Fix: cut off

When half the address or barcode is missing

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Zebra labels cut off or wrong size

Published: · 12 min read · Troubleshooting
What people report online: “Right side of the label is missing,” “prints tiny on a big sticker,” “4×6 job prints on 2×1 stock,” “everything shifted down.”

Cut-off and wrong-size jobs are almost always a size mismatch between software and stock — classic ZebraDesigner / Windows driver friction — not a broken printhead.

Fast free fix: open mylabelmaker → set artboard to the real stock (4×6, 2×1, …) → keep elements inside the safe area → Browser Print one test.

Checklist

  1. Measure the stock — width × height in inches (shipping is usually 4×6).
  2. Set the same size in software — not Letter, not A4, not “default.”
  3. Disable fit-to-page in PDF viewers if printing carrier PDFs — PDF guide.
  4. Orientation — landscape vs portrait; rotate the design, not the media, when possible.
  5. Margins — thermal heads rarely print to the absolute edge; keep ~1–2 mm inset.

Why ZebraDesigner / drivers make this painful

Driver stock types, custom paper sizes, and Windows print dialogs disagree. Users change one setting and the next job is clipped. A browser designer with an explicit artboard avoids hidden driver paper trays.

Escape hatch: print without ZebraDesigner · free alternative.

If size is correct but content still clips

Printing a 4×6 PDF scaled to Letter then sending to a thermal printer is a top cause of “tiny label in the corner.” Always force 4×6 paper and 100% scale for postage PDFs.

Related

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