Periodic Table with Element Names
Free printable periodic table with element names — color-coded, showing every element name, symbol and atomic number. Download PDF or PNG for Letter paper.
About this periodic table with names
Free printable periodic table with element names — color-coded, showing every element name, symbol and atomic number. Download PDF or PNG for Letter paper. Every square is drawn from real element data — atomic number, symbol, name and atomic mass — rendered at high resolution so it stays crisp when you print it. There are 118 elements, laid out in the standard 18-column form with the lanthanide and actinide series shown below.
Elements are color-coded by category, and a legend printed on the table names every color so you can quickly tell metals, metalloids, nonmetals and noble gases apart.
How to read the periodic table
Each element occupies one square showing four things: the atomic number (how many protons the atom has), the element's symbol (one or two letters), its name, and its atomic mass (the average mass of one atom). The columns are called groups — elements in the same group share similar chemical behavior — and the rows are called periods. Reading left to right, top to bottom, follows increasing atomic number.
Element categories
Elements fall into families with shared properties. From the reactive metals on the left to the stable gases on the right, here is what each color group means:
- Alkali metals. Group 1 (except hydrogen) — soft, silvery, highly reactive metals such as lithium and sodium.
- Alkaline earth metals. Group 2 — reactive metals such as magnesium and calcium.
- Transition metals. Groups 3–12 — the large central block, including iron, copper, silver and gold.
- Post-transition metals. Softer metals to the right of the transition block, such as aluminum, tin and lead.
- Metalloids. Elements with properties between metals and nonmetals, such as boron and silicon.
- Reactive nonmetals. Elements essential to life, including carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur.
- Halogens. Group 17 — very reactive nonmetals such as fluorine, chlorine and iodine.
- Noble gases. Group 18 — stable, largely unreactive gases such as helium, neon and argon.
- Lanthanides. The upper series (57–71), the rare-earth elements.
- Actinides. The lower series (89–103), including uranium and plutonium.
How to print
Choose Download PDF for a ready-to-print file that automatically fits US Letter paper (8.5 × 11") in landscape orientation, or Download PNG for the high-resolution image. For the sharpest wall poster, print the PDF at 100% scale (not "fit to page shrink") on the largest paper your printer supports.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the periodic table?
The periodic table organizes all 118 known chemical elements by their atomic number and chemical properties. The rows are called periods and the columns are called groups; elements in the same group behave in similar ways.
How do I read the periodic table?
Each square shows the element's atomic number (the number of protons in its nucleus), its one- or two-letter symbol, its name, and its atomic mass (the average mass of one atom). Reading left to right and top to bottom follows increasing atomic number.
What do the colors mean?
Each color marks an element category — alkali metals, transition metals, halogens, noble gases and more. The legend on the table lists them all.
What paper size should I print this on?
This table is sized for standard US Letter paper (8.5 × 11 inches) in landscape orientation. Click "Download PDF" for a print-ready file that fits the page automatically, or "Download PNG" for the high-resolution image.
How many elements are on the periodic table?
There are 118 confirmed elements, from hydrogen (atomic number 1) to oganesson (atomic number 118).