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Make sure the printer is clean. If there is dust or adhesive covering the sensors, the labels will not print properly.
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Make sure the printer is calibrated.
Some Brady printer models must require new sensor positioning every time you install a different size label. This applies to printers that calibrate using a sensor (IP300, IP600, PR Plus, i5100, i7100, BBP81, BBP12, MVP, X+II, etc). This does not apply if using smart cell driven printers (Brady printers that read computer chips on the label and ribbon materials - BBP33, BBP31, BBP85, etc)
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- Every time you press Feed on the printer, one label (or row of labels if multiple across) should feed out with each press and the label should stop in the exact same place every time (with the exception of the BBP72). It doesn’t matter where it stops (present position or tear off position can be adjusted) as long as it stops in the same place every time.
- The first feed attempt may feed more than one label at a time but should be consistently feeding only one subsequent feed attempts. If it does not, you need to get the printer calibrated. Instructions for calibration vary per printer model. If the printer is not calibrated, it will not print correctly no matter what you do in the software or print driver.
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Make sure you are using the correct Label Part / Page Setup in the software.
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- The label part chosen in the software must match the label part installed in your printer.
- There should not be top margins unless you are using a sleeve or parts made for laserjet or inkjet 8.5 x 11 sheets. The label height should match the page height unless you are using self-laminating labels or sleeves. If using a "smart-cell driven printer" (Brady BBP71, BBP33, etc), the software should pull the label-part / page-setup from the printer.
If using the IP Series printer (which uses RFID technology), it will tell the software what label size to select. If the part name exists in the software, it will use the dimensions from the software's page size.
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- When using Codesoft, make sure the page setup is correct, with the IP Printer, usually, the Label size is correct but the Page size is not.
- When using Labelmark or Brady Workstation, if you create a custom Label part and name it the same name as a part used by an IP RFID or smart cell, Labelmark will use the custom part setup. The ability to change an IP printer's label dimensions is good if you need to correct a misprogrammed smart cell, but it may cause problems if you edited it thinking the part was misprogrammed but was in fact okay, but another setting (driver, printer's LCD menu, software's print screen horizontal or vertical adjustment options) was causing the print misalignment. This is why it is important to check all the items in this list before making any custom parts or print offset adjustments. If you have any questions on label part / page setup, contact Brady Technical Support for your region: Global Brady Technical Support Contact Information.
- Make sure the Printer Driver settings are correct.
You do not want to have any Label Top or Vertical Adjustments in the print driver.
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- If using an IP Printer driver version 3.1 or above, the Page Size should be 4" when using Brady software. If the IP print driver version is 2 or less, the page size should be User (the software's label part will tell the printer the exact label size to use) and be sure to select the correct sensor type (Gap, Continuous or Notched).
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Make sure you do not have any Label Top, Vertical Adjustments or Printhead Position Y in the printer’s onboard LCD menu.
These offsets affect all labels if they are configured on the printer. This should be avoided unless there is only one size label being used.
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- If all else on this list is correct and ALL labels print just a bit too high, low, left or right, then you may want to use an offset in the printer's menu. Adjustments made here reduce the printable area by the amount of the offset. For example, a 0.2 Vertical Offset will move the print down the label by 0.2 inches, but it will cut of print 0.2" from the bottom of the label as shown on the screen. If you have data from top to bottom edges of the label, or you are using a very small label, you may lose some data/print. For more information about making offsets, see: Printing Adjustments - Best Practices & Troubleshooting.
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Make sure you do not have any Vertical Print Adjustment’s or Adjust Origin on the software’s Print screen.
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- In Codesoft, you may need to click on the More button in the lower right to see these additional settings.
- In Labelmark, the adjustment may also be in the Printer Part Pairings (Step 6 below). Adjustments made here reduce the printable area by the amount of the offset. For example, a 0.2 Vertical Offset will move the print down the label by 0.2 inches, but it will cut of print 0.2" from the bottom of the label as shown on the screen. If you have data from top to bottom edges of the label, or you are using a very small label, you may lose some data/print.
- If using Labelmark software, make sure there is not a Printer Part Pairing that sets a horizontal or vertical adjustment in the software automatically whenever a specific part is used.
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- In Labelmark 5 or 6, go into Manage / Printer Part Pairings (from the Home screen in Labelmark 6. If using Labelmark 5, go to Manage Printer Part Pairings in Tools menu along the top). If the label part you are using is listed on the right side of the screen, along with the printer model you are using, make sure the Horizontal Adjustment and Vertical Adjustment values are zero. See 5 above for information about possible data loss if adjustment made here.
You have to make sure all settings in the last three are set to zero and tested before making any changes.
- There might already be an adjustment in one of these areas, you many not know about it, and are making adjustments in another area to offset the first adjustment. Then if the printer is reset to factory defaults or the original unknown setting is corrected, now the second adjustment (made to correct the problem) will cause the print alignment to be off again.
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