I can't print ebay Auspost labels correctly

[charmony]

I occasionally use the Print Postage Label service in ebay, to post parcels. I have self-adhesive A4 label sheets with 4 labels per page, which are about the size of the Auspost labels that ebay creates. I can't figure out how to print on 2 of the 4 labels. I can print the top-left, then by turning the page print the bottom-right, but not the other 2.

The postage label is created as a PDF file, which I save to my PC then re-open in Adobe Acrobat in order to access my printer's settings (Epson XP-200). However, I can't find any settings that allow me to move the position on the page of the label, so it will print on the top-right or bottom-left label.

A secondary problem is that even with the top-left label that does print, it prints slightly too far right, so the edge of the barcode is cut off (the QR code also loses its edge, making it unreadable, but the barcode is still readable). I think I need the option to print "A4 borderless" to fix this, but the "borderless" option is not available for A4 in my printer settings.

Anyone have any workarounds for printing all 4 labels (one at a time) on an A4 sheet of labels?

[englishrosegardens]

Have you got your margins set to the absolute minimum so that they print as close to the edge as possible?

If you print the first two (top left and bottom right), can you then cut the page in half and turn each half around the other way to print the last two.

[charmony]

I don't seem to have any control over margins when printing PDFs.

When I print, for example, a jpg from my image editor software, I can do things like specify exactly where on the page the image should appear. But for PDFs I don't seem to have any options to alter margins - all I can do is specify the size (as a percentage), and the paper size. 

I wonder is there a way to access a different printer dialog box? Say, a Microsoft one instead of the printer's one? This is what I get with a PDF in Acrobat.

[englishrosegardens]

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@charmony wrote:

I don't seem to have any control over margins when printing PDFs.

When I print, for example, a jpg from my image editor software, I can do things like specify exactly where on the page the image should appear. But for PDFs I don't seem to have any options to alter margins - all I can do is specify the size (as a percentage), and the paper size. 

I wonder is there a way to access a different printer dialog box? Say, a Microsoft one instead of the printer's one? This is what I get with a PDF in Acrobat.

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Have you tried clicking on the button on the bottom left that says Page Setup?  That's where you'd normally be able to alter the page margins before printing.  I just tried it on one of my pdf labels and the margins can't be changed in there.

Another way to do it, though it may be a little bit more time-consuming, is to go into the pdf document and then take a snapshot of just the bit you want to print (without the extra white at the left that pushes it across the page past the middle), then click on Print, then on the screen you've shown click on Properties, then on Printer Page Size, choose custom and put in a size that's half the width and length of the paper you're printing on.  You might have to experiment a bit to get the settings right but after a couple of times you should be able to get it right, and then you can write down the settings for future use.

I'm not absolutely sure this will work but I see no reason why it shouldn't.  I often take snapshots of other things I want to print so that I've got less of a margin around the edge of the page.  To take a snapshot, click on Edit right up the top of the pdft, then on Take a Snapshot (on the menu down the left side), then drag your cursor over the bit you want to copy, then click on Print and make the other modifications to the page size.  When I do it the bit I highlight (take a snapshot of) ends up filling the page when I print, except for a small margin, so if you don't set your page size to half each way you'll end up with one label filling the whole page.  

I hope this helps!

[thecatspjs]

You may wish to consider investing in a pdf editor like Adobe Acrobat so you could easily get the outcome you are seeking.

Adobe do have free trials so worth a spin.

There are also other software pdf editors - some costing $$$ for download, some subscription and some free.

[beakychew]

Click "Properties" at the top, then you can select Borderless Printing.

You might have to choose Photo Paper for borderless to be allowed.

[charmony]

Yikes, just looked up Acrobat and it's only got a monthly subscription price, not an actual purchase price. Not worth it for a few labels a month.

In the end I did a screen dump into Paintshop Pro, which I can set to print where I want it on the page - the barcode looks a little fuzzy so I'll find out on Monday if Auspost can scan it.

[beakychew]

It would be quicker to print 4 at once!

Just to confirm--you have had success with posting usng the labels you've printed at half size? (They usually print at almost A5 size (half an A4), so to fit into 4 on a page you must be making them smaller???

If so, then I would suggest using a label template in MS Word, paste your label images into it then print.

--here is the Avery template for 4/page portrait format for Word:

http://www.averyproducts.com.au/avery/en_au/Templates-%26-Software/Templates/Blank-Templates-for-Mic...

--change the cell margins to zero (or .05cm) under Table Tools>Layout>Cell Margins

--You might also have to change the default Indent

--before wasting label pages, print onto paper and hold it up against your label page to check alignment

To get your label images, you will need to either covert the pdfs into an image format, or take screenshots when you have the label/s in Adobe Reader (as already suggested) using the inbuilt Snipping Tool. The latter would be quickest.

Paste each image into a cell in the label template in Word. Resize each to fit the cells. And print all four.

[curraone]

Surely all this fluffing around can't be worth it?     To buy self-adhesive paper, and then painfully work out how to print 4 on a page.

Surely it would not be economical both financially and time-wise?

So much easier with ordinary cheap A4 paper, can do two on a page if you want to turn it around -  the PO will give you the stick-on envelopes for free.

[vproshop]

You can buy a Zebra LP2844 printer for about $175-$200 second hand/ reburbished.

labels for this printer work out at roughly $0.04c per label.

There is no wastage of paper or labels, no mucking around with orientation, flipping it over etc.

Just setup, the print to it and prints perfectly.

Auspost can scan the barcode and is so much faster then having to cut out square labels from A4

sheets or loading the sheets back into the A4 printer.

Set up is pretty easy too.