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Why Avery 5160 Labels Print Out of Alignment — And How to Fix It

By · Last updated April 26, 2026 · 9 min read

You've set up your mailing list, generated your Avery 5160 label PDF, and hit print, only to find the text is printing too high, drifting to one side, or shifting down the sheet row by row. This is one of the most common label-printing headaches, and the cause is usually a printer setting rather than the labels or PDF.

This guide covers each common cause of Avery 5160 alignment problems and the fix for each one, organized by symptom so you can jump to your issue.

Avery 5160 Label Specifications (Reference)

  • Label size: 1" × 2⅝" (25.4 mm × 66.7 mm)
  • Labels per sheet: 30 (3 columns × 10 rows)
  • Sheet size: 8.5" × 11" (US Letter)
  • Top margin: 0.5" (12.7 mm)
  • Side margins: 0.1875" (4.76 mm / 3/16")
  • Vertical gap between rows: 0" (labels touch edge-to-edge)
  • Horizontal gap between columns: 0.125" (3.175 mm / 1/8")

The #1 Cause: Print Scaling Is Not Set to 100%

This causes more alignment failures than every other issue combined. If your printer scales the PDF (say, to 99% or "Fit to Page"), each label shifts by a fraction of a millimeter. That shift compounds across 10 rows, and by the bottom of the sheet text sits outside the label boundaries.

How to fix it

In your print dialog, find the scaling option and set it to one of:

  • Adobe Reader: Select "Actual Size" (not "Fit" or "Shrink to Printable Area")
  • Chrome: Set Scale to "None" or type 100 in the custom scale field
  • Preview (Mac): Set scale to "100%" or uncheck "Scale to Fit"
  • Microsoft Print: Select "Actual Size" or "100%"
  • Firefox: Set "Scale" to 100% and uncheck "Shrink to fit page width"
Watch out: Some print dialogs default to "Fit to Page" every time you open them, even after you changed it last time. Double-check before printing on label stock.

Cause #2: Wrong Paper Size Selected

Avery 5160 labels are designed for US Letter (8.5" × 11"). If your printer is set to A4 (8.27" × 11.69"), the margins will be wrong and labels won't align. This shows up on printers sold outside the US or shared office printers configured for international paper sizes.

How to fix it

  1. Open Printer Preferences (not just the print dialog)
  2. Find "Paper Size" or "Page Size"
  3. Set to Letter or 8.5 x 11
  4. Check the paper tray settings; some printers have per-tray size configurations

Cause #3: Labels Printing Too High or Too Low

If the first row looks correct but later rows drift, it's a scaling issue (see #1 above). If every row is shifted up or down by the same amount, the cause is different:

  • Printing too high: Your printer may be adding a larger top margin than expected. Set margins to "None" or "Minimum" in the print dialog.
  • Printing too low: Check whether "Header" or "Footer" printing is enabled. Some applications add a page header that pushes content down.
  • Consistent offset: Some printers have a mechanical offset. Compensate by adjusting the PDF margins (add or subtract 1-2mm from the top margin in your label generator settings).

Cause #4: Paper Tray Orientation (Face Up vs Face Down)

Loading labels the wrong way means you print on the backing instead of the label surface. It can also cause alignment issues because the paper enters the printer from a different edge.

General guidelines

  • Most inkjet printers: Load labels print-side up, top edge first
  • Most laser printers: Load labels print-side up, but check the manual; some models feed face-down
  • Manual/bypass tray: Usually print-side up. Verify with a test print on plain paper.
Test trick: Mark an "X" on one side of a plain sheet, load it in the tray, and print something. The side the print appears on tells you which way to load labels.

Printer-Specific Fixes

HP Printers

  • Disable "HP Real Life Technologies". This image-processing feature can resize content.
  • Use the built-in Windows driver, not the "HP Easy Start" driver
  • Set media type to "Labels" if available in your driver
  • If using the HP Smart app, check that it isn't overriding your scaling settings

Brother Printers

  • Set paper type to "Thick Paper" or "Labels"
  • Use the rear straight-through paper path if your model has one. It prevents label sheets from curling through the fuser.
  • On some Brother models, the default "Bi-directional" printing setting can cause horizontal shifts. Disable it.

Canon Printers

  • Set media type to "Labels" or "Heavy Paper"
  • Disable "Borderless Printing". It stretches the image to fill the page.
  • Use the rear tray for single-sheet feeding

Epson Printers

  • In Advanced settings, confirm "Fit to Page" is unchecked
  • Set paper type to "Plain Paper" or "Matte" (Epson doesn't have a Labels option)
  • Use the rear feed slot for thicker label stock

How to Run a Proper Test Print

  1. Print on plain paper first. Don't waste label stock on a test.
  2. Hold up to light: Place the plain-paper print behind an unused Avery 5160 sheet and hold both up to a window or light source
  3. Check all four corners: Alignment may look fine in the center and drift at the edges
  4. Check the last row: Scaling issues show up most at the bottom of the sheet
  5. Mark a reference sheet: Keep one printed test sheet as an alignment reference

Quick Diagnostic Checklist

Symptom Most Likely Cause Fix
Progressive drift down the sheet Print scaling not at 100% Set to "Actual Size" or "None"
Everything shifted up/down uniformly Wrong paper size or extra margins Set paper to US Letter, margins to None
Text drifts left or right Labels loaded wrong direction Check tray orientation
Print appears on wrong side Labels loaded face-down Flip label sheets in tray
Alignment varies between prints Paper feed inconsistency Feed one sheet at a time, clean rollers
First row OK, last row off 99% scaling (Fit to Page) Set scaling to exactly 100%

Still Having Problems?

If you've checked the settings above and labels still won't align:

  • Try a different PDF viewer. Chrome, Adobe Reader, and Preview can each interpret print scaling differently.
  • Try a different printer. If you have access to one, this rules out hardware issues fast.
  • Use genuine Avery 5160 sheets. Some off-brand compatible labels have different dimensions that cause alignment problems.
  • Check your PDF. Open it in a viewer and measure the page size. It should be exactly 8.5" × 11" with labels starting 0.5" from the top.

Need to generate Avery 5160 labels from a CSV file?

Open the CSV to Labels Tool →

The tool generates PDFs with exact Avery 5160 margins built in.

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