Printer dialog settings for thermal label printers

A perfectly cropped label can still print badly if the print dialog quietly resizes it. Most problems sellers report, such as labels printing small, cut off at one edge, or spread over two stickers, come from three or four settings in the dialog and the printer driver. Get these right once and they usually stay right.

The four settings that matter

Whichever browser or PDF viewer you print from, look for these:

• Scale: choose "Actual size", "100%" or "Default". Avoid "Fit to page", "Shrink oversized pages" and "Fit to printable area". The PDF is already the right size; fitting it again shrinks it.
• Margins: set to "None". Default margins push the label inward and can clip the bottom edge.
• Paper size: pick the size that matches your roll, for example 4x6 in or 100 × 150 mm. If it is missing, create a custom size in the printer driver.
• Orientation: leave it on automatic or portrait. CropMyLabel already turns labels sideways when that fits better, so forcing landscape in the dialog can rotate them twice.

Printing from Chrome or Edge

In the print dialog, open "More settings". Set Paper size to your label size, Margins to None, and Scale to Default or Custom at 100. Untick "Headers and footers" so the browser does not print the date and file name on your label. If the preview shows white bands around the label, the paper size does not match the PDF page size.

Printing on Windows and macOS

On Windows, open the printer’s Printing Preferences from Settings, then Printers. The paper or stock tab is where you set label width and height, and the gap between labels. Set these to match your roll exactly, then choose that size in the print dialog.

On macOS, use "Manage Custom Sizes" in the paper size menu to create a 4x6 or 3x5 size with all margins at zero. Save it with a clear name so you can pick it quickly next time.

Driver tips for desktop thermal printers

Most desktop thermal printers sold in India, including TSC, Zebra, TVS and Xprinter-style models, follow the same basic ideas even though their driver screens look different. These are general tips, not instructions from any manufacturer; check your printer’s own manual for exact menu names.

• Media type: shipping labels are usually direct thermal. Choose that rather than thermal transfer unless you use a ribbon.
• Media sensing: most rolls have a gap between labels. Set the sensor to gap (or web) rather than continuous or black mark, unless your stock has printed marks on the back.
• Calibrate after loading a new roll. Many printers calibrate with a button press or from the driver’s tools menu. Skipping this is the usual cause of labels drifting across two stickers.
• Darkness (or density): start in the middle of the range and raise it in small steps until barcodes are solid black without smudging.
• Speed: a slower print speed often gives cleaner barcodes, especially on cheaper labels.
• Resolution: most budget models print at 203 dpi. That is fine for shipping labels, as long as the label is not shrunk below its intended size.

When something is still off

If the label prints offset by a few millimetres, recalibrate and check the label width setting in the driver. If every second sticker is blank, the paper height is set larger than the actual label. If the label prints tiny in a corner, a "fit" option is still switched on somewhere, either in the browser or the driver. Fix one thing at a time and print a single test label after each change.