Print Settings

The most common support request we receive is: "My labels are printing slightly off-center." This is almost always due to printer dialog settings.

Common Printer Dialogs

When you click "Print" in your PDF viewer, a system dialog opens. The options vary by OS, but look for these keywords.

1. Scaling / Size (CRITICAL)

You must ensure the document prints at exactly 100% size.

• Select: Actual Size or scale: 100% or Custom Scale: 100.
• Avoid: Fit to Page, Shrink to Fit, Fit to Printable Area.
  • Why? "Fit to Page" usually shrinks the content by 3-5% to ensure margins are safe, which ruins the alignment of physical labels.

Image Placeholder: [Screenshot of Mac and Windows print dialogs highlighting the "100%" / "Actual Size" option]

2. Paper Size

Ensure the paper size in the printer settings matches your template.

• If you designed for A4, select A4 in the printer dialog.
• If you designed for Letter, select Letter.
• Mismatching these will cause drift (alignment gets worse further down the page).

3. Orientation

• Auto-rotate and Center: Usually safe to leave checked.
• Ensure portrait/landscape matches your design.

Troubleshooting Alignment

If your labels are consistently off:

"Drift" (Alignment gets worse at bottom of page)

• This is a scaling issue. Check Scale: 100%.
• Check if you put Letter paper in an A4 slot (or vice versa).

"Shift" (Offset by same amount everywhere)

• E.g., Every label is 2mm too far left.
• Fix in Designer: Go to Page Settings.
  • If printing too far Left -> Increase Left Margin.
  • If printing too High -> Increase Top Margin.

Test Page Strategy

Never print on expensive label paper first!

1. Print one page on standard plain paper.
2. Take a sheet of your label paper.
3. Hold them together up to a bright light (window or lamp).
4. See if the printed lines align with the die-cut peel borders.
5. Only print the full batch once alignment is verified.