How to make Canva bookmarks that print the right size on a home printer

I make bookmarks constantly for my own children, at work and for friends and family. Here is exactly how to make a bookmark in Canva AND have it print at the size you actually want a bookmark to be without needing to mess around with settings on multiple devices. Part one is how to make the bookmark. If you already have your bookmark image and just need to print it the right size, scroll down to part 2.

Part 1: How to make the bookmark in free Canva

You are welcome to use the free bookmark images I have on the "Printables" page. Just click the link above to see them.

1. Log in to Canva with a free account.
2. Type "bookmark" into the search box and choose a template you like. Click Create this template. You will need to edit it significantly if you wish to do anything commercial with it but the free templates are ok for personal use.
3. In the project screen, make changes to the template you chose and/or add a new blank bookmark that is already the correct size by clicking the + button below your working bookmark.
4. Use 'Elements' on the left hand side to select individual shapes, images and photos. Use 'Design' to search tens of thousands of beautiful bookmarks that don't come up from the Canva home page. Try search terms like "art bookmark" or "Colouring in bookmark". I've found sets of times tables, alphabet and grammar reminder bookmarks, kawaii cartoons and botanic illustrations.
5. To insert a bookmark template you found in the design tab, just click on it. The template will be fully editable so you can delete and replace any premium or paid elements.
6. Once you are happy with your bookmark/s (I make batches of 5 or 10 which will come up in the next section). Select Share > Download > PNG or JPG. They will download in a zip file.
7. Open your zip file on your computer and move your individual images to a folder you can easily remember.

Ok you have your images and if you clicked this, you probably already know this part. Keep reading and I will show you how to make them print neatly instead of at a massive size or one to a page wasting paper.

Part 2: Printing the bookmarks

1. Open Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
2. Open Page Set Up. Select these settings: Landscape, A4 (or Letter if you are in the US), Margins = .2 inches or "narrow" on Microsoft Word. Save and return to document.
3. Turn on Gridlines in Microsoft Word. This literally is the secret to getting them all the same size but you can line them up really close in Google Docs as well.
4. Click Insert > Image > Upload from Computer. Select your first bookmark.
5. Don't panic that it is massive and stuffed the formatting.
6. Grab the little box on the bottom right corner with your mouse and pull it towards the top of the page until the image fits neatly onto the first page.
7. Insert your next image and repeat step 6. You can comfortably fit five bookmarks on a landscape A4 page by enlongating them vertically (click the bottom edge and pull it down, click the right hand edge and pull it out a little if needed). If you have gridlines & narrow margins switched on in Microsoft word, you can line the sizes up to maximise printable space.

Single sided bookmarks and beginners stop here. Select File > Print > print in colour as you normally would one A4/Letter page. I print onto card stock, cut them out with scissors and round off the edges with a scrapbooking tool. Save your document as a PDF for easy printing in the future.

If you designed your own bookmarks you can share that PDF and your recipient just needs to open it and print. No formatting or fiddling required. Perfect for teachers sharing bookmarks with students and colleagues by uploading to share drives. I've found students like to write notes on the back so children don't mind one sided bookmarks.

Double sided bookmarks

These are a bit harder with a standard home printer and take a little fiddling and trial & error but it can be done. If you are at work with a professional multi function printer, those settings are in step 5.

1. With your cursor sitting on the right hand side of your final image on page one, hit Enter to create a second blank page. Insert the images your wish to have on the back of your bookmark. If it is the same as the front, just insert the same images again. (I usually insert four copies of a black & white colouring in image from Canva free bookmark templates so children can colour in the back)
2. Ok, here is the magic. Select/highlight your four images on page 2 > Click 'Align' from the toolbar or menu and choose Align Right.
3. Your images have jumped to the right and are now the opposite of your first page. If you have gridlines on, make sure your images are enlarged enough that there are now 5 columns of grid on the left. Exactly opposite to page one.
4. Drag and drop your images so they match up the way you want them to print. Page one will be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and page 2 with be 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 when reading from the left.
5. If your printer can print double sided = Select File > Print > Print from system dialogue. System dialogue is how you get complete control over your printer settings. Select full colour, double sided: short edge align, top left. Selecting this setting ensures your printer knows that you want the left side of page one and the right side of page two back to back. Print a tester copy before sending multiple copies through.
6. If you are working with a standard home printer = Print page one only and make 2-3 copies as every single printer is different and you may need to have a few goes to determine how your printer decides which part to print first. Remove your blank papers from the printing tray so it is empty. Then select print > page 2 only and send a copy of page 1 through face down with the first bookmark entering the printing wheel first. If this comes out wrong, reverse your paper and try again.

I have used normal paper and card stock for bookmarks and love making them. They add that extra touch to your greeting cards, classroom or library and don't take a ton of time to make once you have a few PDFs saved. We use them for seasonal booklists, just for fun, and to wish students good luck or happy school holidays. They are very effective for getting students to check out a book so they get a bookmark too.

Happy crafting!

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