How to Print Coloring Pages

Every coloring page on colorocket comes as a one-page PDF: the picture in black lines on white, sized for US Letter paper (8.5 × 11 in), portrait, centered, with a small margin all around. It prints the same from a computer, a phone or a tablet. This guide walks you through it step by step, on every common device and browser.

The Short Version

1. Open a coloring collection and pick a page.
2. Click or tap Download PDF under the picture. The PDF opens in a new tab (on some phones it downloads first).
3. Choose Print: the printer icon in the PDF viewer, Ctrl + P on Windows and Chromebook, ⌘ Cmd + P on a Mac, or Share → Print on a phone or tablet.
4. Check four settings: paper size Letter (or A4), orientation Portrait, scale 100% / Actual size (or Fit to page on A4), and Black & white to save color ink. Then print.

Something looks wrong? Jump to Fixing Common Problems.

Jump to Your Device

• Windows PC: Chrome, Edge, Firefox
• Mac: Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Preview
• Chromebook
• iPhone and iPad
• Android phone or tablet
• No printer at home
• Printing a page you colored online

Before You Print

Paper

• Everyday printer paper (20–24 lb, 75–90 g/m²) is fine for crayons and colored pencils.
• Card stock (65–110 lb, about 175–300 g/m²) is nicer for markers, gel pens and watercolors: the colors don't show through and the page doesn't curl. Check the heaviest paper your printer takes (it is in the printer's manual) and use the rear or manual feed tray if it has one.
• Coloring with markers on thin paper? Put a spare sheet under the page so nothing bleeds onto the table.

Paper Size: Letter or A4

Our PDFs are US Letter. If your printer is loaded with A4 (the usual size outside the US and Canada), choose A4 in the print dialog and set the scale to Fit to page (some browsers call it Fit to printable area or Shrink to fit). The picture becomes about 3% smaller and nothing is cut off.

Settings That Help

• Orientation: Portrait (upright). Every colorocket page is portrait.
• Color: Black & white or Grayscale. The lines are pure black, so you lose nothing and save color ink.
• Quality: Normal or Standard. "Draft" or "Eco" mode can make thin lines look pale.
• Two-sided printing: Off. Markers can show through to the other side.
• Pages: All. Each PDF has exactly one page.

On a Windows PC

Google Chrome

1. Click Download PDF. The page opens in Chrome's PDF viewer in a new tab.
2. Click the printer icon in the top right corner, or press Ctrl + P.
3. Under Destination, pick your printer.
4. Set Layout to Portrait and Color to Black and white.
5. Click More settings: set Paper size to Letter or A4 and Scale to Default (on A4: Fit to printable area).
6. Click Print.

Microsoft Edge

1. Click Download PDF. The page opens in Edge's PDF viewer.
2. Click the printer icon in the toolbar at the top, or press Ctrl + P.
3. Pick your Printer, set Layout to Portrait and Color to Black and white.
4. Click More settings: set Paper size and the Scale (Actual size on Letter, Fit to page on A4).
5. Click Print.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Click Download PDF. Firefox opens it in its own PDF viewer.
2. Click the printer icon at the top right of the viewer, or press Ctrl + P.
3. Choose your printer under Destination, set Orientation to Portrait and Color to Black and white.
4. Open More settings: pick the Paper size; on A4 choose Fit to page width under Scale.
5. Click Print.

From Adobe Acrobat Reader or Another PDF App

If your computer saves the PDF instead of opening it, open it from your Downloads folder. In Adobe Acrobat Reader choose File → Print (Ctrl + P), pick the printer, select Actual size (or Fit on A4) under Page Sizing & Handling, set the orientation to Portrait, and click Print.

On a Mac

Safari

1. Click Download PDF. Safari shows the PDF in a new tab.
2. Press ⌘ Cmd + P or choose File → Print in the menu bar.
3. Pick your Printer. If you see only a few options, click Show Details.
4. Set Paper Size to US Letter or A4, Orientation to portrait, and Scale to 100%. On A4, choose Scale to Fit and Print Entire Image.
5. To save color ink, look for Black & White or Color Mode: Grayscale (in recent macOS under Printer Options, in older versions under the Paper/Quality or Printer Features menu).
6. Click Print.

Google Chrome and Firefox on a Mac

They work just like on Windows (see Windows), with ⌘ Cmd + P instead of Ctrl + P. In Chrome you can click Print using system dialog at the bottom of the panel if you prefer the Mac's own print window.

Preview

Prefer to save the page first? Download the PDF, double-click it in Downloads so it opens in Preview, then choose File → Print. Under Scale to Fit, pick Print Entire Image, set the paper size and click Print. Preview is also the easiest way to print several copies at once.

On a Chromebook

1. Make sure your printer is added: Settings → Advanced → Print and scan → Printers (most Wi-Fi printers show up on their own; click Save or Set up next to yours).
2. Click Download PDF. It opens in a Chrome tab.
3. Press Ctrl + P or click the printer icon.
4. Choose your printer under Destination, set Pages to All, Layout to Portrait and Color to Black and white.
5. Under More settings, set Paper size and Scale (Default on Letter, Fit to printable area on A4).
6. Click Print.

