Amazing Grace, Printed as a Page From an Old Hymnal

This printable sets Amazing Grace as a page from an old hymnal. The music runs across treble and bass staves on paper toned like aged sepia stock, John Newton is named above the first line, and the tune NEW BRITAIN closes the page. Anyone who grew up singing from a hymn book will recognize the look at once, and it gives a music room or a hallway something worth reading up close. You get four JPG ratios and a PDF.

John Newton's hymn and the tune on the page

John Newton wrote Amazing Grace, and it was first published in 1779. He tells it in the first person, as an account of his own life, and its best-known line borrows the words of the man healed of blindness in John 9:25: 'I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.' Grace in the hymn finds a person before they go looking for it, then carries them 'through many dangers, toils, and snares.' The page pairs the words with the tune NEW BRITAIN in Common Meter, marked 8.6.8.6 for its alternating lines of eight and six syllables. The first stanza runs under the notes, and four more stanzas follow below the music, the way a hymnal lays out a hymn for a congregation.

What the hymnal page looks like

The design follows the look of a hymnal from the early 1900s. A hymn number sits in the top left corner and the meter mark in the top right, with the title centered above the music in a plain serif. Newton's name stands at the left above the first system of notes. The notation is printed in dark ink on paper toned like old sepia stock, lighter in the middle and deeper toward the edges, with a fine texture across the whole sheet. Below the music the remaining stanzas are set in two narrow columns, and the tune name NEW BRITAIN closes the page in spaced capitals. The music engraving is the only image on the page.

Where it hangs and who it suits

Above an upright piano or next to a music stand is the obvious place, because the page looks as if it came off the rack. A hallway or a reading corner works as well, anywhere people stop long enough to follow a few bars. For gifts, think of grandparents who still know the hymn by heart, or a pastor or worship leader you want to thank. It also marks a baptism or a confirmation, and framed it makes a Christmas present or a Mother's Day or Father's Day gift for someone who sings in church. The sepia tone sits comfortably in a wooden frame, and a cream mat gives the page some room.

Files, sizes and printing the sepia tones

You receive four JPG files, one for each ratio: 2:3, 3:4, 4:5 and 11:14, plus a PDF that holds all four. Together they cover frames from 4x6 up to 24x36 inches, as the table below shows. The files hold 300 DPI up to 16x20 and 18x24 inches. At the poster sizes above that they still print at more than 200 DPI, which stays clear at the distance a poster is usually seen from. The aged paper color is part of the image, so plain white paper works fine, while a natural white or cream matte stock warms the vintage look a little more. Fine-art paper suits the small notation. Before ordering a large copy, make a small test print to see how your printer handles the brown tones.

Sizes and formats: 300 DPI up to 16x20 and 18x24, 200+ DPI at poster sizes

Frequently asked questions

Which stanzas are printed on the page?

The first stanza runs under the notes across both lines of music. Four further stanzas follow below in two columns, starting with ''Twas grace that taught my heart to fear' and ending with 'When we've been there ten thousand years.' The tune name NEW BRITAIN and the meter, Common Meter 8.6.8.6, sit at the foot of the page.

Is the aged paper look printed into the file?

Yes. The sepia color, the darker edges and the fine paper texture are all part of the image, so the page looks aged even on ordinary white paper. A cream or natural white matte paper makes the effect slightly warmer. Glossy photo paper also works, though it adds glare behind glass and makes the old paper look less convincing.

How large can I print it before it looks soft?

The files hold 300 DPI up to 16x20 and 18x24 inches. At poster sizes such as 20x30 or 24x36 the resolution is still above 200 DPI. From a normal viewing distance that looks sharp, although the small type in the stanza columns loses some crispness if you study a poster from very close.

Which file do I use for an 8x10 or 11x14 frame?

Use the 4:5 file for 8x10. The same file also fits 4x5, 16x20 and 20x25 frames. For 11x14 there is a separate 11:14 file, so nothing has to be cropped. If your frame comes with a mat, measure the mat opening, since that is the area your print fills, and pick the file that matches it.

Is there a canvas version of this hymn page?

Yes. The shop also sells this same Amazing Grace hymnal page as a stretched canvas that arrives ready to hang. This listing is the printable version: you get the digital files and decide on the paper, size and frame yourself. Choose the canvas if you would like a finished piece delivered to your door.