Periodic Table Printable

Choose what each box shows, print on one landscape page or as a 4-page poster, and download a free PDF. Tap any element below to see its details.

This printable periodic table is a free tool that builds a ready-to-print chart of all 118 elements in your web browser. There is no sign-up, and nothing you choose is uploaded or sent to a server. You decide what each box shows, such as atomic number, element name, atomic mass, ion charges or electronegativity, and whether the boxes are colored by element category or printed in black and white. The sheet follows the common school layout: 18 numbered groups, seven periods, and the lanthanides and actinides in two rows below the main table. You can download it as a PDF, print it straight away, or copy a link that reopens your settings. On the page, the interactive “Explore the elements” table lets you look up the details of any element.

How to print a periodic table

Check the title. It reads “Periodic Table of the Elements” by default. Edit it, or hide it.
Under “Show in each box”, tick the details you want: Atomic number, Element name, Atomic mass, Common ion charges, or Electronegativity. Tick “Color symbols by state (solid, liquid, gas)” if you want symbols colored by state.
For an ink-saving sheet, turn off “Color boxes by element category”. The table prints in black and white.
Turn “Show the category legend” on or off.
Choose your paper size: US Letter or A4.
Set “Print size”. Choose “One landscape page” for a single sheet, or “Poster, 2 × 2 pages” for a large wall chart. Print the four pages, trim them, and tape them together.
Click Download PDF, Print, or Copy link.

Download PDF builds a vector file that stays sharp at any zoom and prints at true size. Print opens your browser’s print dialog with only the sheet, so the rest of the page is left out. Copy link saves your settings in a link you can reopen later. On the page itself, click or tap an element, or focus it and press Enter, to see its details. Arrow keys move between elements, and the search box “Find element: name, symbol or number” highlights matches. Clicking a category in the legend highlights every element in that category.

What do the numbers on the periodic table mean (atomic number, atomic mass)?

The atomic number is the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus, and it sets each element’s place in the table. The atomic mass is the average mass of an atom of that element, measured in atomic mass units and weighted by the natural mix of its isotopes.

In the sample boxes, sodium shows 11, Na, Sodium, 22.99. Chlorine shows 17, Cl, Chlorine, 35.45. Iron shows 26, Fe, Iron, 55.845. The atomic number tells you how many protons each atom has, and the atomic mass is the typical mass of those atoms in the real world.

The columns and rows also carry meaning. A group (column) holds elements with the same number of outer electrons, which is why they behave in similar ways. A period (row) number equals the number of electron shells an atom has. Sodium is in group 1 and period 3, and chlorine is in group 17 and period 3.

Why are some atomic masses in brackets?

Square brackets mark elements that have no stable isotopes. Technetium [98], radon [222] and oganesson [294] are examples. For these elements there is no stable natural mix to average, so the table shows the mass number of the most stable isotope instead.

The number in brackets is therefore a whole-number mass number (protons plus neutrons in that one isotope), not a weighted average like the other atomic masses.

Why are the lanthanides and actinides below the table?

The lanthanides (57 to 71) and actinides (89 to 103) belong in periods 6 and 7. If they were drawn inline, the table would be 32 columns wide, which is too wide for a standard printed page.

Placing them in two rows below the main table keeps the chart printable. The placeholders “57–71” and “89–103” in group 3 of periods 6 and 7 show where those rows belong.

What do the colors on the periodic table mean?

When “Color boxes by element category” is on, each box takes a pastel color for its category. The ten categories are alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, post-transition metal, metalloid, reactive nonmetal, halogen, noble gas, lanthanide and actinide. The legend names each color.

Color by state is a separate setting. Symbols are black for solids, blue for liquids and red for gases at room temperature. Turn off category colors for a black-and-white sheet; the state colors still apply if you keep that option on.

Frequently asked questions

How do I print a periodic table on one page?

Set “Print size” to “One landscape page”, choose US Letter or A4, and then click Print or Download PDF. The sheet is laid out landscape with 10 mm margins, so it fits on one page.

Is there a black and white version to save ink?

Yes. Turn off “Color boxes by element category” and the boxes print without color. This is the option for a black-and-white periodic table printable sheet.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. The interactive table responds to taps and scrolls sideways inside its own box on a small screen. Download PDF saves the file on the phone, so you can print it from there or send it to a computer.

Can I make a large poster-size periodic table?

Yes. Choose “Poster, 2 × 2 pages” under “Print size”. Print the four pages, trim the edges, and tape them together to make a large wall chart.

Can I show electronegativity or ion charges on the sheet?

Yes. Under “Show in each box”, tick Electronegativity or Common ion charges. Each box then shows the value you chose alongside the other details.

Is the periodic table PDF free to use in class?

Yes. Print as many copies as your class needs; there is no sign-up and no watermark, only a small sciencepdf.com line at the bottom of the sheet. The element data comes from the PubChem periodic table (NCBI).

Why does the printed sheet include a key?

The key is a large sample box for carbon with leader lines that label its atomic number, symbol, name and atomic mass. It shows a reader exactly what each box contains before they read the rest of the chart.

Blank periodic table: use it when students need to fill in the elements themselves.
Periodic table with charges: use it when you are teaching ion charges and how they follow from group numbers.
Periodic table flash cards: use it when you want to practice element symbols and names.
Naming compounds practice: use it after students know ion charges and need to name ionic compounds.
States of matter worksheet: use it when you are linking the solid, liquid and gas colors to the properties of elements.
Lab report template: use it when students write up a lab and need a clear structure.
Scientific method worksheet: use it when you are teaching how experiments are planned and tested.
Science worksheet generator: use it when you need a custom worksheet for a different science topic.