settings:

• Paper size: US Letter (8.5 × 11″) or A4
• Orientation: Portrait
• Scale: Fit to Page
• Quality: Best or High Quality
• Color: Black and White
• Two-sided printing: Off — coloring on the back of another page causes bleed-through and marker marks

Step 4 → Print From a Phone or Tablet

iPhone or iPad: Open the PDF from your Files app or browser. Tap the Share icon, then tap Print. Select your AirPrint printer, set the paper size, and tap Print.

Android: Open the PDF from your Downloads folder or browser. Tap the three-dot menu and select Print. Make sure your phone and printer are on the same Wi-Fi network, then set the paper size and print.

No wireless printer? Send the file to a computer via email, Google Drive, or AirDrop and print from there.

Step 5 → Print

Click Print when the preview looks correct. Before printing, make sure the complete coloring page is visible and no important part of the illustration is cut off. Every page is designed to use the available page space with minimal wasted margins.

Print Settings at a Glance

Laser or Inkjet — Which Is Better?

Laser printers use dry toner and heat, so printed lines are usually ready to color immediately and often come out sharp and clean. They can be a convenient option for classroom or batch printing. Many schools, libraries, and print services also use laser printers.

Inkjet printers are common for home printing and work well for crayons and colored pencils. Allow inkjet prints to dry completely before coloring, especially when using markers, to help reduce smearing.

If you’re not sure which paper to use, see our Best Paper for Printing Coloring Pages guide. It covers the best paper weights and types for crayons, colored pencils, markers, watercolor, classroom printing, and homeschool use.

Paper Tips

• Crayons and colored pencils: Standard printer paper (75–90 gsm / 20–24 lb) works well for everyday use.
• Markers and felt-tips: Use heavier paper — 120–160 gsm / 32–40 lb — to help reduce bleed-through. Placing a spare sheet behind the coloring page also protects the surface underneath.
• Watercolors: Use proper watercolor paper (200 gsm / 90 lb or heavier). Standard printer paper will buckle and warp.

Before using thicker paper, check the paper types and weights supported by your printer.

For teachers and homeschool parents: All coloring pages on cpforkids.com are free for classroom and homeschool use. Print as many copies as you need — no permission request needed.

Printing for Classrooms and Homeschool Groups

All coloring pages on cpforkids.com are free to print in as many copies as you need for classroom, homeschool, and group use — no permission request needed.

A few things that save time when printing in batches:

• Download first, then print. Save the pages you need before class so they’re ready when it’s time to print.
• Use the school copier. Large office copiers handle heavier paper better than desktop printers and are faster for bulk runs. Ask your office staff to load 32 lb paper in one of the trays.
• Print a few extras. Kids often want to try a page again with different colors. Two or three spare copies avoid interruptions mid-activity.
• Turn off two-sided printing. Coloring on the back of a printed page causes marker bleed-through and pencil impressions. Single-sided is always better for coloring pages.

Common Problems and Quick Fixes

• Lines look faint after printing: Switch from Draft to Best or High Quality in your print settings. If the lines still look faint, check your printer’s ink or toner level.
• Page prints with wide borders or looks too small: Change Scale to Fit to Page. Some viewers default to Actual Size, which leaves large margins.
• Half the image is missing: Your paper size setting doesn’t match the paper in the printer. Make sure both are set to Letter or both to A4.
• URL or header text appears on the print: You’re printing directly from the browser tab. Open the PDF in a viewer first, then print from there.
• Ink smears when coloring: If you’re using an inkjet printer, allow the print to dry completely before coloring, especially when using markers.
• Paper jams with thicker paper: Use the rear feed tray if your printer has one, feed one sheet at a time, and select Heavy Paper or Cardstock as the paper type in your settings.
• PDF won’t open: Try a different app — Adobe Reader, Chrome, Edge, or Preview on Mac all open PDFs without extra software.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Find Something to Color?

Explore thousands of free printable coloring pages, or skip the printer and start coloring directly in your browser.

For questions about printing or file issues, get in touch.