How do I generate a PDF using Print Preview?

With Label LIVE it's easy to verify the label design output as a PDF. This gives you the exact rectangle of black/white (or color) dots being sent to the printer.

Print Tab

On any design document click the Print tab, and click the Printer menu. Select Print Preview.

Preview Options

Choose the kind of label output:

• Label PDF - Individual labels on a roll, where each "page" in the PDF is a separate label

• Sheet PDF - Labels are arranged as a grid on a larger sheet of paper (Avery, U-LINE, etc)

• Batch Images - Save individual label image files to a folder on your computer

• Batch Sheets - Save full page sheet PDFs of individual files to a folder on your computer

Dots Per Inch (DPI)

Choose the DPI. This setting should match your printer specifications as close as possible.

Color

If you are using a thermal printer leave this unchecked. Inkjet and laser printers can benefit from full-color output. Full-color can be faster if sending to a printer driver.

Dither

The default Threshold is usually a good starting point.

Ready to Print

To print just click the blue button. The print files will be generated and, if applicable, opened up using the default PDF reader program on your computer.

PDF Handling, Printing...

Once the PDF is opened you can inspect it for issues. Is the PDF appropriately sized? Does the size match your label dimensions? Does it print correctly using the system printer driver? If not, you might want to check out this FAQ:

Why is my label printing too small or too large?

The printer driver's default paper (page) size must match your label dimensions.

Other Printer Issues

If there are any issues with printing this "perfect" PDF, you can confidently contact the printer manufacturer's support to ask them exactly how to fix the issue you're seeing.

The basic idea is that if you have a PDF in hand, you should be able to print to their driver. Label LIVE is effectively removed from the situation.

Generating Named Images or PDFs

If you need to create output label files (images or PDFs) with variable names you can click the yellow SAVE + button.

• Single Label prints will generate PNG images.

• Many Label prints will generate PDFs.

One PDF Per Label

In the case where you need PDFs of single labels, customize your sheet to be the same dimensions as your label and remove all margins (set to zero). This will create a "1 label page."