Label Planet
Here's how to fix the most common template troubles.
Scroll down to view all of the solutions or click on the headings below to jump straight to the solution you need.
TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEMS - BEFORE YOU PRINT
I can’t edit my template…
I can’t see the outlines of the labels in my Word template…
My Word template has split onto two pages…
When I add images to my Word template they disappear behind my template/are only partially visible…
My images/shapes/text boxes won’t move where I want them to go in my Word template…
TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEMS - AFTER YOU PRINT
My printer won’t accept my label sheets or tries to print from the wrong tray…
My label sheets are jamming in my printer…
There are white bits at the edges of my labels where there should be a coloured background…
My printer cuts off my designs at the edge of my label sheets…
My template is printing out out misaligned…
How to fix problems with label templates before you print.
I can’t edit my template…
If you’ve downloaded a template but can’t make changes to it, your device has probably locked it for security reasons. There should be a (yellow) banner across the page with an "Enable Editing" button, which you can click to unlock the file.
Alternatively, your software may not be able to edit the file format of your template. To open a file, your software must be able to READ the file format used to store that file. To make changes to that file, your software must also be able to EDIT that format. Some software can READ but not EDIT a particular format. For example, the basic version of Adobe Reader can READ the .pdf format (so you can view PDF templates) but cannot EDIT that format (so you can’t edit PDF templates).
Our Word templates use the .docx format, which can be edited by word processing software such as Word, Pages etc. Our PDF templates use the .pdf format, which can be edited by graphics packages such as InDesign, Photoshop etc. Check the help section of your software or the supplier's website to find out which file formats it can edit.
I can’t see the outlines of the labels in my Word template…
Table Gridlines are turned OFF. Left click once in the middle of your template, select the Table Tools “Layout” tab at the top of the page, and click “View Gridlines” (Word 2007 onwards, Word For Mac 2016).
My Word template has split onto two pages…
- You may have added lines of text above the template. Left click once above the top dotted edge of your template. If your cursor moves to this position, you have extra lines. Remove them using the “Delete” key on your keyboard.
- Word may have “helpfully” resized your template to allow your content to fit. Check the labels and gaps to make sure they are still the correct size. Left click inside a label or gap. Select the Table Tools “Layout” tab at the top of the page; the width and height boxes will indicate the size of that label or gap.
- If you are using Pages AND your labels have very small gaps between each row, your template will have been resized. Pages has a minimum table row height of 2.8mm. Any template using a smaller row height will automatically be adjusted to the default minimum. You need to delete the rows that represent the gaps between your labels and increase the height of the labels to include the gaps.
When I add images to my Word template they disappear behind my template/are only partially visible…
Word prioritises text, so items that could contain text (including the template itself) may be moved in front of any images that you add. Left click on your image once, select the Picture Tools “Format” tab at the top of the page, and use the “Bring Forward” options to move your image forward. If this doesn’t work, click on “Wrap Text” and select “In Front Of Text”.
My images/shapes/text boxes won’t move where I want them to go in my Word template…
If you move images, shapes, or text boxes but find that they jump to a different position (or back to their original position), you need to change the “Wrap Text” format. Left click once on your image, shape, or text box and select the Picture Tools “Format” tab (images) or Drawing Tools “Format” tab (shapes & text boxes) at the top of the page. Look for the “Wrap Text” button and select “Tight” (if this doesn’t help, try “In Front Of Text”).
How to fix problems with label templates after you print.
My printer won’t accept my label sheets or tries to print from the wrong tray…
If your template and printer settings don't agree, your printer may refuse to print your labels. "Smart" printers often try to anticipate what you are doing and "help". For example, a printer may detect that you are printing a template and automatically divert that file to the media bypass tray. Make sure your label sheets and tray guides are correctly positioned. Check your printer’s properties are set to an A4 page size and the correct tray is selected.
If you are printing a Word template, check if Word has assigned a tray to your template document. Click on "File" and "Print"; click on "Page Setup". Select the "Paper" tab and check what tray setting is selected under "Paper source". If the wrong tray is selected (or if the document is set to Default/Auto), try selecting the tray you want to use to print your labels and click OK).
Some printers have page orientation settings. If you load your labels against the orientation your printer is set to, your sheets may be rejected. Check if your printer offers “Narrow Edge Leading” (N.E.L.) or “Wide Edge Leading” (W.E.L) settings. Select N.E.L. and load your sheets into your printer narrow edge first (portrait).
We help where we can but we are not printer experts. Consult the manual or contact the manufacturer if you experience particular difficulties with your printer.
My label sheets are jamming in my printer…
- Always feed your labels into your printer narrow edge leading (portrait) - especially paper labels. Paper has a grain (like wood) running top to bottom of a portrait sheet. Feeding labels against the grain often resullts in jamming. Our label layouts are also designed specifically for printed narrow edge leading.
- Over time, the rollers in your printer accumulate dust and ink/toner residue, which prevents them from processing sheets properly. Clean the rollers with acetone (e.g. a non-oily nail varnish remover) and, if you regularly print labels, use a label remover to remove adhesive residue.
- The printing process stresses the materials used to make your labels and they may separate from the backing sheet if fed through a printer more than once.
- If you are using a laser printer, there may be an issue with your print settings or fuser unit. Your labels won't feed properly if your printer gets too hot. Try a different print setting (e.g. “Medium Paper” instead of “Heavy Paper”) or, if your fuser unit is hotter than normal, contact the manufacturer, supplier, or a technician for further assistance.
