Print, cut, laminate & assemble
Everything you need to turn your PDF into durable, ready-to-use cards — and the one setting that trips most parents up.
Print at 100% (Actual Size)
In your printer dialog, set scaling to 100% or “Actual size”, and turn OFF “Fit to page” or “Shrink oversized pages”. This is the #1 thing parents get caught out by — if cards print too small, they won't line up on your book strips. Each of our sheets has a 30 mm scale bar in the margin: print one page and measure it to check.
Use thicker paper if you can
Card stock around 160–250 gsm makes sturdier cards. Plain paper is fine too, especially if you're going to laminate.
Cut neatly
Trim the outer margin first to square up the sheet, then cut down the columns, then across the rows. Cutting in that order keeps everything aligned. The corner marks on each sheet show exactly where to cut.
Laminate for durability
Cards get handled, dropped and sometimes chewed. Laminating makes them waterproof and wipeable. Laminate the whole sheet (or strips) before the final cut, and leave about a 2 mm sealed border around each card.
Add hook-and-loop (velcro) dots
Stick the rough (hook) side on the BACK of each card, and the soft (loop) side on your board, strip or book. The easy way to remember: “rough travels.” One centred dot per card is plenty.
Start small and build up
Begin with 4–6 cards for the words your child needs most. Model using them yourself, offer real choices, and add more cards over time as your child gets the idea.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my cards print too small?
Almost always because the printer is set to “Fit to page” or a scale under 100%. Set scaling to 100% / Actual size and turn off fit-to-page. Use the 30 mm scale bar on the sheet to confirm.
Do I have to laminate?
No, but it's well worth it. Laminating makes cards durable and wipeable, which matters a lot with daily handling. If you can't laminate, thicker card stock and clear tape help.
What velcro do I need?
Small hook-and-loop coins or strips (often ~16–20 mm) work well. Put the hook (rough) side on the card back and the loop (soft) side on your board or book.
Can I print in black and white?
Yes. Our symbols and labels are designed to stay clear in black and white. Colour borders help group word types but aren't essential — you can turn them off in the builder.
Next: turn your cards into a DIY communication book.