Cards that print off-center almost always come from one of three things, in this order: the driver’s card size is not CR80, the browser’s print dialog is adding margins or scaling the page, or the printer needs a small offset. Fix them in that order, because an offset cannot correct a wrong page size.
1. Check the card size in the driver
In Windows, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, choose the card printer, and open Printing preferences. The card or paper size should be CR80 (85.6 × 54 mm), and the orientation should match your design.
If your designs use CR79 or CR100 stock, choose that size instead. Badgewright makes each page exactly the size of the card stock the design uses: CR80 is 85.6 × 53.98 mm, CR79 83.9 × 52.1 mm, CR100 98.5 × 67 mm.
2. Check the print dialog
- Margins: None.
- Scale: Default or 100%. “Fit to page” and “Fit to printable area” shrink the card.
- Headers and footers: off.
- Paper size: CR80, if the dialog lists it.
To test without cards, print to Save as PDF. Each page should be exactly one card side. A Letter or A4 page means the dialog or the driver is still set to paper.
3. Calibrate the printer
If the size is right but the whole image sits a little to one side, the printer needs an offset. Under Admin > Printers, print the alignment test card, then adjust Offset X and Offset Y (up to 10 mm each way) until its border sits evenly on every side. The steps are in printer profiles and the alignment test card.
Make sure the computer you print from has that profile chosen as its Station printer. The choice is saved per browser, so a second computer printing to the same printer needs it set too.
A thin white edge is normal on some printers
Direct-to-card printers cannot print all the way to the edge and leave a thin white border. Retransfer printers can print edge to edge. Either way, keep text and photos inside the safe zone: in the designer, Card panel, tick Show safe zone to see a dashed line 1.5 mm in from the edge.