How to print perfect game sheets

A game sheet is only as good as its print. A few minutes of setup before you print avoids cut-off edges, shrunken text and wasted paper. Paperoom makes sheets in A4 or US Letter, and the same steps apply to the games you print from the site.

Choose A4 or US Letter

A4 is the standard paper size in most of the world. US Letter is standard in the United States and is common in parts of North America. The two are not the same shape: A4 is narrower and taller than US Letter, so a sheet set up for one can lose a margin when printed on the other. Choose the size that matches the paper in your printer tray before you start.

Print at 100% scale

Scale is the setting most likely to ruin a print. A sheet printed at 100% keeps its real size, so the layout, margins and text are exactly as designed. "Fit to page" changes the size to suit the paper, which can shrink or enlarge the whole sheet.

Open the print dialog from your browser.
Choose the paper size that matches your setup.
Set the scale to 100%, or to "Actual size".
Turn off headers and footers.
Print one test page before printing the full set.

Tip: Scale is often under "More settings" or "Options" in the print dialog, next to the paper size.

Turn off headers and footers

Browsers often add the date, the web address and page numbers to the top and bottom of every page. These take up space and can push the game off the sheet. Look under "More settings" or "Options" in the print dialog, and untick headers and footers. Do this every time, because some browsers remember the last setting.

Use black-ink mode when needed

Paperoom offers a black-ink-only option. It removes colour, which can save ink on a home printer, and it suits photocopying, where colour is not needed. Check the preview to make sure that the grid lines and text remain clear in black.

Choose large print for some groups

Large print helps people with low vision, and it is often easier for anyone reading at a distance or in dim light. Large-print sheets may use more paper, so plan the number of pages. Look at the preview at arm's length and check that the longest word or number still fits in its box. See the large print games guide for more on sizes.

Test one page first

A test page catches most problems in seconds. Check the margins on all four sides, the paper size, the scale and the legibility of the smallest text. If anything is wrong, change one setting and print another test. Printing a whole set with the wrong scale wastes time and paper.

Use cardstock for boards and pieces

Printer paper is fine for word searches, sheets and score pads. For boards, dominoes, tangram pieces and anything that must stand up or be handled often, cardstock is more durable. Check your printer's paper-weight setting before you print on it, because thicker sheets can jam or print faintly if the setting is wrong. Many printers have a manual feed for heavier paper.

Cut and sort neatly

Use a ruler and a craft knife on a cutting mat for straight lines, and scissors for curves. Cut along the printed lines, and make a few cuts at a time rather than rushing one long cut. Sort the pieces into labelled envelopes or bags as you go, so a set is ready for the next game.

Save the setup and the seed

Paperoom lets you save your setup to a file and load it later, and each set has a seed that recreates it exactly. Write the seed down or save the setup file with the printed sheets. Next month, you can print the same word search, or the same bingo cards, without starting again.

PDF download or browser print

Browser printing is the quickest route: choose print and check the settings above. Downloading a PDF takes one more step, but it gives you a fixed file that looks the same on any device and can be printed later from any computer. The site also works offline once it has been installed or visited, so you can prepare sheets without a connection.

If you print from a PDF viewer, set the viewer's scale to "Actual size" as well, since the viewer has its own page-fitting settings.