The settings that matter
Four settings decide whether name badges land on the labels:
- Scale: Actual size / 100%. Turn off “Fit to page”, “Fit to printable area” and “Shrink oversized pages”.
- Paper size: the same as the sheet, US Letter or A4.
- Paper type: Labels, Cardstock or Heavyweight, whichever matches the stock.
- Two-sided printing off, one page per sheet.
Then print page 1 on plain paper and check it against a real sheet before you use the badge stock.
Scaling is the one that ruins most badge runs. Many print dialogs shrink a PDF to fit the paper by default. On screen everything looks fine; on paper each badge is a few percent small and the rows creep off their labels. Name Badge Creator’s PDFs are the exact page size of your sheet, so there is nothing to fit: check that the dialog prints them as they are, every time.
Badges drift off the sheet
- Scale
- Fit to printable area
- Paper size
- A4 (sheet is Letter)
- Paper type
- Plain paper
- Two-sided
- On
Printed at about 94%
Badges land on the labels
- Scale
- Actual size / 100%
- Paper size
- Letter, same as the PDF
- Paper type
- Labels or Heavyweight
- Two-sided
- Off
Printed at 100%, exact size
| Printing from | Set this | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome or Microsoft Edge | Open More settings. Set Scale to Default or Actual size, or choose Custom and type 100. Check Paper size, and leave “Print on both sides” off. | Fit to printable area, Fit to paper, Fit to page |
| Adobe Acrobat or Reader | Under Page Sizing & Handling, choose Actual size. Untick “Print on both sides of paper”. | Fit, Shrink oversized pages, Multiple, Booklet |
| Preview on a Mac | Choose Scale: 100%, the right Paper Size, Two-Sided off. The paper type is under Media & Quality (or Paper Type/Quality on older versions). | Scale to Fit |
| Windows printer settings | In Printing preferences, set media or paper type to Labels or Heavyweight, any Reduce/Enlarge or Zoom to 100%, and Borderless off. | Fit to page, Poster, pages per sheet above 1 |
If a browser’s built-in PDF viewer keeps scaling, download the PDF and print it from Adobe Acrobat Reader or Preview instead.
Print a test page first
A sheet of badge labels costs far more than a sheet of copy paper, so check alignment on the cheap paper first. Our sheet layouts use the manufacturers’ published dimensions, and every printer feeds a little differently, so this check is worth doing on any new printer.
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Step 1: Print page 1 on plain paper
Same printer, same settings you will use for the real run: Actual size, the right paper size, two-sided off.
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Step 2: Lay it on a real sheet
Put the printed page on top of an unused badge sheet, edges matched, both the same way up.
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Step 3: Hold both up to the light
A window or a lamp behind them shows the label edges through the paper. Every badge should sit inside its label with an even border.
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Step 4: Measure any offset
If the print sits off, measure with a ruler at the top-left and bottom-right labels. The two numbers tell you which fix you need (below).
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Lined up
Print the real sheets.
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Same offset everywhere
The printer feeds a little off. Use the printer nudge.
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Worse toward the edges
The PDF was scaled. Print at Actual size.
Fixing badges that don't line up
The pattern of the error tells you the cause. Compare the offset at the top of the sheet with the offset at the bottom.
| What you see | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Every badge is off by the same amount, in the same direction | The printer feeds the paper slightly off center. Common, and different from printer to printer. | Use the printer nudge at export: move the page by the measured amount in millimeters. It only shifts, it never resizes. |
| Badges drift more the further they are from the middle, and look slightly small | The PDF was scaled to fit the paper. | Print at Actual size / 100%. Don’t try to fix scaling with the nudge. |
| Edges cut off, or a strip missing at one side | Wrong paper size (A4 PDF on Letter, or the reverse), or a design that runs into the printer’s unprintable margin. | Match the paper size to the sheet. For edge-to-edge color, use cardstock with crop marks or a print shop. |
| Smudges, or ink that stays wet on stickers | Plain-paper setting, or label stock made for laser printers used in an inkjet. | Choose Labels or Heavyweight paper type, buy stock made for your kind of printer, and let ink dry before peeling. |
| Badges are tilted | The paper fed in skewed. | Slide the paper guides snug, load fewer sheets, or feed one at a time from the manual or rear tray. |
| Page 1 is fine but page 2 is off | Two-sided printing, or sheets fed from different trays. | Turn two-sided off and print every page from the same tray. |
Worked example of the nudge: the test page shows every printed outline 1.5 mm to the right of its label and 1 mm too low, at the top and at the bottom of the sheet. Set the nudge to 1.5 mm left and 1 mm up, print the plain-paper test again, and it should sit centered. Save it with the project so the next reprint on that printer comes out right.
