The printable paint-by-number sheets you find online are usually generic drawings. With Color Memories you can print one made from your own photo, for free, and paint it by hand with whatever you have at home.
What the sheet includes
- Page 1, the drawing: the lines of the picture with the number of each area, on A4 (landscape if the photo is wide).
- Page 2, the color list: each number with its color swatch and its color code (HEX), plus a thumbnail of the finished picture for reference.
It is the same sheet on your phone and your computer. In the browser the print dialog opens (you can also save it as a PDF from there); in the Android app a PDF is created that you can save or send.
How to print it
- Create the picture from your photo in Color Memories.
- Tap the print button 🖨 on the canvas (or, if you have already finished it, “More options” → “Print it to paint by hand”).
- Print both pages. For a larger size, save the PDF and take it to a print shop to print on A3.
Which paper to use
- Colored pencils or markers: regular printer paper works; 100-120 gsm paper handles markers better without bleeding through.
- Watercolor: watercolor paper (200 gsm or more), or the water will make the page buckle.
- Acrylic or gouache: card stock or heavy drawing paper. If your printer does not take thick paper, print on regular paper and trace the drawing with tracing paper or against a window.
How to match the colors
The HEX code of each number tells you which shade to look for:
- With pencils or markers, pick the closest one in your box: it does not have to be exact, the mix of areas creates the effect.
- With paint, you can mix from a few basic colors. Write the number on a scrap of paper and test the mix next to its printed swatch.
- Tip: start with the light colors. If you make a mistake, a darker one on top covers it; the other way round is much harder.
Which difficulty to choose for paper
On paper, the areas are the size of the print. On A4, Easy or Medium are comfortable for a brush or marker; Hard works well with sharp pencils, and Expert has areas so small that it is better printed on A3. More in how to choose difficulty.
A gift idea
Print the sheet of a special photo, add a box of pencils or some watercolors and you have a personal gift for very little money. If you would rather the other person paint it on their phone without knowing which photo it is, have a look at gift mode.
Create my printable sheet →