How it works
Each free color by number printable here is a pixel picture: a number in every square that gets a color, and a key naming each crayon. Pick one of 8, in a 12 by 12 or 24 by 24 grid.
Read the full guide
Two sizes of every picture
The easy grid has 144 squares and 3 to 5 colors, all from the basic box of 8 crayons: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown and black. The detailed grid has 576 squares and 4 to 8 colors.
Five detailed pictures add pink, gray, light blue or light green, so read the key first. The detailed Crown, Hot air balloon and Planet stay inside the basic 8.
What prints
One portrait page of Letter or A4, with the key above the grid and the colored answer key on page 2. Both sizes print 168 mm wide, so a detailed square is 7 mm across, half an easy square. Hand out colored pencils with that one.
- Color one number at a time: every 1 first, then every 2. Young pupils lose their place less often.
- No gray or pink crayon? Shade gray squares lightly in pencil, and press lightly with red to get pink.
Questions and answers
Is this line art or pixel art?
Pixel art. Every picture is built from whole squares on a grid, with no outlines, and each square is one color or left white. If you need an illustrated drawing with numbered regions, these sheets will not replace it.
Is there a bear color by number printable here?
Yes, the Bear opens first. Its easy key is 1 brown, 2 black, 3 orange.
Which picture is quickest, and which takes longest?
The Planet is quickest: 66 squares on the easy grid and 228 on the detailed one. The Bear takes longest at both sizes, 120 and 408. The detailed Birthday cake and Hot air balloon use 8 colors each, the most crayon changes.
What does a 0 mean on the sheet?
Zero means leave the square white. It prints only when you tick Put 0 in the white squares in More options. That hides the shape until coloring starts, much like a mystery grid. Left unticked, white squares print empty.