How to print labels on a sheet

Getting labels to line up is the whole problem. Print one test sheet on plain paper first.

Label sheets come in fixed layouts, and the printing must line up with the die-cut labels. Being two millimetres out means every label is skewed.

Step-by-step

1. Choose a layout matching your sheets.
2. Enter your text, the same on every label or different per label.
3. Print a test on plain paper and hold it against a label sheet.
4. Print for real once alignment is right.

The test sheet is not optional

Label sheets are expensive and a misaligned run wastes all of them. One sheet of plain paper held up to the light against a label sheet shows immediately whether the layout is correct, and it costs nothing.

Turn off scaling

The usual culprit. "Fit to page" shrinks the layout slightly, which is invisible on ordinary printing and fatal for labels — everything drifts progressively further out across the sheet. Set 100% or actual size.

Feeding the sheets

• Use the manual feed where possible; label sheets are stiffer than paper.
• One sheet at a time avoids two feeding together.
• Do not reuse partly used sheets in a laser printer — the exposed adhesive can come away and stick inside.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my labels shifting down the page?

Print scaling is on. Even a small reduction accumulates down the sheet, so the top labels look nearly right and the bottom ones are badly out. Set scaling to 100%.

Can I put different text on each label?

Yes — enter them individually, or repeat one address across the sheet.

Can I reuse a partly used sheet?

Not in a laser printer. Exposed adhesive can detach inside the machine. Inkjets are more forgiving but still risky.