You’re standing in the kitchen, coffee’s brewing, and you just want the damn crossword. Not the digital version where your thumb slips and hits the 'R' instead of the 'E.' Not the one that makes you watch a thirty-second ad for a mobile game you'll never download just to see the grid. You want the paper. You want the tactile scratch of a pencil—or a pen, if you’re feeling cocky—against a real grid. But finding a printable LA Times crossword that doesn't feel like a tech support nightmare is surprisingly tricky these days.
Most people assume you can just go to the LA Times website and hit "print." It should be that easy. Honestly, though, the transition from legacy media to digital-first subscriptions has turned a simple daily ritual into a bit of a scavenger hunt.
Why the physical grid still beats the app
There is a specific kind of mental friction that happens when you solve on a screen. When you’re looking at a printable LA Times crossword, your brain isn't fighting blue light or notification pings. You're just there. Solving.
Patti Varol, the current editor of the LA Times Crossword, took over the reins from Rich Norris back in 2022. Since then, the puzzle has maintained that sweet spot of being accessible but deeply clever. It’s known for having themes that actually make sense, unlike some of the more "experimental" stuff you might find in the New Yorker or the high-brow puzzles at the Atlantic. But if you can't get it onto a piece of A4 paper, that editorial brilliance doesn't do you much good.
Where to actually get the printable LA Times crossword
Okay, let's talk logistics. You have a few legitimate paths here.
First, there’s the official LA Times Games site. It uses the Arkadium player. Now, Arkadium is fine, but it’s built for web play. To print from there, you usually have to wait for the interface to load, click the hamburger menu (those three little lines in the corner), and look for the print icon. Sometimes it scales perfectly. Other times? It cuts off the clues for 64-Across. It’s frustrating.
A better "pro tip" for the serious solvers is using the Washington Post or Cruciverb. Wait, why the Washington Post? Because they syndicate the LA Times puzzle. Their interface is often a little cleaner for printing.
- Go to the Washington Post "Crossword" section.
- Look for the "Daily Crossword" (check the byline; it'll say Los Angeles Times).
- Use their built-in print function.
Then there is the "Across Lite" format. If you’re a power user, you know about .puz files. This is the gold standard. You download a tiny file, open it in a program like Across Lite or Black Ink, and you have total control over the font size, the grid width, and whether or not the clues are on a separate page. Cruciverb.com is a classic repository for this, though it looks like a website from 1997. Don’t let the design fool you; it’s a goldmine.
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The Saturday struggle is real
Monday puzzles are a breeze. You’re basically just filling in synonyms. But by the time Saturday rolls around, the printable LA Times crossword becomes a different beast entirely. We’re talking about "themeless" puzzles.
In a Monday puzzle, the theme might be "Birds of a Feather," and every long answer is a bird pun. Easy. Saturday? Saturday wants to hurt your feelings. It relies on "misdirection." If a clue says "Lead in a play?", it’s probably not an actor. It’s probably the letter 'P'.
If you’re printing these out to practice, don't start with the weekends. You’ll just end up with a crumpled piece of paper and a headache. Start with the Tuesday or Wednesday grids to get a feel for Patti Varol’s current "vibe." Every editor has a "tell"—a specific type of wordplay they love. Rich Norris loved a good pun; Varol brings a slightly more modern, inclusive vocabulary to the mix that feels fresh.
Dealing with the "Print-to-PDF" nightmare
Sometimes you hit "print" and the grid looks like it was designed for ants. Or the clues are formatted in a way that uses four pages of paper for no reason.
If you're trying to save ink, look for the "ink-saver" mode in the print dialogue. Usually, this removes the heavy black blocks and replaces them with light grey or just outlines. Also, if you’re using a browser like Chrome or Safari, try the "Print Selection" trick. Highlight just the grid and clues, right-click, and hit print. It strips away the sidebars, the ads for "10 Stars Who Look Different Now," and the navigation menus.
What most people get wrong about the LA Times syndicate
People often get confused because they see the same puzzle in their local small-town paper and on the LA Times site. That’s the power of syndication. The LA Times crossword is one of the most widely distributed puzzles in the world.
This means if the main site is down, you can almost always find the printable LA Times crossword on sites like the Seattle Times, the Chicago Tribune, or even international outlets. They all license the same content. If one site has a clunky printing interface, just jump to another one. The grid is identical. The clues are identical. The only thing that changes is the website's CSS.
The gear you actually need
Look, if you’re going to be a "printable" person, stop using the cheap ballpoint pen from the bank. It smudges. It skips.
Get a Palomino Blackwing pencil if you want to feel fancy. If you’re a "pen only" solver (you brave soul), use a Pilot G2 0.5mm. The fine tip lets you write small, which is essential when the puzzle creator decides to throw a "rebus" at you. A rebus is when you have to squeeze an entire word—like "HEART" or "STAR"—into a single square. Try doing that with a Sharpie. You can't.
Is it still worth it in 2026?
With all the apps out there—NYT Games, Spelling Bee, Wordle—why bother with a printable LA Times crossword?
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Honestly? Memory. Studies, including some often cited by neurologists like Dr. Murali Doraiswamy, suggest that the physical act of writing aids in cognitive retention far better than tapping a screen. There’s a "spatial" memory involved in knowing where a clue was on the page. Plus, there is no "check word" button on a piece of paper. You have to sit with your mistakes. You have to wonder if 42-Down is really "ALOE" or if it’s "ACNE." That tension is where the brain workout actually happens.
Troubleshooting common printing issues
If your printer is spitting out blank pages or weird symbols, it’s usually a JavaScript conflict with the puzzle player.
- Disable Ad-Blockers: Just for the print page. Sometimes they see the "print" pop-up as an ad and kill it.
- Check the "Background Graphics" box: In your print settings, make sure this is checked. Otherwise, the black squares in the grid might come out white, and you’ll just have a giant box of empty squares.
- Update your PDF viewer: If you're downloading the puzzle as a PDF first, make sure you aren't using an outdated version of Acrobat.
Actionable steps for your daily solve
Stop aimlessly googling for the puzzle every morning. It wastes time and usually leads you to "scraper" sites that are full of malware.
- Bookmark a syndicate page: Use the Washington Post or the Seattle Times crossword page. Their print layouts are consistently better than the native LA Times player.
- Invest in a clipboard: If you're solving on the couch or in bed, a cheap clipboard makes the "printable" experience 100% better.
- Join the community: Check out "Crossword Fiend" or "Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword" (he often covers the LAT too). If you get stuck on a clue after you've printed it, these blogs explain the "why" behind the answer.
- Create a "Puzzle Folder": If you’re traveling, print out five or six puzzles at once. Most sites allow you to access the archives for the last week. A stack of LA Times puzzles is the perfect companion for a flight where the Wi-Fi is spotty.
Getting the printable LA Times crossword shouldn't be the hardest part of your morning. Once you find the right syndicate link and dial in your printer settings, you're set. No apps, no pings, no distractions—just you, a pencil, and a grid that’s probably going to make you annoyed at how clever the word "OUIJA" can be clued.
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The best way to start is to go to your preferred syndicate site right now, hit Ctrl+P, and see how the grid looks on your screen. If the clues are legible and the boxes are square, you've found your new daily source. Forget the digital noise; the paper grid is where the real satisfaction lives.