> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.trytalkvalue.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Printer settings

> Pick a label size preset or set a custom width and height. The canvas, the preview, and every print use the same dimensions.

TalkValue has no separate printer settings tab. It bakes everything the printer needs (label size in millimeters, element positions, font sizes) into the template, then sends that to the Zebra label printer at print time. This page covers the **Label size** control in the left sidebar, where you either pick a Zebra preset or type in custom dimensions.

<Note>
  **Before you start**

  * A Badge template open in the editor. See [Template editor](/badge/templates/editor-overview).
  * The actual label stock you'll print on, so you can match its dimensions.
</Note>

## Pick a label preset

Open the **Label size** dropdown in the left sidebar. Four common Zebra presets are pre-loaded:

| Preset   | Width × Height (mm) |
| -------- | ------------------- |
| 3 × 2 in | 76.2 × 50.8 mm      |
| 4 × 2 in | 101.6 × 50.8 mm     |
| 4 × 3 in | 101.6 × 76.2 mm     |
| 4 × 6 in | 101.6 × 152.4 mm    |

The canvas resizes immediately when you pick a preset, and every element on the canvas keeps its absolute position in millimeters. A name field anchored 10 mm from the top stays 10 mm from the top on a 4 × 2 label and on a 4 × 3 label. If any elements sit off-canvas after resizing, re-position them.

**Recommended default:** 4 × 2 in. It gives you three or four lines of text plus a QR code at a readable size, fits Zebra direct-thermal label rolls that are widely available, and prints fast on a 203-dpi printer.

## Set a custom size

For label stock that doesn't match a preset, type the width and height directly into the **Width (mm)** and **Height (mm)** fields under the dropdown. The canvas resizes as you type, and the **Label size** dropdown shows `Custom: <W> × <H> mm` while a custom size is active.

The minimum dimension is 2 mm. Use millimeters even if your label stock is sold in inches. The editor stores dimensions in millimeters internally and maps them to the printer's resolution at print time.

## Match the loaded label stock

The single most common cause of a misaligned or blank print is a template size that doesn't match the label stock loaded in the printer. Before printing for the first time at an event:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Measure the loaded label">
    Take one label off the roll and measure width and height in millimeters with a ruler. Don't trust the box. Labels are sometimes labeled in nominal inches that round down.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the same size in the template">
    Pick the matching preset, or type the measured millimeters into **Width (mm)** and **Height (mm)**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Print a test from the editor">
    Click **Connect printer**, pick your Zebra in the browser permission dialog, then **Print test**. The badge prints on a single label with no overflow and no blank space.
  </Step>
</Steps>

If the test print runs onto a second label, prints blank, or shifts diagonally, open [Calibration and troubleshooting](/badge/printer-setup/calibration-troubleshooting) for the calibration recipe.

## What the template carries to the printer

When you save a template, TalkValue renders those exact dimensions into a printer-ready document at print time and sends it to the printer. That means:

* **Label dimensions** drive the print width and the layout grid. Every element's `x`, `y`, `width`, and `height` are converted from millimeters to printer dots.
* **Element bindings** (name, company, ticket, QR) are filled in per attendee at print time, but their positions and sizes come from the template.
* **No per-printer settings.** Darkness, speed, and tear-off offsets are not part of the template. They live on the printer itself and you set them once with the printer's configuration tool.

This is why the same template prints identically across every paired printer at the event, regardless of which staff station claims it.

## Related

* [Template editor](/badge/templates/editor-overview). Open the editor, anatomy, save and undo.
* [Add elements](/badge/templates/add-elements). Text, image, QR, and rectangle element properties.
* [Connect a printer](/badge/printer-setup/webusb-connection). Pair a Zebra printer from your browser to test print from the editor.
* [Calibration and troubleshooting](/badge/printer-setup/calibration-troubleshooting). Fix size mismatches, misalignment, and blank prints.