How to resize pages before printing (your digital coloring book guide)

Ever opened a beautiful digital coloring page—only to have it clip at the edges or print with awkward margins?
That’s because most coloring pages come in various dimensions, and printers don’t always interpret them correctly.

Whether you’re printing on standard paper or prepping pages for a binder, resizing ensures your artwork looks exactly the way you want it—no cropped edges, no wasted space.

Common Page Sizes You Might Encounter

Before resizing, it’s helpful to know the most common paper sizes:

Paper Size	Dimensions (inches)	Dimensions (mm)
US Letter	8.5 x 11	216 x 279
A4	8.27 x 11.69	210 x 297
A5	5.8 x 8.3	148 x 210
Custom Sizes	Varies	Varies

Digital files may not match these exactly—especially if the artist created them with international or custom templates. That’s where resizing comes in.

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How to Resize Before Printing (Step-by-Step)

1. Open the File in a PDF Viewer
Most digital coloring pages come as PDF files. Use a trusted viewer like:

• Adobe Acrobat (free or paid)
• Preview (Mac)
• Foxit Reader (Windows)

These allow for flexible print settings without altering the original file.

2. Choose ‘Print’ and Adjust Scaling
Once your file is open:

1. Click File > Print
2. In the print dialog box, look for options like:
   • Fit to Printable Area
   • Scale to Fit
   • Custom Scale (%)

Example: If your coloring page is too large for your paper, select “Fit” or manually adjust the scale (e.g., 90%).

If the page is too small, increase the scale—but stay under 100% to avoid cropping.

3. Select Your Paper Size
Most printers default to US Letter (8.5 x 11″), but if you’re using A4 or something custom, be sure to:

• Click Page Setup
• Choose your desired paper size
• Confirm the printer supports that size

This ensures the resized page is centered correctly and doesn’t get cut off.

4. Check the Orientation
Make sure the orientation (portrait or landscape) matches your design.
This prevents the image from being auto-rotated or shrunk awkwardly.

5. Use a PDF Editor for Permanent Resizing
If you want to permanently resize the document (so you don’t have to adjust it every time you print):

• Use Adobe Acrobat Pro, PDFescape, or Canva Pro.
• Open the file and export it as a resized PDF using the new dimensions.

This is great for:

• Creating a batch of print-ready files
• Preparing pages for KDP, Etsy, or customer delivery

6. Print a Test Page
Always print a test page before committing to a full set. Use regular printer paper to check:

• Is the image centered?
• Are the margins even?
• Is the design cropped?

Once you’re happy, switch to your premium paper and start printing!

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Tips for Getting the Perfect Print Every Time

• Use borderless printing if available, especially for full-bleed designs.
• Enable “Show Print Preview” to see adjustments in real time.
• When printing from a phone, make sure your print app supports scaling options (we’ll cover this in another blog post soon).

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• Grab our free printable test sheet to check alignment
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