Thank you for choosing Calm & Color! This guide will help you get the most out of your printable PDF coloring pages, whether you’re using US Letter or A4 size. Follow the steps below for a smooth and enjoyable experience.

After Your Purchase

Accessing Your Files

Once your order is complete, you will receive:

An email confirmation containing your download links, and/or
A download page on the website immediately after checkout.

Click the download buttons to save each PDF file.

Saving Your PDFs

For best results, save your files somewhere easy to find:

Desktop
Downloads folder
A dedicated “Coloring Pages” folder

Tip: If you’re on mobile (iPhone/iPad), make sure to select “Save to Files” so the PDFs stay accessible later.

Opening the PDF Files

Our printable pages open correctly on all devices, but for the highest print quality we recommend:

Use one of these programs:

Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
Mac: Preview app
Windows: built-in PDF Reader
iPad: Books app or GoodNotes/Notability (if you prefer digital coloring)
If you have none of the above, simply use your installed browser, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to open the PDF file.

If you see any blurry previews on screen, don’t worry—this never affects print quality.

Preparing to Print

All Calm & Color files come in two sizes:

US Letter (8.5 x 11 inches)
A4 (210 × 297 mm)

Choose the size that matches your paper.

Printing Your Pages (Step-by-Step)

Open the PDF

Open your chosen size file (US Letter or A4) in your PDF reader.

Select Print

Go to:
File → Print
(or click the printer icon or press CMD + P on MAC or Ctrl + P on Windows)

Printing Settings to Use

For the best results, use the following settings:

✓ Paper Size

Select the correct size:

US Letter users → “Letter 8.5×11”
International users → “A4”

✓ Page Scaling / Fit

Choose:

Actual Size (best for crisp lines), OR
Fit to Page (if the margins look off on your printer)

✓ Orientation

Use Portrait, unless the page is clearly horizontal.

✓ Print Quality

Look for:

“Best”
“High Quality”
600 dpi (if adjustable)

✓ Paper Type

For best coloring experience:

Plain paper for kids or quick coloring
Premium 32 lb (120 gsm) paper for smooth, rich color
Cardstock for markers or gel pens

Printing Single Pages or the Whole Set

Your files can be printed:

All pages at once
One page at a time
Multiple copies of the same page
Select custom ranges (for example: pages 2–7)

This is great for:

Groups
Kids
Classroom activities
Multiple color variations of your favorite design

Binding Options (Optional but Fun!)

If you’d like to turn your printables into a full coloring book:

Options:

3-ring binder
Clipboards (easy for travel)
Spiral binding (office supply stores can do this)
Binder clips
Laminated covers for durability

Start Coloring!

Now the fun begins.

Here are some coloring tools that pair beautifully with your printables:

Colored pencils
Alcohol markers (place scrap paper behind)
Gel pens
Metallic pens
Brush markers
Water-based markers
Crayons (great for kids)

Tips for the best results:

Place a blank page underneath if using markers
Use light layers and build up color
Experiment with blending and shading
Print duplicates of your favorite pages so you can try different color schemes

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Prints look smaller / have borders

Use Actual Size or turn off “Shrink to Fit.”

Lines print lightly

Increase print quality to High or Best.

Print is cutoff

Ensure:

Correct paper size (US Letter or A4)
“Fit to Page” setting

Dark smudges

Replace old ink cartridges or clean printer heads.

How to Use Your Printable Coloring Pages?

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