Printable sudoku

Printing tips

The PDF is drawn as vector lines and text, so the grids stay sharp on any printer. Print at 100% or "Actual size"; "Fit to page" shrinks everything slightly and can make the thin lines faint. Plain copy paper is fine. A pencil and a soft eraser work better than a pen, because sudoku invites a little trial and error at first.

Here is how big each grid prints on Letter paper (on A4 the sizes differ slightly):

Puzzles per page	Grid width	Square size	Large print
1	7.5 in (19.1 cm)	0.8 in	Yes, 7.5 in
2	4.3 in (10.8 cm)	0.5 in	Yes, 4.1 in
4	3.5 in (9 cm)	0.4 in	No
6	2.7 in (6.8 cm)	0.3 in	No

At four or six to a page the squares are small for pencil marks, which suits easy and medium puzzles that are solved mostly by scanning. For hard and expert puzzles, choose one or two a page so there is room to write candidates.

Large print for older eyes

Large print uses bigger, bold digits, heavier box lines and a larger heading, with one or two puzzles a page. Numbers that are clearly printed and well separated are easier to scan for anyone with tired eyes or reading glasses, and the bigger squares leave room for shaky or large handwriting. Two large-print puzzles a page fit comfortably on a lap tray or a clipboard.

Sudoku with a class or a group

• Same puzzles for everyone. Download one PDF and copy it, so the whole group works on identical puzzles and can talk through the answers afterwards.
• Name and date lines at the top of each page make collecting and returning sheets easy, and help with a weekly puzzle club or a competition.
• Start easy. Easy puzzles here need only singles, so beginners can finish one in a session and feel the method working. Move to medium once hidden singles click.
• Keep the key. Answers are on separate pages at the end: print them once for yourself, or post them up when time is called.

Solving with pencil and paper

On paper, the most useful habit is cross-hatching: pick a digit, look at the rows and columns where it already appears, and see which squares of a box are left for it. In the band below, the 5s in the other boxes leave just one square for 5 in the first box:

			5
							5
7	5	2

When a digit has only two possible squares in a box, write it small in the corner of both squares. Many competitive solvers mark candidates only in that case (often called Snyder notation): it keeps the grid tidy and often reveals pairs and pointing patterns. Write a full set of candidates in a square only when it is down to two or three digits.

The puzzles keep about this many clues on average at each level:

Level	Average clues
Easy	36
Medium	30
Hard	28
Expert	28

The levels are set by technique rather than by the count: hard and expert puzzles have similar numbers of clues, but expert ones cannot be finished with singles, pairs and pointing patterns alone. To play on screen with notes, hints and undo, open sudoku. For more printables, make a word search from your own word list; for a change of pace, try minesweeper or solitaire.