Printable puzzle troubleshooting: cut-off edges, tiny grids, and blurry letters

When a printable looks wrong, the preview is your best friend. Most issues come from scaling, margins, or printing the wrong file type.

If you want a ready-made worksheet, start from Printable Puzzles. If you want a custom puzzle, generate one in the Puzzle Maker, then print from the puzzle page.

The 30-second preview check

Before you change settings, check these three things:

• The full grid is visible (bottom row and right edge are not clipped).
• Letters are readable from arm's length.
• There is no URL, date, or page title printed at the top or bottom.

If any of those fail, use the fixes below.

Problem: the bottom or right side is cut off

This is usually caused by margins or headers/footers.

Try these in order:

• Turn off headers and footers in the print dialog.
• Set scale to 100%; disable fit to page.
• If your printer cannot print close to the edge, enable fit to printable area or reduce scale slightly (97% is a common sweet spot).

If you are printing on A4 paper, you may need fit-to-page because many printables are designed around US Letter sizing. Use preview and pick the setting that keeps everything visible.

Problem: the puzzle prints tiny

"Fit to page" and "shrink to printable area" can shrink content more than you expect.

Fix:

• Set scale to 100%.
• If 100% still looks small, try landscape orientation; it often makes the grid larger without changing the file.

If you are printing from a phone, the print UI can be limited. A desktop browser often gives you better control.

Problem: the letters look blurry or pixelated

This happens when you print an image that was resized or screenshot.

Fix:

• Prefer a PDF download when available.
• Avoid printing from a screenshot.
• If you are using a PNG, do not paste it into a document editor that downscales it; print the file directly.

Problem: the page has a gray background

Some print dialogs include a "background graphics" option. If it is on, it can waste ink.

Fix:

• Turn off background graphics (or similar wording).
• If you are printing in bulk, select grayscale or black-and-white in printer settings.

Problem: the puzzle looks fine on screen, but prints cropped

Sometimes the printer driver applies its own scaling.

Fix:

• In printer properties, disable any extra "fit" or "borderless expansion" features.
• Print a single test page; then lock settings for the whole batch.

Tip: save a "known good" copy before you batch print

If your print dialog supports it, you can print to a PDF file first. This is useful when:

• you are printing later from a different device
• you need to email the worksheet to a colleague
• you want to avoid re-loading the page

Workflow:

• Fix scale and margins in preview.
• Save to PDF.
• Print the saved PDF for each class period.

What to include when you ask for help

If a printable is not working and you email support, include details that let someone reproduce the issue:

• the puzzle page link (or the title you clicked)
• the file type (PDF or PNG)
• device and browser (example: iPad + Safari, Windows + Chrome)
• what you expected and what happened (cropped bottom row, tiny grid, missing word)
• a screenshot of print preview if the issue is printing

That saves back-and-forth and gets you a fix faster.

Problem: my answer key did not print

Not every puzzle includes a separate solution download. When an answer key is available, it is often a separate file or toggle.

Fix:

• Look for a separate "solution" or "answer key" download.
• If you do not see one, solve the puzzle on screen first and use the completed grid as your key.

A teacher-friendly batch workflow

If you need 25 copies:

• Download the printable once; do not re-open the print dialog for every copy.
• Print one test page.
• If it looks right, print the full batch without changing settings.
• Staple the answer key to your teacher copy only.

FAQ

What file should I print, png or pdf?

If you have a PDF, use it. PDFs tend to produce sharper text and more stable sizing. PNG is useful when you want to embed the puzzle in another document or slide.

Why does my phone print differently than my laptop?

Mobile print dialogs vary a lot. They can hide scale and margin options. If a phone keeps changing the layout, print from a laptop or desktop.

Can I email you a screenshot of my print preview?

Yes. Email support@puzzletide.com and include your device, browser, printer model (if you know it), and a screenshot of the preview.

Next step

• Browse Printable Puzzles for ready-to-go worksheets.
• Create a custom worksheet in the Puzzle Maker when you need a unit-specific word list.