After reading this article, you’ll know how to create great prints on your home printer, with my step-by-step instructions. Use these instructions for making kids’ printable activities and getting a great print the first time. Including the best settings for printing on cardstock or thick paper.
Print at home on 8.5 x 11″ or A4 paper on a color printer. I recommend the free Adobe PDF reader for printing. Here are the steps I follow to print. Depending on your printer and PDF software, yours may vary.
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Open Printer Settings
Click Print in Adobe by either selecting the printer icon, or going to File > Print. You can also select Ctrl + P.
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Check Your Basic Settings
In the Printer settings box that pops up, make sure you’re checking these settings:
→ Check to make sure you’ve selected your correct printer
→ Choose the pages you want to print
→ Make sure “Print in grayscale (black and white)” is NOT checked
→ Under Page Sizing & Handling, make sure “Actual Size” is selected -
Set Your Properties to Handle Cardstock
Next, these settings are specific to my printer, so yours may be different, but this is how I print on cardstock paper. By using the ‘envelope’ setting, I’m allowing for the thickest paper type my printer allows.
→ Click printer “Properties”
→ Set Media Type to “Envelope”
→ Set Print Quality to High
→ Paper Source: I set mine to the Rear Cassette because this is where thick/specialty paper is used (yours may be different)
→ I click OK and it gives me a warning message that my paper size does not match my media (envelope) but I can click to Ignore. -
Print
Click Print and you’re done.
