How to Print and Laminate Your D & D Character Sheet
A Complete, Kobold-Approved Guide to Reusable Tabletop Glory
Grab the Simple Character Sheet - made for lamination if you want a ready-formatted PDF that follows every tip in this guide.
A Prelude of Paper, Dragons, and Spilled Ale
Picture the scene. Your half-orc barbarian has just leapt from a burning airship, rolled a natural twenty on Acrobatics, and belly-flopped into an unsuspecting merchant’s soup stall. In the excitement your drink goes flying, straight onto your flimsy A4 character sheet. Ink bleeds, numbers blur, and suddenly no-one knows your armour class.
I have lived that nightmare. I vowed never again. That vow birthed this guide, and my printable Simple Character Sheet designed for lamination, erasable pens, and chaotic tables alike.
Why Bother Laminating a Character Sheet
Durability
Even the tidiest table sees fizzy drinks, crisps, and the occasional candle wax incident. Lamination seals your stats away from moisture, greasy fingerprints, and snack-based shrapnel.
Eco-friendly
Instead of printing a fresh sheet every level or when you multiclass, you wipe, update, and carry on. Fewer trees felled, fewer pages binned.
Speedy Level-ups
Erase hit points, rewrite spells, or change inventory notes in seconds. No leafing through crumpled pages or searching for a spare pencil.
Aesthetics
A glossy or premium-matte finish looks sharp. Pop a laminated sheet under fairy lights on stream and your overlay suddenly looks pro.
Picking the Right Sheet (and Why Mine Is Perfect)
Not all PDFs are created equal. If you plan to laminate, look for:
- Generous margins so nothing vital sits on the pouch edge.
- High-contrast layout that stays crisp behind plastic.
- Ample write-in space for dry-wipe pens.
My Simple Character Sheet hits those marks and already comes in both full and journal-friendly 95 % scale versions. Grab it here before we dive into printing.
Paper Choices - Thickness, Finish, and the Matte-vs-Gloss Debate
| Option | Weight | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard copier | 80 gsm | Cheap, everywhere | Waves inside pouch, ink may show through |
| Premium matte (recommended) | 120 gsm – 32 lb | Stays flat, vibrant print, minimal glare | Costs a little more |
| Satin photo | 150 gsm | Rich colours | Can stick to pouch walls |
| Gloss photo | 180 gsm | Ultra-sharp art sheets | Fingerprint magnet |
Why 120 gsm matte?
It strikes the balance. Thick enough to resist warping yet thin enough for most home laminators to seal evenly. The matte coating prevents dry-wipe ghosting too.
Printer Settings That Save the Day
- Quality: Use “Best” or “High”. Draft mode leaves streaks that show under lamination.
- Scaling: Select “Actual size”. If you want to tuck the sheet into a punch-bound journal pick 95 %.
- Paper type: Tell the printer you are feeding matte photo or heavyweight paper. It slows the rollers and improves ink adhesion.
- Double-sided? Never for lamination. It traps extra air and often offsets registration.
Print, let the ink dry ten minutes, then move on.
Cutting, Trimming, and Corner Safety
If your sheet has crop marks, slice neatly with a craft knife and metal ruler. Rounded corners reduce future pouch puncture. I use a cheap corner-rounder punch that gives a smooth 5 mm curve, highly recommended if kids handle the sheet.
Laminators 101: Machines, Pouches, and Thickness
Machine price points
Two rollers are fine for A4. Warm up until the “Ready” light glows.
Pouch thickness
- 80 microns – office flimsy
- 125 microns (3 mil) – perfect for character sheets
- 250 microns – signage level rigid
Go 3 mil. It bends without creasing and still wipes clean.
Pro tip: Store pouches flat and cool. Humidity wrinkles equal future bubbles.
The Step-by-Step Lamination Ritual
- Pre-heat the laminator. I snack on chocolate raisins while waiting.
- Place the sheet inside the pouch. Leave a 4 mm margin all round.
- Feed sealed edge first. Hold the open edge level to avoid skew.
- Catch the pouch as it exits but do not tug. Let it rest on a flat surface.
- Run it through again. Ninety per cent of bubble complaints vanish with a second pass.
- Allow to cool fully before flexing. Warm plastic warps easily.
If bubbles persist, increase temperature or slow speed (on fancy machines).
Markers, Cleaning, and Long-Term Care
Pens
Staedtler Lumocolor non-permanent (ultra-fine) write like a dream. They resist accidental rub yet wipe with a damp cloth. Avoid Sharpies unless you want a one-use sheet.
Cleaning
Dampen a microfibre cloth with water or 70 % isopropyl. Wipe in circles. Stubborn ink lifts with a cotton bud dipped in alcohol. Never use acetone - it clouds plastic.
Storage
Slide laminated sheets into a plastic wallet or clipboard when not in play. Direct sunlight can yellow low-grade pouches over the years.
Troubleshooting: Bubbles, Curves, and Crab-Claw Edges
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Small bubbles across sheet | Moisture in paper | Pre-heat longer, run through twice, use fresh pouches |
| Edges curling inward | Laminator too cool | Raise temp setting or feed slower |
| “Crab-claw” melted corners | Laminator too hot | Drop temp or switch from 250 micron to 125 micron |
| Cloudy film | Gloss inkjet paper + low temp | Use matte or increase heat |
If disaster strikes, reprint and try again, but with correct settings you will nail it first try.
Extra Flair - Hole Punches, Tabs, and Sticker Sorcery
- Ring binders: Punch laminated sheets after cooling. Use a heavy-duty punch rated for plastic.
- Tabbed edges: Leave a 10 mm lamination margin on one side then trim away paper within it. You get an instant wipe-clean tab.
- Stickers: Want initiative trackers? Print small icons on clear adhesive paper, stick to the lamination surface, and peel off after each session.
Quick-Fire FAQ for Flustered Fighters
Can I laminate at a copy shop?
Yes. Bring your printed sheet and ask for 125 micron pouches. Most shops charge under £1 per sheet.
Will heat melt my inkjet print?
Modern inks are stable at lamination temps. Let prints dry fully first.
Dry-wipe or wet-erase pens?
Dry-wipe for fast edits mid-combat. Wet-erase for notes that survive transport.
Can I write on both sides?
Yes, just print two pages (or print double-sided if your printer is capable), back them with double-sided tape, laminate together, and trim.
Next Quests
By now you have everything needed to create a rugged, reusable character sheet that laughs in the face of spilt ale and dragon breath. Grab premium matte paper, print at actual size, laminate in a 3 mil pouch, and wield your marker with confidence.
If you want to skip layout fuss altogether, download the Simple Character Sheet. It is already margin-safe, high contrast, and comes with both full and journal sizes.
May your rolls be high, your plastic bubble-free, and your sheet forever uncreased. Until next time, stay cheeky, stay creative, and keep those kobold burrows tidy.