Crossword Maker

How to make a printable crossword

1. Type one word and its clue per line, with a dash between them: Volcano - A mountain that can erupt. A colon works too, and so does a tab, so two columns copied from a spreadsheet or a Google Doc table paste straight in.
2. Watch the grid build itself. The maker tries hundreds of arrangements in about a third of a second and keeps the one that fits the most words into the tightest grid. Press New layout for a different one with the same words.
3. Check the clues under the grid. Numbers follow the usual crossword rule: squares that start a word are numbered left to right, top to bottom, so 1 is always in the top row.
4. Download the PDF and print at 100% (“Actual size”). Page 1 is the puzzle with a Name and Date line, the last page is the answer key with the grid filled in and every answer next to its clue.

How to make a crossword wall print of your family's names

1. Press Name art at the top and type one name per line: the people in the house, grandparents, the dog.
2. Type a title and a second line, such as the family name and the year you married or moved in. Leave the second line empty to print only the title, or both empty for the grid alone.
3. Pick a style and a size. Press New layout until you like the shape; the names stay the same, the crossings change.
4. Download the poster PDF and print it at 100% (“Actual size”) or take it to a print shop.

Questions

How many words can a crossword have?

Up to 40. Between 10 and 20 words gives the nicest page: the grid stays big enough to write in (squares of 9 to 13 mm) and the clues sit under it on one sheet. A crossword puzzle maker with 20 words usually lands on a grid of about 16 × 16 squares, with 10 mm squares on A4. With 30 or 40 words the squares shrink towards 6 mm and long clue lists continue on a second page instead of being cut off. The grid never grows past 25 squares a side.

Why was one of my words left out?

Every word has to cross another word on a shared letter, and words may not sit side by side or run into each other end to end, as in a printed crossword. A word with rare letters (JAZZ, QUIZ) in a list without those letters has nothing to cross. The page names it under the grid: Try again searches longer for a layout that fits it, Drop it removes it. Adding one word that shares its letters usually solves it.

Can I make it from a vocabulary or spelling list?

Yes, that is what most teachers use it for. Put the word on the left and the definition, a sentence with a gap (“The ___ erupted and covered the town in ash”), or the word in another language on the right. Accents are dropped in the grid (CAFÉ goes in as CAFE) but kept in the clue list and answer key.

How do I print it for a whole class?

Print page 1 (and page 2 if the clues continue) as many times as you need; every copy has a line for the pupil's name and the date. Keep the answer key page for yourself. Everyone gets the same grid; if you want two versions so neighbours cannot copy, press New layout and download again: the words and clues stay, the numbers change.

How many names fit on a name crossword?

Up to 30, but a wall print looks best with 5 to 15. Seven names (a family of four, two grandparents and a pet) usually make a block of about 8 × 8 tiles, so each tile is around 21 mm wide on A4 and 50 mm on 50×70 cm. Fifteen names land nearer 12 × 11, about 14 mm a tile on A4, still easy to read across a room. Thirty names fill about 17 × 17 tiles, 10 mm each on A4, so for a long list choose A3 or larger (24 mm tiles on 50×70 cm). Each name has to share a letter with another one, so a list with plenty of vowels interlocks most easily. A very short name with rare letters (a dog called “Ozzy” next to Emma, Sam and Mia: no O, Z or Y to cross) may not fit anywhere: the page says which name it is and offers to try again or leave it out, so nothing is ever left off quietly.

Which poster size should I choose for a frame?

Choose the frame first, then the size that matches it. Ready-made frames in Europe are mostly A4, A3, 30×40 cm and 50×70 cm; in the US and Canada 8×10 in and 11×14 in are the common ones. A frame with a mount (passe-partout) shows a smaller picture than the frame itself: an 11×14 in frame with a mount usually takes an 8×10 in print, and a 50×70 cm frame often takes a 40×50 cm or 30×40 cm print, so check the size of the mount's opening. Every poster here keeps a margin of at least 6 mm (about 10% of the short side), so a mount or the frame's lip will not cover a letter. A4 and 8×10 in print at home; 8×10 in fits on US Letter paper with a strip to trim off.

Can I get it printed at a print shop or photo lab?

Yes. Take or upload the PDF and ask for it printed at 100%, “actual size”, with no fitting to the page. The PDF is one page at the exact poster size and the letters are vector type, so they stay crisp even at 50×70 cm. Matte paper of 200 to 300 g/m² looks best for wood tone and tiles; the night style prints richest on a satin or photo paper. Some photo labs and online print services take only images: use the PNG for those. It is 300 dpi up to 30×40 cm, and about 175 dpi at 50×70 cm, which still looks sharp from normal viewing distance.

Is it really free, without signing up?

Yes. There is no account, no watermark, no limit on puzzles, and nothing to buy. The crossword is built by your own browser, so it also works on a phone or tablet.

Is it the same as a newspaper crossword?

Not quite, and it is honest to say so. Newspaper crosswords fill a symmetric square with black squares between the answers, which needs a dictionary of thousands of words. This is a free-form crossword built only from your words, the kind used in classrooms and puzzle books: the empty space around the words is left blank so the page uses less ink.