MYSTERY MURAL FIELD NOTES

Print, check scale and assemble

Every worksheet contains a 17 × 17 cm artwork square. The paper around that square changes between A4 and US Letter; the artwork size stays the same.

Start with one worksheet

Select the paper size loaded in your printer, then download the activity PDF. Print one student worksheet first. In the PDF viewer's print dialog, choose Actual size or 100%, and turn off Fit to page and Shrink oversized pages. Printer wording varies, so use the 50 mm check line to confirm the result.

Measure that line with a ruler. If it is not 50 mm, the print workflow has scaled the sheet. Correct the setting and repeat the one-sheet check before printing the full pack. Use the same print settings for every piece.

The browser cannot control your printer margins, driver or print-dialog settings. A PDF exporting successfully is not proof that a particular printer will produce the intended dimensions.

Separate the teacher pages

Page 1 is the color answer. Page 2 is the assembly map and instructions. All remaining pages are numbered activity sheets. A 12-piece pack therefore contains 14 pages. Keep the color answer out of sight if the final image is meant to be a surprise.

Student worksheets are black and white. The color key names the intended colors; it does not depend on a color printer. Show participants the actual pencils or markers you chose so the same numbers produce consistent colors.

Trim on the artwork outline

When coloring is complete, cut along the outside square outline, not along the edge of the paper. The piece ID is printed outside the artwork. Keep the ID strip next to its square until placement is finished, or lightly write the ID on the back before trimming.

Arrange pieces using the map: letters run left to right and numbers run top to bottom. A1 is the top-left piece. Keep each sheet's TOP edge facing up. Place artwork edges next to each other without overlapping the colored cells, then tape from the back.

Troubleshoot a mismatch

• If every square is too small, check print scaling rather than stretching the pieces.
• If one piece does not align, compare its measured side length and confirm it used the same paper settings.
• If the art looks scrambled, check IDs and orientation before cutting any more paper.
• If colors vary, use the shared physical supply key; screen swatches cannot calibrate different markers.

The intended square is 170 mm per side on both paper sizes. Print one sheet first; physical printer output has not been independently certified by this tool.