How to print labels that line up

When text creeps off the labels, it is rarely the template. It is usually the print dialog quietly resizing the page. Here is how to find which problem you have and fix it in one or two test prints.

Updated 9 October 2026 · 5 min read

Step 1: print at 100% scale

A label PDF only works if every millimetre on screen becomes exactly one millimetre on paper. Most print dialogs have a default that shrinks the page slightly so nothing touches the printer's unprintable edge. That is fine for documents and ruins labels.

Where to look, depending on what you print from:

• Adobe Acrobat Reader: under Page Sizing & Handling, choose Actual size. Not Fit and not Shrink oversized pages.
• Chrome and Edge (PDF opened in the browser): open the extra settings in the print dialog and set Scale to Actual size where it is offered, or to Custom with 100. Avoid Fit to page, Fit to paper or Fit to printable area.
• macOS Preview: in the print dialog set Scale to 100%, not Scale to Fit.
• The printer driver itself: some drivers have their own “fit to page”, “borderless” or “auto reduce” option in Preferences or Properties. Turn it off.

Menu names vary between versions and printer brands. What you're looking for is any option that mentions fit, shrink, reduce or a percentage that isn't 100.

Why a few percent matters

Scaling errors grow as you move down the page. On a 5160 sheet the bottom row ends 10.5 in from the top edge. Printing at 97% puts that row about 0.3 in (8 mm) too high, which is most of a one-inch label. The top row looks almost right, which is why this problem is so easy to misread as a bad template.

Step 2: match the paper size

Letter (8½ × 11 in, 215.9 × 279.4 mm) and A4 (210 × 297 mm) are close enough to be confused and different enough to break a label layout. Check three places:

1. The template: 5xxx and 8xxx codes are Letter, L7xxx and J8xxx codes are A4. The label generator sets the PDF page size from the template you pick.
2. The print dialog: the paper size must match the PDF. If the PDF is A4 and the dialog says Letter, the printer will either crop or scale it.
3. The printer's tray setting: many printers also store a paper size per tray. If it disagrees with the dialog, some printers pause and ask, and some print anyway with an offset.

If you're in Europe and bought labels online from a US seller, check the box: you may have Letter sheets. Our Letter vs A4 guide explains what to do then.

Step 3: test on plain paper

Label sheets are expensive and you can't reuse a misprinted one. Instead:

1. Turn on Border on labels or Cut lines in the generator so the label outlines print.
2. Print one page on ordinary paper with exactly the settings you will use for the real sheet.
3. Lay the test print on top of a label sheet and hold both against a window or a bright screen.
4. Compare the printed outlines with the label edges at the top-left, top-right, bottom-left and bottom-right corners.

Turn the borders off again before printing on the real labels, unless you want them.

Step 4: read the result

Correcting a constant offset

Some printers feed every page a millimetre or two off, always in the same direction. Once scaling and paper size are right, you can compensate in the template:

• Measure how far the test print is off, for example 1.5 mm too low and 1 mm too far right.
• In the generator, reduce Top margin by 1.5 mm and Left margin by 1 mm. If the print is too high or too far left, increase them instead.
• Changing any number switches the template to Custom; the label size and layout stay the same.
• Print another plain-paper test to confirm.

Write the corrected margins down. The offset belongs to your printer, so the same correction usually works for every sheet of that type, but you will need to re-enter it next time.

Design so small errors don't show

Even a well-adjusted printer can move a sheet by a fraction of a millimetre. A few habits hide that:

• Leave a margin inside each label. The generator keeps text 1.5 mm from the label edge. Avoid printing right up to the edge with backgrounds or borders.
• Centre the text block. Text centred vertically in the label tolerates small shifts better than text pinned to the top.
• Don't fill the label. If the PDF download warns that text was cut on some labels, reduce the font size rather than squeezing in another line.
• Know your unprintable edge. Most printers can't print in a strip of a few millimetres around the paper edge. On sheets where labels run to the edge, keep the text away from the outer side.

Feeding label sheets

• Use laser labels in laser printers and inkjet labels in inkjet printers. Inkjet ink can smear on laser labels, and inkjet labels may not handle a laser printer's heat well.
• If your printer has a manual feed slot or rear tray with a straighter paper path, use it for label sheets.
• Check the printer manual for which way up to load the sheets, and set the paper type to “labels” or “heavy paper” if that option exists.
• Fan the sheets before loading and put in only a few at a time to avoid double feeds.

Frequently asked questions