Color by Number
Print a color by number page from 16 of our own pictures: a house, a fish, a butterfly, a rocket, a hot air balloon, a cupcake, an owl, a rainbow and more. Each picture comes in three levels: easy has a few big areas, hard adds more areas and colours. Every area is closed and carries one label that fits inside it. Choose plain numbers, letters, or maths facts where the answer is the colour number (addition, subtraction or multiplication), and press New sums for a fresh sheet. The colour key names each colour with a swatch, and the answer key shows the picture coloured in. You can also add your own line art: every closed white area is numbered and neighbouring areas get different colours. Download a PDF on US Letter or A4, a 300 DPI PNG or an SVG. Nothing is uploaded.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Print at 100% (Actual size) on US Letter or A4. The answer key prints after the puzzle pages.
Picture
Every closed white area gets a number; areas next to each other get different colours. Your picture stays on your device.
Runs in your browser with our own code and our own pictures: nothing you add is uploaded, and nothing is saved. The designs are our own drawings: you may use them and anything you make with them, including things you sell, with no credit needed.
How to make a color by number page
- Choose one of our pictures, or all of them for a booklet, or add your own line art.
- Pick a level (easy, medium or hard) and the labels: numbers, letters or maths facts.
- Leave the answer key on if you want a coloured-in copy to check against.
- Download the PDF and print at 100% on US Letter or A4.
- Colour each area in the colour its label stands for in the key.
What you can use it for
- A quiet activity for home, travel or waiting rooms
- Number, letter and sum practice with a picture at the end
- Early finishers in class
- Party and holiday activity packs
- Turning a child’s own drawing into a color by number
- Relaxed colouring for any age
The 16 pictures
| # | Picture | Theme | Areas (easy / medium / hard) | Colours (easy / medium / hard) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | House and Sun | Home | 9 / 13 / 17 | 7 / 9 / 10 |
| 2 | Striped Fish | Ocean | 6 / 11 / 16 | 5 / 6 / 6 |
| 3 | Butterfly | Garden | 9 / 12 / 17 | 4 / 5 / 8 |
| 4 | Flower Pot | Garden | 14 / 16 / 19 | 7 / 8 / 9 |
| 5 | Rocket | Space | 9 / 12 / 16 | 7 / 7 / 8 |
| 6 | Hot Air Balloon | Sky | 7 / 10 / 14 | 5 / 7 / 8 |
| 7 | Sailboat | Sea | 6 / 8 / 11 | 6 / 7 / 8 |
| 8 | Cupcake | Treats | 6 / 13 / 17 | 4 / 6 / 8 |
| 9 | Apple Tree | Nature | 6 / 9 / 12 | 5 / 6 / 6 |
| 10 | Turtle | Animals | 7 / 10 / 15 | 4 / 6 / 6 |
| 11 | Owl on a Branch | Animals | 11 / 14 / 17 | 6 / 6 / 6 |
| 12 | Little Car | Vehicles | 9 / 11 / 14 | 3 / 4 / 5 |
| 13 | Ice Cream Cone | Treats | 6 / 7 / 13 | 6 / 7 / 8 |
| 14 | Rainbow and Clouds | Sky | 11 / 12 / 15 | 9 / 9 / 10 |
| 15 | Snail | Garden | 6 / 7 / 9 | 5 / 5 / 5 |
| 16 | Hearts | Shapes | 3 / 5 / 8 | 3 / 4 / 4 |
230 areas across the hard versions. Our tests draw every picture at every level, rasterise the printed lines at 0.1 mm and check that every white area holds exactly one label, that no line runs under a label and that every label works out to its colour in the key.
Labels
| Labels | Example label | Colour number | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers | 7 | 7 | Tan |
| Letters | G | 7 | Tan |
| Addition facts | 6+1 | 7 | Tan |
| Subtraction facts | 10−3 | 7 | Tan |
| Multiplication facts | 1×7 | 7 | Tan |
Facts are made from a sheet number, so the same number always gives the same sheet. Subtraction facts start from at most 21; multiplication facts use a factor pair of the colour number.
Levels
| Level | Line width | Largest label | Areas per picture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 0.75 mm | 16 pt | 3 to 14 |
| Medium | 0.6 mm | 12 pt | 5 to 16 |
| Hard | 0.45 mm | 10 pt | 8 to 19 |
Each label is set at the largest size that fits its area, down to 6 pt.
Colours in the key
| Colour | Swatch value |
|---|---|
| Red | #e03131 |
| Orange | #f76707 |
| Yellow | #fcc419 |
| Light green | #8ce99a |
| Green | #2f9e44 |
| Light blue | #a5d8ff |
| Blue | #1c7ed6 |
| Dark blue | #1b3a6b |
| Purple | #7048e8 |
| Pink | #f783ac |
| Brown | #8d5524 |
| Tan | #e0b98a |
| Grey | #adb5bd |
| White | #ffffff |
For photo-based paint regions use the Paint by Numbers Generator; for plain outlines from a photo, Photo to Coloring Page; to mix your own set of colours, the Color Palette Generator.
Tips for your own line art
- Use dark lines on white paper or a white background; a scan or a phone photo in good light works.
- Close every shape: an open gap joins two areas into one.
- Keep areas at least the size of a fingertip so a number fits.
- Leave the outside white for a cleaner page, or number it as the background.
More printable activities: the Maze Generator, the Word Search Maker and the Bingo Card Generator.
More free tools
Puzzles, colouring and printable activities?
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Frequently asked questions
What is color by number?
A color by number page is a line drawing with a number in every area and a key that says which colour each number stands for. Colour every area in its colour and the picture appears.
How are the levels different?
Easy pictures have a few big areas, thicker lines and large labels. Medium and hard add more areas and colours, with thinner lines and smaller labels; every label still fits inside its area.
What are the maths facts?
Instead of the colour number, each area shows a sum, a difference or a product whose answer is the colour number. For example 3+4 means colour 7. Press New sums to get the same picture with different facts.
Can I use letters instead of numbers?
Yes. Choose Letters and the key lists A, B, C and so on, one letter for each colour.
Can I make a color by number from my own drawing?
Yes. Choose Your own line art and add a drawing with dark lines on a white background. Every closed white area gets a number, neighbouring areas get different colours, and tiny areas that cannot hold a number are left blank and counted. To start from a photo, use the Paint by Numbers Generator instead.
What if my drawing has gaps in the lines?
Leave Close small gaps in the lines switched on: it thickens the lines slightly so that one-pixel gaps close. Bigger gaps join two areas into one, so draw over them first.
Is this the same as the Paint by Numbers Generator?
No. The Paint by Numbers Generator turns a photo into many small paint regions with mixing colours. This page prints ready-made pictures for children with levels, letters and maths facts, a named colour key and an answer key, and numbers your own line art.
Can I print it in black and white?
Yes. The puzzle page is black lines only; the key shows a small swatch and the colour name. Switch the swatches off to print the key as names only.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The pages are drawn by JavaScript in your browser, and a drawing you add is read on your device. Nothing is saved when you close the page.