Every autumn, people start looking for next year's calendar: a wall calendar for the kitchen, a planner for the desk, a team calendar with holidays and deadlines, or a photo calendar as a gift. Making your own as a PDF lets you choose exactly what goes on it and print as many copies as you need.
Decide on the layout
- Yearly on one page: all twelve months on a single sheet. Good for planning leave and spotting dates at a glance.
- Monthly, one page per month: room to write appointments. The classic wall or desk calendar.
- Weekly: for detailed planning; best as a planner rather than a wall calendar.
For a gift, a monthly calendar with a photo above each month is the most popular format.
Check the dates
Small mistakes are common in homemade calendars. Before you design anything, confirm:
- 1 January 2027 is a Friday.
- 2027 is not a leap year, so February has 28 days.
- Week numbers, if you include them, follow the convention your country or company uses (ISO weeks start on Monday).
Add holidays carefully
Public holidays vary by country, region and sometimes by employer. Use an official government list for your country rather than a random website, and double-check moveable holidays such as Easter, which falls on 28 March in 2027. If the calendar is for a team across countries, mark each country's holidays clearly.
Build it
You have several options:
- A spreadsheet: seven columns for days, one block per month. Easy to adjust, then export to PDF.
- A word processor or design tool template: most include calendar templates you can edit and export.
- An online calendar generator: produces a PDF directly; check the output carefully.
Whichever you use, export the final version to PDF so fonts and spacing stay exactly as designed on every printer.
Add photos
For a photo calendar, choose landscape photos for a wide layout, and make sure each photo is at least 1,500 pixels wide for a crisp A4 or letter print. Phone photos are usually fine. If your images are HEIC, convert them first; see how to convert HEIC to PDF.
Combine the months into one file
If you make each month as a separate PDF, combine them into one file in the right order: cover, January to December, and an optional back page. A browser tool like Docento.app can merge PDFs and reorder pages locally, without uploading your family photos anywhere. See how to combine PDF files.
Printing tips
- Paper: 120 to 200 gsm for a wall calendar, so it does not curl or show through.
- Margins: home printers cannot print to the edge; leave at least 5 mm.
- Binding: a print shop can add a wire binding and a hanging hook for a small fee. Send them the PDF.
- Double-sided: for a desk flip calendar, see how to print a PDF double-sided.
Takeaway
Pick a layout, check the dates (1 January 2027 is a Friday and February has 28 days), add holidays from official sources, design in a spreadsheet or template, and export to PDF. Merge the months into one file and print on heavier paper for a calendar that lasts the year.
