A printed card made at home — especially one designed or decorated by a child — often means more than anything bought in a shop. Father's Day is one of those occasions where a little effort goes a long way, and your printer can do most of the heavy lifting. Here's what's worth printing, where to find the best free templates, and how to get results that look genuinely good rather than like a last-minute rush job.
When Is Father's Day in the UK in 2026?
UK Father's Day falls on the third Sunday in June — in 2026 that's Sunday 21 June 2026. Most of the templates below are free to download and print at home, and none of them require any special equipment beyond a printer and a pair of scissors.
Cards
A printed card is the starting point for most people, and the options available for free are genuinely impressive. Rather than a flat sheet of paper with a message, it's worth looking for fold-and-assemble designs — cards that arrive at something closer to a shop-bought card once printed, cut, and folded.
Canon Creative Park's Father's Day section includes pop-up cards, 3D cards, and paper craft designs that go well beyond a standard folded sheet. These are particularly good for children to make with a parent — the assembly process is part of the fun. Access is free; you'll need to have a Canon printer or simply browse the designs and download the PDFs.
HP Printables' Father's Day collection offers artist-designed cards you can download and print straight from home. The designs are clean and well-illustrated — closer to what you'd find in a card shop than a typical free template. See our HP Printables page for how to access them.
Canva's Father's Day card templates are worth knowing about if you want to personalise a design — add a photo, change the text, or adjust colours before printing. Over 200 templates are available free, and no design experience is needed. Download as a PDF and print at home.
For a straightforward selection of ready-to-print designs without any account or signup, Purely Printables has a well-curated collection of Father's Day cards, colouring cards, and questionnaire-style cards that children fill in themselves — these tend to be the ones dads actually keep.
The "All About Dad" Questionnaire
This is consistently one of the most popular Father's Day printables — and for good reason. A simple questionnaire where children fill in answers like "My dad is [age] years old", "My dad is really good at...", and "My favourite thing about my dad is..." produces something genuinely personal that most dads find more meaningful than a generic card.
Purely Printables has versions for Dad, Grandpa, and Uncle. Print one per child, let them fill it in, and present it alongside or instead of a card. For younger children who can't write yet, sit with them and fill in their spoken answers — the results are often funnier and more heartfelt than anything a card company could print.
Voucher Books
Printable Father's Day voucher books — "one breakfast in bed", "one car wash", "one film of your choice" — are a perennial favourite because they're personal, cost nothing, and are genuinely usable. They work particularly well for children who want to give something meaningful without a budget.
Canva has editable voucher templates you can customise before printing. Alternatively, a simple hand-decorated version printed on card and stapled together works just as well — the content matters more than the production quality here.
Photo Gifts and Framed Prints
A printed photo — properly printed, on the right paper — is one of the most personal gifts you can give. A favourite photo of the children with their dad, printed at home and put in a simple frame, takes ten minutes and costs almost nothing beyond the paper and ink.
For this kind of print, paper choice makes a real difference. Standard plain paper won't do a photo justice — the ink absorbs unevenly and colours look flat. Our printer paper range includes photo paper options that hold ink on the surface rather than absorbing it, producing sharper detail and more accurate colour. It's the single biggest upgrade you can make to home photo printing without changing your printer.
Canon Creative Park also has downloadable photo frame templates — print the frame, slot your photo in, and you have a finished gift that looks considered and personal. Search "photo frame" on Canon Creative Park for the current selection.
Paper Crafts and 3D Models
Canon Creative Park's Father's Day section includes paper craft models — miniature cars, cameras, and other builds that parents and children can assemble together. These make an unusual alternative to a standard card and are genuinely impressive when finished. The assembly process also makes a good Father's Day activity in itself — something to do together rather than just a thing to give.
Difficulty levels vary, so it's worth checking the rating on each template before starting with younger children. The simpler designs are suitable from around age five with adult help; more complex models are better suited to older children or adults.
Breakfast Menus and Table Decorations
If breakfast in bed or a special Father's Day meal is on the plan, a few printed details make it feel more like an occasion. A printed menu — even a simple one listing what's being served — adds a touch that's disproportionately well-received. Fold it in half and prop it on the tray or table.
Table decorations — bunting, place cards, a small banner — can all be printed quickly using templates from Canon Creative Park or HP Printables. None of these take more than a few minutes to print and assemble, and they transform a kitchen table into something that feels like a celebration.
Colouring Pages for Younger Children
For very young children, a Father's Day colouring page — printed, coloured in by hand, and presented to Dad — is a simple, age-appropriate gift that requires no assembly and produces something genuinely made by the child. HP Printables and Purely Printables both have Father's Day colouring designs that work well for this.
Print on plain paper for colouring pages — the slightly rougher surface of standard paper takes pencil and crayon better than coated paper, and the results are easier to colour within the lines on a heavier sheet.
Getting the Best Results
Father's Day printables often include rich colours, photos, and fine detail — the kind of output where print quality is visible. A few things that make a real difference:
Use genuine ink. Colour accuracy and sharpness on illustrated cards and photo prints is significantly better with genuine Canon or HP ink than with compatible alternatives. Compatible inks can produce colours that look slightly off or muted — noticeable on a card you're presenting as a gift.
Choose the right paper for the job. Plain 80gsm paper is fine for questionnaires, voucher books, and colouring pages. For cards, a heavier paper or card stock (120gsm or above) gives a much better finish — most home inkjet printers handle this without any adjustments. For photo prints, use dedicated photo paper from our printer paper range for noticeably sharper, more vibrant results.
Print in standard or high quality mode for anything with colour or photography. Draft mode saves ink but produces lighter output — switch back to standard for anything that needs to look its best.
And when the cartridges are done, don't bin them. Every HP and Canon order from Crazy Kangaroo includes a free prepaid recycling bag, or you can download a free Freepost recycling label at any time.
