We’re excited to introduce the completely redesigned 2026 edition of our Periodic Table of the Elements printable, updated, refined, and better than ever.
If you’ve been using our original periodic table printable, first of all — thank you! It’s been our most popular download for years and we’re incredibly proud of how many classrooms it has found its way into across the UK (and beyond!). But science moves on, and so do we.
What’s New in the 2026 Edition?
The most significant update to this edition is that all data has been completely revised to align with the Royal Society of Chemistry’s 2024 periodic table. The RSC is the UK’s leading authority on chemistry, and their periodic table is the most widely referenced version in British schools, colleges, and universities. By aligning our printable with RSC data, teachers can be confident that the atomic weights, element names, and classifications shown are accurate, current, and consistent with what students will encounter in their KS3, GCSE, and A-Level studies.
Several elements have been updated since our original version. Elements 113 to 118, which were previously unnamed and shown with temporary placeholder names, now all have their official IUPAC-recognised names: Nihonium (Nh), Flerovium (Fl), Moscovium (Mc), Livermorium (Lv), Tennessine (Ts), and Oganesson (Og). These have been correctly classified and colour coded in the new edition.
Atomic weights throughout the table have also been reviewed and updated where the RSC 2024 data differs from our original version, ensuring every figure shown is as accurate as possible.
Understanding the Colour Coding
One of the most useful features of our periodic table is the colour coding system, which follows the RSC’s official group classifications. Each of the 12 colours represents a different element category, making it easy for students to identify where each element belongs at a glance:
- Hydrogen — the only element in its own unique category, sitting apart from the Alkali Metals despite occupying the Group 1 column. Hydrogen behaves so differently from every other element that it deserves its own colour entirely
- Alkali Metals (Group 1) — highly reactive metals that react vigorously with water, including Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium
- Alkaline Earth Metals (Group 2) — reactive metals with similar but less extreme properties, including Magnesium and Calcium
- Transition Metals (Groups 3–12) — the large central block of metals including Iron, Copper, Gold, and Silver
- Group 13 — a mixed collection including Boron, Aluminium, and Gallium
- Group 14 — includes Carbon, Silicon, and Germanium
- Group 15 — includes Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Arsenic
- Group 16 — includes Oxygen, Sulfur, and Selenium
- Halogens (Group 17) — highly reactive non-metals that form salts, including Fluorine, Chlorine, and Iodine
- Noble Gases (Group 18) — completely unreactive gases including Helium, Neon, and Argon
- Lanthanides — a series of rare earth metals shown in the first row below the main table, from Lanthanum to Lutetium
- Actinides — a series of largely radioactive elements shown in the second row below the main table, from Actinium to Lawrencium
Atomic weights shown in brackets indicate radioactive elements where no stable isotope exists — a convention taken directly from the RSC table that helps students understand which elements are unstable.
Who Is This Printable For?
This printable has been designed with teachers in mind, but it’s useful for anyone who needs a reliable, attractive periodic table to hand. Whether you’re a secondary school science teacher looking for a classroom display, a student wanting a desk reference for revision, a home educator working through a chemistry curriculum, or simply someone who loves science, this printable delivers everything you need in a clean, easy to read A4 format that prints beautifully on any standard home or school printer.
The A4 format means it works equally well as a single desk reference sheet, laminated as a classroom poster, or displayed on a science department noticeboard.
Pair It With Our Periodic Table Stickers
Love this printable? Why not take your periodic table displays to the next level with our Periodic Table of the Elements Sticker Collection? Featuring all 118 elements across three sticker packs (sold separately), the stickers use the same colour coding system as this printable, so teachers can build stunning classroom wall displays that are fully consistent and visually cohesive. Individual element stickers make brilliant reward stickers too — imagine awarding a Gold (Au) sticker for top marks or an Einsteinium (Es) sticker for academic excellence!
Also Available in Black & White
If you need a version that works on a standard photocopier or for bulk classroom printing, we also have a black and white edition of this periodic table available to download. Rather than colour coding, the black and white version uses a clever letter-based system to identify element categories, with an added bonus — it also identifies Metalloids, elements that sit on the boundary between metals and non-metals, which aren’t explicitly labelled in the colour edition. Whether you need one for photocopying for a whole class or simply prefer a printer-friendly option, the black and white version is just as accurate and just as useful.
