Why Is My Printer Only Printing Half the Label Sheet?

It's rarely the template. Every Dashleigh template is a full US Letter page; the cut-off happens where your computer hands the page to the printer. Work through these checks in order, printing on plain paper as you go.

Step 1: Check the print preview

Open the print window and look at the preview before you print.

• The preview is cut off too: the problem is the page or paper size in your software. Go to Step 2.
• The preview shows the whole sheet, but the print stops: the printer is set to a different paper size, or its driver is out of date. Go to Step 3.

Step 2: Set the page size to US Letter

• Word (Windows): Layout > Size and choose Letter (8.5" x 11").
• Word (Mac): File > Page Setup, then set Paper Size to US Letter. Also check Layout > Size.
• Apple Pages: click Document in the toolbar and set the paper size to US Letter.
• Canva: the template is already 8.5 x 11 in.; don't resize it. Download as a PDF with the Print preset and print the PDF.
• PDF: in the print window, choose Actual size and make sure the paper size says Letter.

A4 is the usual culprit. It's a common default outside the US, and some computers switch to it after an update. An A4 setting on a Letter sheet shifts the print and can cut off the bottom rows.

Step 3: Check the printer's own paper setting

The print window has its own paper size, separate from your document.

• Mac: in the print window, check Paper Size at the top, then open Paper Handling and make sure the destination paper size is US Letter and Scale to fit paper size is off.
• Windows: click Printer Properties (or Preferences) and check the Paper Size setting is Letter.
• On the printer itself, some models have a paper size setting on the screen for each tray. Set the tray you're using to Letter.

Step 4: Look for a margin or memory problem

• A design right to the edge: most home printers can't print the outer 1/8 to 1/4 inch of a page. If your design runs to the very edge of the sheet, the printer may skip it or stop. Keep designs inside the label outlines.
• Very large images: a big photo or a high-resolution background can make an older printer run out of memory and stop partway down. Print from a PDF instead of the original file, or use a smaller image.
• Borderless printing: turn it off. It enlarges the page and can cut off the edges.

Step 5: Update or reinstall the printer driver

If every setting says Letter and the preview shows the whole sheet, the driver is the next suspect. Get the latest driver from your printer maker's support site (HP, Epson, Canon, Brother and so on), install it, restart the computer and print again.

Still printing half a page?

• Print a different document (a plain text page) to see if the problem is the printer or the file.
• If only one file prints short, open your Dashleigh template again from your template page and copy your design into a fresh copy.
• Labels print the full page but don't line up? See how to print labels that line up.
• Something else going wrong? Work through the printer troubleshooting checklist.

Still stuck? Email customerservice@dashleigh.com with your template number, your printer model and a photo of your test page, and we will help.