Choosing a printer for colouring sheets

Colouring sheets are black lines on white paper, so you don't need an expensive printer to print them well. What matters is how much each page costs and whether the printer is ready to go when you need a class's worth on a Saturday night. We haven't tested particular models: this guide covers the kinds of printer and what to look for, so you can compare the ones in your budget.

If you only print black and white

A black-and-white laser printer is usually the cheapest way to print a lot of colouring sheets. Toner is a powder, so it doesn't dry out if the printer sits unused for a few weeks, and a toner cartridge prints many more pages than an ink cartridge. Lines come out crisp, which children notice when they're colouring up to the edge. The catch is that it can't print in colour, so it won't do photos or colourful posters.

If you also want colour

An ink tank printer is filled from bottles of ink rather than small cartridges. It costs more to buy, but the cost per page is much lower, which matters if you print every week. It prints photos and colourful posters as well as colouring sheets.

A cartridge inkjet is the cheapest printer to buy and the most expensive to run. It's fine if you print a few sheets a month. Print something every week or two to stop the ink drying in the nozzles. If you're thinking about an ink subscription, check what happens to the cartridges if you cancel.

Features worth having

• Printing from a phone. Most parents find a sheet on their phone, so wireless printing saves a trip to the computer.
• A paper tray that holds a full ream. You won't have to keep topping it up when printing for a class.
• Card support. Check the heaviest paper the printer takes if you want to print on card.

Paper and card

Everyday printer paper (80gsm in the UK, 20lb in the US) works for most sheets. Felt-tips can bleed through thin paper, so print on one side only and put scrap paper underneath. For sheets you want to hang up, or turn into cards and crafts, use white card of about 160–200gsm (60–75lb), as long as your printer takes it.

Settings that help

• Pick the right size. Every sheet comes as an A4 and a US Letter PDF. Choose the one that matches your paper and print at actual size (100%), so nothing gets cut off.
• Black ink only. On an inkjet, choose "greyscale" or "black ink only". Otherwise some printers mix colour inks to make black.
• Skip draft mode for good copies. Draft or toner-saving mode makes the lines paler. That's fine for practice, but children colour more happily inside dark, clear lines.

Printing for a whole church

If you print for a Sunday school, ask whether your church office has a photocopier or a laser printer you can use. It will almost certainly cost less per page than a home inkjet. Print the week before, so a low toner warning doesn't catch you out on Sunday morning. For a holiday club or a big event, a local print shop can do hundreds of copies cheaply.