There are white bits at the edges of my labels where there should be a coloured background…
Your alignment is slightly wrong OR your printer isn’t accurate enough to print in exactly the right position. If the alignment is correct, OVERSIZE your background so it overlaps each label slightly. Note that if there are no gaps between your labels, you can only oversize your background if the colours match.
My printer cuts off my designs at the edge of my label sheets…
Most desktop printers can't print the full area of an A4 sheet. Most label layouts include selvedges (blank spaces) at the edges of each sheet to account for the “unprintable” area. However, some layouts don't have selvedges and some printers have larger unprintable areas. If your designs get cut off, use a printer with “borderless” or “edge-to-edge” printing or adjust your design so it sits inside the printable area on every label.
My template is printing out misaligned...
First, check what type of misalignment you see:
- My designs are all misaligned in the SAME DIRECTION by the SAME AMOUNT.
- My designs get GRADUALLY WORSE OR BETTER down/across/out from the centre of the sheet.
MY DESIGNS ARE ALL MISALIGNED IN THE SAME DIRECTION BY THE SAME AMOUNT
Often caused by a printer’s starting print position, this is fixed by adjusting the page margins of your template as follows:
My label designs are too high – increase the top page margin.
My label designs are too low – decrease the top page margin.
My label designs are too far left – increase the left page margin.
My label designs are too far right – decrease the left page margin.
In Word, adjust the page margins by clicking on the Layout tab. Click on Margins and select Custom Margins.
MY DESIGNS GET GRADUALLY WORSE OR BETTER DOWN/ACROSS/OUT FROM THE CENTRE OF THE SHEET
This can be caused by printer/software settings or a mismatch between your labels and template. Try these three troubleshooting steps:
STEP ONE: CHECK YOUR PRINTER
1. Go into Printer Properties / Printing Preferences and confirm that:
- The page size is A4.
- No scaling options are applied. Print at 100% and/or at "Actual Size". Turn off "Fit to/Resize to" options.
- Turn off options such as "Ignore Printer Settings" or "Use Default/Driver Settings".
You should use the media bypass tray to print labels, if your printer has one. Select the correct source tray in your printer's settings FIRST before checking the rest of the settings.
2. If your printer has a manual menu panel built in, use it to check that the correct settings have been stored.
3. Make sure your printer has the correct print driver installed by:
- Running your device’s main update tool (e.g. Windows Updates / Mac App Store).
- Using software supplied with your printer or the built in menu panel.
- Visiting the support section of the manufacturer's website.
STEP TWO: CHECK YOUR SOFTWARE
1. If you are using design/graphics software (like InDesign), try printing your completed template from simpler software (like Adobe Reader).
2. If you are using Word, check the correct Page Setup and Print Options are being used.
2a. PAGE SETUP (Click on File, then Print, and select Page Setup. Click on the Page tab)
- The page size should be set to A4 – 210mm wide by 297mm high.
- The correct paper source should be selected (this is the tray you will use to print your labels).
2b. PRINT OPTIONS (Click on File, and click on Options. Select Advanced and scroll down to the Print section)
- "Scale content for A4 paper sizes” should be turned off.
- “Print pages in reverse order” should be turned off.
- The “Default tray” setting should be set to “Use printer settings”.
STEP THREE: CHECK YOUR TEMPLATE & LABELS
We sell multiple sizes with the same number of labels per sheet so always check you’ve got the right template and labels.
TEMPLATES: our templates display their relevant product code in the template itself and in the file name. Your software will also have tools to indicate the measurements of the template. In Word, check the page margins by clicking on the Layout tab and selecting Margins, then Custom Margins. Check the size of the labels and any gaps by clicking on the Table Tools Layout tab. NB: you need to click within the template first to bring up this tab.
LABELS: Measure your labels, gaps, and margins to make sure they are the correct size.
When fixing alignment issues, always test print your template onto paper to avoid wasting labels. Set up your printer exactly as you would for your labels. Place your test print behind your labels and carefully hold both up to a light source to check the alignment.
Misalignment also occurs when sheets slip or rotate during printing. Your designs will print at the correct size and position relative to one another BUT in the wrong position on your sheets. They may sit too high/low/left/right OR may have rotated. While the issues discussed above cause the same pattern of misalignment on every sheet, this issue will cause different alignment issues on every sheet. Try:
- Using the media bypass tray and ensuring the tray guides are firmly positioned against your sheets. If your printer doesn’t have a media bypass tray (or has misaligned rollers), you may not be able to correct the problem. You will need to create designs that can account for movement or use a different printer.
- Cleaning your printer. Sheets are more likely to slip or rotate when your printer's rollers become worn or dirty. Try cleaning the rollers with acetone (e.g. a non-oily nail varnish remover) and, if you regularly print labels, a label remover (to remove build-up of adhesive residue) or use another (newer) printer.
Hopefully the tips above will solve any issues that you encounter while printing labels; if these solutions haven’t fixed your problem or if your problem wasn’t listed here, please get in touch with our Customer Service Team so that we can assist you with the particular issue you are experiencing.
You can also read our Label Printing Guide, our list of Top Tips, and our Label Blog for more helpful hints.
Remember, you can always Request A Sample to practice printing your own labels (& resolve any potential printing problems without wasting the sheets that you buy from us).