How to make printable flash cards
Printing several cards on one sheet saves paper and gives you cards that are all the same size. The process takes a few minutes once your content is ready.
- Add your content Open the editor and paste your notes, import a Word or Pages file, or type onto each card.
- Choose paper and card size In the Layout panel, choose A4 or US Letter, then a preset or an exact card width and height.
- Check the set Look over every card in Grid view. Split any card that is too full to read quickly.
- Turn on cut lines Switch on Cut lines around cards in the Layout panel so you have a guide to cut along.
- Print a test page Print one page on plain paper first. Check the size with a ruler, then print the full set.
Card sizes on A4 and Letter
The editor has four presets. The measurements below are for A4 portrait with the default 15 mm page margin. On US Letter the same presets give the same number of cards, a little wider and a little shorter.
| Preset | Cards per page | Layout | Approx. size on A4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small cards | 12 | 3 × 4 | 59 × 65 mm |
| Palm cards | 8 | 2 × 4 | 89 × 65 mm |
| Cue cards | 4 | 2 × 2 | 89 × 133 mm |
| Large cue | 2 | 1 × 2 | 180 × 133 mm |
Small cards suit single words and vocabulary. Palm cards fit a question and a short answer. Cue cards leave room for a definition with an example. If you need a standard size such as 3 × 5 in or A7, set the width and height yourself. The cue card size guide lists the common sizes, and the palm card calculator tells you how many cards and pages your text will need.
Print settings
Most problems with printed cards come from the print dialog, not the layout. Before you press Print, check these settings:
- Scale: 100% or Actual size. Anything else changes the card dimensions.
- Fit to page: off. Some browsers call this Shrink to fit or Fit to printable area.
- Paper size: matches the layout. If the editor is set to A4 and the printer to Letter, the edges can be clipped.
- Headers and footers: off. This removes the date and web address that browsers add to the page.
- Single-sided. Cards are printed on one side of the sheet.
Want a question on the front and the answer on the back? Put the answer in the card next to its question, cut the pair out as one strip and fold it down the middle.
Choosing paper or card
Ordinary 80 gsm copy paper is fine for a quick revision set. It is cheap, feeds through any printer and is easy to cut, but it bends in a pocket.
For cards you will handle often, use light card. Stock between about 160 and 250 gsm works in many home inkjet and laser printers. Check the maximum paper weight in your printer’s manual or settings, feed one sheet at a time and use the rear or manual feed tray if your printer has one. Matte card is easier to write on afterwards than glossy card.
Cutting the cards
A paper trimmer or guillotine gives the straightest edges and is much faster for a full set. If you are using scissors, a metal ruler and a craft knife on a cutting mat are a good alternative.
- Cut the long lines first, then cut each strip into cards.
- Stack two or three sheets only if your trimmer can handle the thickness.
- Round the corners with scissors if the cards will live in a pocket.
- Number or colour-code sets so they do not get mixed up.
Once they are cut, hole-punch one corner and keep each topic on a ring, or store them in an envelope labelled with the subject.