Topic:

My badges are not listed in your dropdown list of Label Stocks, so I created my own labels. But now when I run badges, every second page is blank. What the…?

Solution:

When you create your own label stock you need to (among other specifications) enter the margins to use on the top and bottom of each page, and the height of each individual badge on that page. If those measurements are off – even slightly – they can add up to a total page height that is greater than the actual height of the sheet. When that happens, the printer will need to “re-orient” between pages by going to the top of the next available page. In this example it will advance to page 3, leaving page 2 blank.

For example, suppose you have an 8.5x11 sheet of badges or labels, and the total height of everything on that page (that is, the top and bottom margins, the badges, and the space between those badges) adds up to slightly over 11 inches – say 11 ¼ inches. That means that when you run your badges, then each time a page of badges completes the system will need to re-orient to the top of a page before it runs the next page. So it skips past page 2, advances to the top of page 3 and keeps running. That means that the badges display on the odd numbered pages, and the even numbered pages are blank.

To fix this issue:

1. Go into the setup for your badge and click the Edit button next to the Label Stock field.
   • Check the actual size of your badges and make the necessary modifications to the entries on this page. 
   • You might start by (slightly) reducing the number in the Top Margin and Bottom Margin fields. 
   • If your badges are printing too low near the bottom of your page, try (slightly!) reducing the Label Height. 
2. Save your changes, re-run the badges, and see if the issue is resolved. If not, repeat the steps above. Once the size of your labels has been reduced enough to fit on one page, the blank extra page should go away.

Additional Information:

When creating a new custom badge or label stock, keep in mind that most packages of labels have a template page with exact badge and margin measurements. You can use this information when creating your custom stock.

Related Links:

• How do I create a new name badge?
• How do I run and print my name badges?
• How do I print name badges or labels with no attendee information?

Keywords: label, labels, badge, badges, stock, paper, PCF, print, printer, skip, skipping, extra, other, second