Printing Tips for the Best Coloring Pages

If you've ever printed coloring pages for a classroom and watched a sheet jam, smear, or come out faded, you know the difference good settings make. Below are the small adjustments that turn an average print into one your kids will actually want to color.

Choose the right paper

Standard 20-lb copy paper works fine for most coloring sessions, especially with crayons or colored pencils. If kids will use markers, switch to a heavier 28-lb or 32-lb paper — markers bleed through thin copy paper and can stain whatever's under it. Cardstock (65-lb or higher) is wonderful for keepsake pieces and refrigerator art, but it's overkill for everyday classroom use and it'll burn through your printer faster.

Pick a finish

Matte paper is best for coloring. Glossy paper resists wax crayons and pencils, and the colors look streaky. If you only have glossy paper on hand, washable markers are your best bet — they sit on the surface instead of trying to soak in.

Save your toner

Outlines don't need photo-quality printing. Drop your printer to "Draft," "Eco," or "Toner Save" mode and you'll get nearly identical results while extending your cartridge by 30–50%. The lines on these pages are pure black with thick strokes designed specifically to print well at low ink density.

Print one at a time when batching

Sending fifty pages to a printer queue at once is a recipe for jams, double-feeds, and warm pages sticking to each other. For classroom batches, send 10 pages at a time, let them stack and cool, then queue the next 10. Your printer will thank you.

Coloring tools that work best

• Crayons — perfect for younger kids (ages 3–6). Forgiving, washable, no bleed-through.
• Colored pencils — best for ages 6+ who want detail and shading. Use a soft brand like Crayola or Prismacolor.
• Washable markers — fast, vibrant, and great for big areas. Pair with heavier paper.
• Watercolor pencils — for older kids and adults who want a painterly finish without the mess of tubes.

Fixing common problems

The outline is cut off at the edges. Set margins to "Default" instead of "None," and make sure "Fit to printable area" or "Shrink to fit" is enabled in your print dialog.

Lines look gray instead of black. Your toner is low or your printer is in eco mode at maximum. Replace the cartridge or switch to "Standard" quality.

Pages curl after printing. Your paper is humid. Store paper in a sealed bag near the printer and let pages cool flat for a minute before stacking.

Markers bleed through. Switch to heavier paper, or slip a blank sheet under the page while coloring to protect the surface below.

Long-term tips

If you print coloring pages weekly, pick up a ream of 28-lb matte multipurpose paper and a single high-yield black toner cartridge. The combination handles thousands of pages and keeps the per-page cost under a penny. For occasional use, any standard household paper and ink will do — these outlines are designed to be forgiving.