How to Print a Reference Photo for Watercolor the Right Way

Printing your reference photo at the right size and quality makes every step of your watercolor process easier — from transferring the outline to matching colors while you paint. Here's exactly how to do it.

Why Printing Matters More Than You Think

Many painters use their phone or tablet screen as a reference. This works in a pinch, but printing has real advantages:

Accurate colors. Phone screens shift colors depending on brightness and viewing angle. A printed photo shows consistent colors in any lighting.

Size comparison. When your print matches your painting size, you can compare proportions directly — hold the reference next to your painting and see instantly if something is off.

No accidental swipes. A printed reference stays put. No accidental zooming, scrolling, or screen dimming while your hands are wet with paint.

Better for your eyes. A printed photo is easier to work from at any distance — you can prop it up at eye level and glance at it naturally, rather than hunching over a phone screen.

Matching Print Size to Your Watercolor Paper

This is the most important step. Your printed reference should be the exact same size as your watercolor paper. If your painting will be 9×12 inches, print your reference at 9×12 inches.

Why? Because when the reference and painting are the same size, you can use transfer paper to trace the outlines directly without scaling. You can also hold them side by side and compare proportions at a glance.

If your painting is larger than your printer can handle (most home printers max out at letter or A4 size), you have two options:

1. Print in sections. Most image viewers can print a large image across multiple pages. Tape them together and you have a full-size reference.
2. Use a print shop. Office supply stores and online services print large formats affordably. A 16×20 inch print typically costs $3–5.

Print Settings That Work

You don't need professional photo printing quality for a watercolor reference. Here are the settings that matter:

Set to "Actual Size" or "100%". Do NOT use "Fit to Page" — this scales your image and changes the proportions. You want the image printed exactly as you sized it.

Standard quality is fine. You're looking at shapes and colors, not pixel-level detail. Save your ink for the painting.

Print in color. Even if your painting will be limited palette, a color reference helps you see the value relationships between warm and cool areas.

Landscape vs. portrait orientation. Match the orientation of your image — a landscape photo should print in landscape mode.

What Paper to Print On

Standard white printer paper is perfect. It's cheap, it shows colors reasonably well, and it works with transfer paper. Photo paper is unnecessary for reference prints and costs 10x more.

If you're also printing a line drawing (to trace onto watercolor paper), standard paper works for that too. The lines need to be visible through transfer paper, not museum quality.

Setting Up Your Printed Reference for Painting

Where you put your reference while painting matters more than you think. Here's the ideal setup:

• Eye level, near your painting. Clip the reference to a board or easel positioned right next to your painting surface. This minimizes the distance your eyes travel between reference and painting.
• Same lighting. Your reference should be in the same light as your painting. If your painting is in natural light, don't put the reference in lamplight — the colors will look different.
• Protect from water splashes. Watercolor is messy. Slip your reference into a clear plastic sleeve or clip it far enough from your water jars.

Printing a Line Drawing Instead

For many watercolor painters, the most useful thing to print isn't the reference photo — it's a line drawing of the photo. A line drawing shows you exactly which lines to trace onto watercolor paper, with no extra detail to distract you.

Use Trace My Photo to convert your photo to a clean line drawing, then print both: the line drawing (for tracing) and the color reference photo (for painting). Together, they're everything you need.

For more on the tracing process, see how to transfer a photo to watercolor paper.

Common Questions

My printed photo looks darker than on screen. Is that normal?

Yes. Screens are backlit (light comes through the image) while prints are reflective (light bounces off the paper). Prints naturally look slightly darker. This is normal and won't affect your painting — you're using the print for shapes and relative values, not exact color matching.

Can I print a line drawing on any printer?

Yes. Any inkjet or laser printer works. Line drawings are just black lines on white paper — even the most basic printer handles them perfectly.

What if the image doesn't perfectly match my paper size?

Crop the image to match your paper's aspect ratio before printing. Most image editors and even your phone's photo app have crop tools with preset ratios. A 9×12 painting is a 3:4 ratio — crop your photo to 3:4 before printing.

How many copies should I print?

Print at least two: one as a clean reference to look at while painting, and one to use with transfer paper (which can leave pen marks). If you plan to try the painting more than once, print extra line drawings.