Pro Tips from Miss Ruby — Get the Most Out of Your Coloring Pages

📄

Paper: It Makes a Bigger Difference Than You Think

The paper you print on changes everything. Here are your four options — all work in a regular home printer.

Level 1

Copy Paper

Standard 20lb printer paper. Great for crayons and colored pencils. Markers will bleed through — heads up!

✓ Perfect for kids

Level 2

Cardstock

65lb cardstock handles markers, gel pens, and watercolor pencils without bleeding or curling. Big upgrade for a small cost.

✓ Best all-around

Level 3

Matte Photo Paper

Inkjet matte photo paper gives you razor-sharp lines and handles almost any coloring medium beautifully.

✓ Pro results

Level 4 🏆

Watercolor Paper

For the serious colorist. Runs through most inkjets fine. Incredible with watercolor pencils or brush pens.

✓ Stained glass artists

✏️

Coloring Tools: Pick Your Weapon

🖍️ Crayons

Classic for a reason. Great for kids on copy paper. Harder to blend but totally fun and zero mess.

✏️ Colored Pencils

The go-to for detail work. Layer light to dark, burnish at the end for rich color. Works on everything.

🖊️ Alcohol Markers

Gorgeous results but they WILL bleed through copy paper. Use cardstock or heavier. Copics, Prismacolors, or budget sets all work.

💧 Watercolor Pencils

Color dry, then blend with a damp brush. Stunning on cardstock or watercolor paper. Amazing for stained glass pages.

🖌️ Gel Pens

Perfect for adding shimmer, metallic accents, or fine detail over colored pencil. Kids LOVE these.

🎨 Watercolors

Loose and expressive. Use on watercolor paper only. Beautiful for stained glass and nature scenes.

🖨️

Printing Tips: Get the Best Lines Every Time

🖨️Print at highest quality. Most printers default to "normal" or "draft" mode — switch to "best" or "high quality" for crisp, dark lines.
⬛Use black & white mode. Saves your color ink and the lines come out darker. Look for "grayscale" or "black & white only" in your print settings.
📐"Fit to page" vs. actual size. If your page has white borders, "fit to page" fills more of the sheet. For stained glass pages, actual size preserves the fine detail better.
🔄Print a spare. Before you start coloring, print two. That way if you make a mistake or just want to try again, you've got a backup ready.
💡Let it dry for 30 seconds. Fresh inkjet ink can smear. Give it a moment before you start coloring, especially with markers.

🪟

Stained Glass Pages: The Inside Scoop

Stained glass pages are Miss Ruby's most popular style — and they deserve a little extra love. Here's how to get the most out of them.

🏆 Stained Glass Pro Tips

🪟Go heavier on paper. Cardstock minimum — watercolor paper if you're serious. The thick lead lines really pop on heavier stock.
💡Try the window trick. Tape your page to a sunny window to see the lines through thicker paper — it turns your room into a real stained glass studio.
💧Watercolor pencils are magic here. Color the sections, then blend with a damp brush. The result looks like actual stained glass.
✏️Glass artists — this one's for you. Use these pages as pattern guides and design inspiration. Print, sketch your modifications, then transfer to your project.
🖊️Gold or silver gel pen for the lines. After coloring, trace the black lead lines with a metallic gel pen. Looks incredible and very authentic.

🎨

Coloring Techniques: Even Beginners Can Look Like Pros

🔆Light to dark, always. Start with your lightest colors and build up. You can always go darker — you can't go lighter.
⬜Leave some white. Not every inch needs color. White space makes your finished page look clean and intentional.
🌀Blend with a blending pencil or tissue. For colored pencils, a colorless blending pencil or even a tissue gently rubbed over the color creates a smooth, rich finish.
🎯Color outside the lines on purpose. On purpose! Kids especially — it's not a mistake, it's style.
🌈Try analogous colors. Colors next to each other on the color wheel (like blue, teal, and green) always look great together. No color theory degree required.

🖼️

Storage & Display: Your Pages Deserve to Be Seen

📸Scan it before you color. Keep a digital copy of the blank page so you can print it again anytime. Or just re-generate from Miss Ruby!
🖼️Dollar Tree frames are perfect. 8.5×11 frames for a dollar. Seriously. Kids love seeing their art on the wall.
📁Keep finished pages flat. Store in a folder or between pieces of cardboard to prevent curling, especially if you used wet media.
📤Send it to Miss Ruby! She's building a portfolio of finished pages from colorists everywhere. Submit yours here — and if you send 10, you get 3 free credits!

Get the Most Out of Your Pages