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Avery 5160 Labels Not Printing Correctly? Common Problems & Fixes

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

You've generated your Avery 5160 label PDF, hit print, and something is wrong: the labels won't print, they're shifted halfway down the page, the text is smudged, or only the first row looks right. This guide is organized by symptom — find what's happening, then jump to the fix.

Find your problem
  1. Labels are not lining up (text shifts row by row)
  2. Labels won't print at all
  3. Printer ejects a blank sheet
  4. Only the first row prints correctly
  5. Text is smudging, smearing, or fading
  6. Labels shift left or right across columns
  7. Text is too big or too small for the label
  8. Labels keep jamming the printer
  9. Some labels are blank, others are filled

1. Labels Are Not Lining Up

Symptom: Text falls between labels, sits too low, or progressively drifts down the sheet.

This is by far the most common Avery 5160 print problem, and it has one root cause 90% of the time: the print dialog is scaling your PDF. Even a 1% reduction will compound across 10 rows.

Fix:
  • Adobe Reader: File → Print → Page Sizing & Handling → Actual Size
  • Chrome: Print → More settings → Scale → Default (or 100%)
  • Preview (macOS): uncheck Scale to Fit
  • Windows print dialog: set Scale to 100% or None

Then verify the page is set to US Letter (8.5" × 11"), not A4. A4 is 8.27" × 11.69", which shifts the entire 30-cell grid.

Want a deeper dive on alignment specifically? Read Why Avery 5160 Labels Print Out of Alignment — And How to Fix It.

2. Labels Won't Print at All

Symptom: The print job sits in the queue, fails immediately, or the printer reports an error like "incompatible media."
Fix:
  1. Open the print queue and clear stuck jobs.
  2. In the print dialog, set Media Type (sometimes called Paper Type) to Labels or Heavy Paper. Some drivers reject label sheets when Media Type is set to "Plain Paper."
  3. Switch to the manual / bypass tray if your printer has one. Multi-purpose trays handle thicker stock more reliably than the main paper drawer.
  4. If using a network printer, try printing as PDF first (Print to PDF), then opening that PDF and printing again — this strips out queue weirdness.

3. Printer Ejects a Blank Sheet

Symptom: The printer accepts the job and runs through a sheet, but it comes out blank.

Two likely causes:

  • Labels loaded upside-down. Avery 5160 sheets must go in print-side up in most printers. The print side has the label cuts visible; the back is the smooth liner. Check your printer's manual for tray orientation.
  • The PDF has an empty first page. Some PDF generators add a leading blank page. Open the PDF first and confirm the labels are visible on page 1.

4. Only the First Row Prints Correctly

Symptom: Row 1 looks fine. Rows 2 through 10 are progressively further off.

This is the unmistakable signature of a scaling problem. The print dialog is multiplying every Y-coordinate by a factor close to but not exactly 1.0. Row 1 (at the top margin) barely shows it. Row 10 (10 inches down) shows the cumulative drift.

Fix: Same as #1 above — turn off all scaling. Actual Size, 100%, no Fit to Page, no Shrink Oversized Pages.

5. Text Is Smudging, Smearing, or Fading

Symptom: Print quality is poor, ink runs, toner flakes, or text looks faded.

Per Avery's official guidance, 5160 is the laser SKU and 8160 is the inkjet SKU. They share the same 1" × 2⅝" dimensions and 30-up layout, but the label face is engineered for the printer technology each was sold for. Smudging, smearing, or fading is almost always a sign of the wrong sheet running through the wrong printer.

Fix by printer type:
  • If you have an inkjet printer: Use Avery 8160, not 5160. The 8160 face is engineered to absorb wet ink without pooling. Set print quality to Best or Photo and let printed sheets dry flat for 60 seconds before handling.
  • If you have a laser printer: Use Avery 5160, not 8160. If toner is flaking on 5160, the sheet is sitting too long in the heated fuser — feed one sheet at a time. If toner is fading, the toner cartridge is low or the laser drum is wearing out.
  • If you accidentally bought the wrong SKU: Don't run it through the printer it wasn't designed for. Return or exchange the sheets — the cost of jamming or smearing usually exceeds the cost of swapping stock.

6. Labels Shift Left or Right Across Columns

Symptom: Vertical alignment is OK, but text drifts left or right as you go from column 1 to 3.

Causes:

  • Custom margins in the print dialog. The PDF already has the correct 0.1875" side margins built in. Setting custom margins layers another offset on top.
  • Hardware horizontal offset. Some printers have a small intrinsic offset (1–2mm). Most printer utility apps let you correct it: HP Smart, Canon Print Studio Pro, Brother iPrint&Scan, Epson Print Layout.
  • Off-brand labels. Generic 5160-compatible sheets sometimes have slightly different cut positions. Avery's own sheets have the tightest tolerances.

7. Text Is Too Big or Too Small for the Label

Symptom: Text overflows the 1" × 2⅝" label area or sits too small inside it.

This usually means the PDF was generated for a different label size (Avery 5161, 5162, 8160, or a non-Avery layout). The UrbanKit Studio CSV to Labels tool always emits 5160 dimensions — if you're using another generator, double-check the template.

If text overflows, the longest address line in your CSV is the culprit. Common fixes: abbreviate state names ("CA" not "California"), drop the country line for US-only mail, or split address-line-2 into a separate field.

8. Labels Keep Jamming the Printer

Symptom: Sheets jam mid-feed, accordion inside the printer, or labels peel off and stick to the rollers.
Critical: Never reuse a label sheet that already has labels removed — the exposed adhesive will catch on rollers and tear off inside the printer. Removing them is much harder than preventing the jam in the first place.
Fix:
  • Feed one sheet at a time using the manual / bypass tray.
  • Fan the stack before loading to prevent sheets from sticking together.
  • Store labels flat in their original packaging — curled sheets jam more often.
  • Use the straight-through paper path if your printer offers one (rear feed). Curving paths are harder on label adhesive.

9. Some Labels Are Blank, Others Are Filled

Symptom: The sheet has gaps. Some label cells have addresses, others are empty.

This is expected behavior on the last sheet of a batch. If you have 47 addresses, you'll fill 60 cells (2 sheets), leaving 13 blanks on sheet 2. Options:

  • Save partial sheets for small follow-up batches.
  • Plan batch sizes to use full sheets (multiples of 30).
  • Use a tool that supports "start at label N" to fill in partials. UrbanKit Studio's CSV to Labels tool has this — set the starting offset to the first blank cell.

The Universal Workflow That Prevents Most Problems

Before wasting label stock, always:

  1. Test on plain paper first. Print one sheet of your PDF on regular paper.
  2. Hold the test print up to a window with an unused label sheet behind it. Check that text falls inside each label cell.
  3. If misaligned, fix the print settings (scaling, paper size, margins) and test again.
  4. Only when the test print aligns within all 30 cells, switch to label stock.

This single habit catches almost every alignment, sizing, and offset issue before you waste a $20 sheet of labels.

Need to generate a fresh label PDF?

Open the CSV to Labels Tool →

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