At work we use one specialty printer. It uses paper roll instead of 8.5" x 11" paper pages. So far in M$ Word we defined the page size (3"x 8") so that when we send something to print, we automatically get a strip that is 3" wide and 8" long.

The problem. Often when we print, we do not need the whole 8" length. How do I setup M$ Word to print a strip just long enough to fit what we print?

Say I need to print a couple of safety warning labels, the labels take about 5-6" in length. Right now, when I print, I would get a strip that is 8" long so I wasted about 2" of the roll. I want to print a strip that contains my two labels and a small margins on the ends, and no more wasted material from the roll. Help!

 

You need to goto page setup and define a custom paper size. Then change it when necessary. Here's a good tutorial.

 

You need to goto page setup and define a custom paper size. Then change it when necessary. Here's a good tutorial.

That I already did. That is how I got 3x8 strips that we are using now.

 

So why don't you set the page length at 5-6" instead of 8"? My MS Word is currently inaccessible otherwise I'd double check. I've done it before, if I remember correctly.

 

Looking into this further, there is a second place to set paper size. It's in the printer properties. Here's a link for Windows 7 or 8

 

So why don't you set the page length at 5-6" instead of 8"? My MS Word is currently inaccessible otherwise I'd double check. I've done it before, if I remember correctly.

We print different labels all the time. One time I might have large-ish labels, another time I might have a bunch of small labels to label parts on an electrical panel (MCR, fuses, relays, motor drivers, MOV, etc.). Since I am not using pages, I am using a roll... I should be able to just use as much of that roll as I need to print my labels. However, at this time I can only use predetermine/predefined amount of that roll. So whatever labels I need, they all come out on 3x8 strips, each strip is 8" long. If I need to print just 1 label... I still use up 8" of the roll.

How can I tell M$ Word to use only as much of that roll as it needs to print the label?

 

In MS Word, under page setup, where you set paper size to 3"x8", instead set it to the label size. Apparently that is 3"x6". So enter the "Height" as 6" (it should now be 8, according to what you've posted).

I think I get what you're talking about. I guess the answer is you can't. You have to define the "height" of the labels before printing them.

 

In MS Word, under page setup, where you set paper size to 3"x8", instead set it to the label size. Apparently that is 3"x6". So enter the "Height" as 6" (it should now be 8, according to what you've posted).

Right, but that is manual way to do it and I will have to do that for each batch of labels. I am looking for a way for Word to know that it is working with a roll and only use enough of that roll to print what I told it to print. Right now Word is seeing "pages" (3x8), when I tell it to print one label, it prints a "page" with one label on it, it does not care that most of that "page" is not used at all.

 

Hi, at first you should check custom paper size in page setup layout. Then change it according to your paper size. If it is not happening then change the paper size in printer properties. I have an printer device attached to a Windows 7 machine having latest printer driver installed. I am using the paper roll from “Discount Till Rolls Ltd” in it. From here I am getting different sizes of paper rolls for my convenience.

 

Why not use one of the free label printing programs like the one from Avery. Then you can create custom label sizes and the number of labels on a page. When printing your labels just select the layout that fits the number of labels you need to print. Your software should (maybe I should say software can) tell the printer what paper size to print to like the Avery program does.