On an iPhone or iPad

iPhones and iPads print over Wi-Fi with AirPrint, which most home printers support. Your printer and your iPhone or iPad need to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Safari

1. Tap Download PDF. The PDF opens in a new tab. (If Safari asks, tap View or Open.)
2. Tap the Share button (a square with an arrow pointing up). On iPhone it is at the bottom of the screen, on iPad at the top.
3. Scroll down the list and tap Print.
4. Tap Printer and choose yours. Set Copies, and under Options check that the paper size matches your paper and Black & White is on, if your printer offers it.
5. Tap Print in the top right corner.

Chrome on iPhone or iPad

1. Tap Download PDF. The PDF opens in a new tab.
2. Tap the Share button (square with an arrow, next to the address bar), or tap ⋯ (More) and then Share.
3. Tap Print, pick your printer and tap Print.

Printer Not Listed?

• Check that the printer is switched on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• If it does not support AirPrint, install the printer maker's free app (for example HP Smart, Epson Smart Panel, Canon PRINT or Brother Mobile Connect). Save the PDF to Files (Share → Save to Files), then open it in the printer app and print from there.

On an Android Phone or Tablet

Android prints through a print service. Many phones already have one (Default Print Service or Mopria); some printers need their maker's plugin from the Google Play Store (for example HP Print Service Plugin, Epson Print Enabler, Canon Print Service, Brother Print Service Plugin). You can check it in Settings → Connected devices → Connection preferences → Printing (on Samsung: Settings → Connections → More connection settings → Printing).

Chrome

1. Tap Download PDF. Depending on your phone, Chrome opens the PDF in a new tab or downloads it. If it downloads, tap Open in the message at the bottom of the screen (or open it later from Files → Downloads).
2. In the PDF viewer, tap ⋮ (More) and then Print. In Chrome's own viewer you can also use ⋮ → Share → Print.
3. At the top, tap Select a printer and choose yours (or All printers to add one).
4. Tap the small arrow under the printer name to set Paper size, Color: Black & white and Orientation: Portrait.
5. Tap the round print button.

Samsung Internet

1. Tap Download PDF and open the PDF (Samsung Internet downloads it; tap Open when the download finishes).
2. In the PDF viewer, tap ⋮ or Share, then Print.
3. Pick your printer, check the paper size and tap the print button.

Firefox for Android and Other Browsers

Firefox and most other Android browsers save the PDF to Downloads. Open it from the notification or from Files → Downloads; it opens in your phone's PDF viewer (often Google Drive's), where ⋮ → Print takes you to the same print screen as above.

No Printer at Home?

• Print it somewhere else. Save the PDF on your phone or a USB stick, or e-mail it to yourself, and print it at a library, school, office or copy shop. Ask for one-sided, black and white, on Letter or A4 paper.
• Send it to your printer from anywhere. Many Wi-Fi printers have their own e-mail address or app (for example HP Smart). Send the PDF to it and it prints when the printer is on.
• Save it for later. In the print dialog, choose Save as PDF (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Chromebook) or Save to Files (iPhone and iPad) and print it next time you are near a printer.
• Skip the paper. Every page also opens in our online coloring tool: tap an area to fill it, then print or download the finished picture whenever you like.

Printing a Page You Colored Online

In the online coloring tool, click or tap Print in the toolbar. Your colored picture fills one page and the browser's print window opens, so the steps are the same as above. Leave Color on (this time you want the colors), and choose Fit to page if the picture looks cut off. On a phone or tablet you can also tap Download PNG and print the saved picture from your photos (Share → Print).

Fixing Common Problems

The Edges or the Bottom of the Picture Are Cut Off

Your paper size and the PDF don't match, usually A4 paper with the scale at 100%. Set Scale to Fit to page (or Fit to printable area, Shrink to fit, Scale to fit) and check that Paper size matches the paper in the tray.

The Picture Prints Very Small, in a Corner, or on Two Pages

Something is scaling the page. Set Pages per sheet to 1, Scale to 100% / Actual size / Default, and make sure no "poster" or "booklet" option is switched on. Print the PDF itself, not a screenshot of it.

The Lines Are Pale, Gray or Streaky

Switch the print quality from Draft or Eco to Normal or Standard. If the lines are still faint, the ink or toner may be running low; your printer's cleaning or maintenance tool (in the printer app or settings) often helps with streaks.

The PDF Downloads Instead of Opening

That is normal on many phones and on some computers. Open it from your Downloads folder or the download message, and print from there.

Nothing Happens When I Tap Download PDF

The PDF opens in a new tab, which some browsers block. Allow pop-ups for colorocket.com, or long-press (right-click on a computer) Download PDF and choose Open in new tab or Download link.

My Printer Does Not Show Up

Check that the printer is on, has paper, and is on the same Wi-Fi network as your device. Restarting the printer and the Wi-Fi router fixes most cases. On a phone, make sure a print service or the printer's app is installed (iPhone and iPad, Android).

It Prints in Color Ink, or a Message Says Color Ink Is Empty

Choose Black and white or Grayscale in the print dialog. Some printers still use a little color ink for maintenance; that comes from the printer, not from the page.

Still Stuck?

Write to hello@colorocket.com with your device, browser and printer model, and which coloring page you tried. We will help you get it on paper.

Printing for a Class or a Group

• Set Copies in the print dialog instead of printing one page at a time.
• Want different pages for different children? Open each PDF in its own tab and print them one after another, or download them all first and print them together from your Downloads folder.
• Card stock holds up better on a classroom wall and under markers.
• Our pages are free to print for home, classroom and care use; see the license in our terms.