Partly used sheets
Printed five badges last week and have half a sheet left? Set the start position before exporting: the first empty label, counted left to right and then top to bottom. The PDF leaves the used positions blank, and every later sheet starts at position 1 again.
Check the pack’s instructions before re-feeding a sheet with gaps. Exposed backing can catch inside some printers, laser printers in particular, so if the pack says not to re-feed partly used sheets, don’t. Perforated insert sheets with cards already torn out are also more likely to jam; feed them one at a time.
Paper type and printer choice
- Buy stock made for your printer. Inkjet and laser label sheets are coated differently. Laser stock in an inkjet smudges; inkjet stock in a laser can curl or come unstuck from the heat.
- Set the paper type. Labels, Cardstock, Heavyweight or Matte, whichever your driver offers for the stock. It changes how the printer feeds and how much ink it puts down.
- Use the straightest paper path. Many printers have a rear or manual feed for thick media. Check the printer’s maximum paper weight before buying heavy cardstock.
- Let it dry. Give inkjet prints a few minutes before peeling stickers or stacking inserts.
- PVC cards need a card printer (or a print shop). Office printers can’t feed plastic cards; choose one card per page with no bleed for a card printer.
Which sheet fits which holder, in inches and millimeters, is on the name badge sizes page. For the most common sheets there are ready layouts: Avery 5395-compatible adhesive badges (8 per sheet), Avery 5392-compatible 4 × 3 in inserts (6 per sheet) and Avery 5390-compatible 3½ × 2¼ in inserts (8 per sheet).
Cutting cardstock badges
Plain cardstock works for any size, from 3½ × 2¼ in cards to 4 × 6 in lanyard badges. Name Badge Creator tiles the badges on the page with at least 6.35 mm (0.25 in) of margin and crop marks outside the badges. With bleed on, badges get a 3 mm gap so each has its own edge; without bleed they can share cut lines when that fits more on the sheet. On US Letter that’s 9 badges of 3½ × 2¼ in, 6 of 4 × 3 in or 2 of 4 × 6 in.
- Bleed: background color and artwork run 3 mm (about ⅛ in) past the cut line, so a slightly off cut never leaves a white edge.
- Trim: the finished badge size, where the blade goes.
- Safe area: keep names and logos at least 3 mm inside the trim.
- Crop marks: short lines outside the badge that line up with the trim. Cut from mark to mark.
- Use a paper trimmer or a metal ruler and a sharp craft knife on a cutting mat. Scissors rarely give straight edges on card.
- Cut from crop mark to crop mark. Make all the long cuts first, then cut each strip into badges.
- Cut one sheet before the rest to check that the badges come out the right size for your holders.
Sending badges to a print shop
For PVC cards, pin or magnetic badges, or a large run on heavy card, send files to a print shop or an office print center. Export single badges, one per page, with 3 mm (about ⅛ in) bleed and crop marks, or a ZIP of PNG images at 300 or 600 dpi if the shop asks for images. Before you order, ask:
- What card weight or material, and is lamination available?
- Can they cut to your badge size, round the corners or punch a slot for a clip?
- What safe area do they need? Keep names at least 3 mm inside the trim either way.
- Can they print a single proof before the full run?
Starting from scratch? How to make name tags covers choosing the material and designing for readability, or open the editor with the 5395-compatible layout and import your list on the name badge creator.
About our sheet layouts