FPMatrixFree price-card toolA PRACTICAL PRINTING GUIDE · UPDATED 16 OCT 2026
Price tags printing too small?
Check one sheet first.
Use a PDF that matches your paper, choose Actual size / 100%, and measure a test print before printing a batch. “Fit to page” can change the size of a card even when the preview looks right.
This guide helps with cut-out price cards on plain paper or compatible card stock. Pre-cut adhesive labels need their own matching template and alignment checks.
Start with a free size check
Each one-page PDF has a 50 mm (5 cm) check line and an 85 × 50 mm example card. Download the version that matches the paper in your printer. No account or email required.
The PDF page and shape dimensions have been checked digitally. We have not verified a physical print. The sample price and product are fictional.
Print your first test sheet
- Start with plain paper. Keep expensive card stock for after the size check. Check your printer's supported paper type and weight before loading thicker stock.
- Open the downloaded PDF. Choose the actual printer, one copy and one page per sheet. Print the PDF, not a screenshot or this web page.
- Match the paper at every step. A4 is 210 × 297 mm; US Letter is 8.5 × 11 inches. The PDF, printer settings and loaded sheet should agree. Use portrait orientation.
- Set Actual size or 100%. Turn off Fit / Shrink to fit, booklet and multiple-pages-per-sheet modes. Avoid borderless expansion, which may enlarge the output. Setting names vary; check a second system or printer dialog if one opens.
- Measure the result. The distance between the two end marks should be 50 mm. Then check both sides of the card frame: 85 mm wide and 50 mm high. A correct screen preview does not verify a printer.
- Test one page of your actual design. Confirm the text is readable and nothing is clipped before printing the rest. Recheck when changing printer, stock, paper size or print settings.
Read the test sheet: scale or position?
Measure the line and both sides of the card with a physical ruler. Check the dimensions, not just how centered the design looks.
Example: a 50 mm line measures 47.5 mm
This is a hypothetical example, not a reported print result. 47.5 ÷ 50 = 0.95, so the line printed at 95% of its intended length. If the card is also about 95% of its intended width and height, check Fit / Shrink settings and the selected paper size first.
Return to Actual size / 100% and retest one page. Do not immediately enlarge your artwork to compensate: that can hide a printer setting and create a different problem on another printer.
Example: correct dimensions, shifted on the sheet
If the line is 50 mm and the card is 85 × 50 mm but sits too far to one side, check margins, paper guides and orientation. Changing scale will change the correct card dimensions.
If something looks wrong
| What you see | What to check next |
|---|---|
| The line and card are both too small or large | Check scaling and paper size in both the PDF viewer and printer dialog. Check for borderless expansion. Reopen the saved PDF in another viewer if settings are unclear. |
| Size is correct, but the design is shifted | Check orientation, printer margins and paper guides. Position and scale are separate problems; shrinking a correct-size card changes its size. |
| Edges are missing | The design may extend outside the printer's printable area. Use a layout with larger margins while retaining the card dimensions. Do not assume every printer supports edge-to-edge output. |
| Everything is readable on screen, but the print is faint or blurry | Print the original PDF, check ink/toner and select an appropriate print quality and paper type. For our price kit, raster PDF output has a fixed resolution; enlarging it will not add detail. |
| Pre-cut labels do not line up | Use the exact template for your label stock. Our 85 × 50 mm cut-out card is not an Avery or other adhesive-label template. |
Common questions
Can I print an A4 PDF on US Letter?
You can, but fitting it to a different sheet can change card dimensions; printing without scaling may clip a layout that is too large. For this test, download the matching version. In Market Day Price Kit, select the correct paper size before exporting.
Does the 5 cm line prove that every card will print correctly?
No. It checks scale at that location. Also measure the card's width and height, inspect the whole page, and test your actual design. Feed and alignment issues can still occur.
Why does my card sheet repeat an item, but the price list shows it once?
Cards represent display positions; the list represents unique products. For example, one necklace shown in three places needs three identical cards, but only one row in the table price list. Set Copies to 3 for that product. Copies is not stock quantity and does not create three different products.
Can I use the guide without your tool?
Yes. Use the check PDFs and printing steps with your existing workflow. No purchase or feedback is required.
If you also need to make the price cards
Our free Market Day Price Kit makes 85 × 50 mm cards and a table price list from the same entries. Copies controls the number of cards; the list shows each product once. Choose A4 or US Letter before exporting.
FPMatrix makes this tool. It runs in your browser, with no online AI or product-data upload. It does not calculate prices or taxes. The guide and check sheets remain useful on their own.
Help us improve the instructions
If you choose to try a print, tell us the paper size, viewer, measured line length and the first unclear step. A short text result is enough. No photos, private shop information or purchase intention needed. This is not a mailing-list signup.
Sources and verification
- Adobe: PDF page size and Actual size versus Fit
- Avery: printing settings and paper checks
- OnlineLabels: printing and alignment troubleshooting
We used these references to check the printing principles, not to claim brand endorsement. Our check sheets are original. Digital file checks do not establish compatibility with your physical printer.