Printer Settings For ID Cards

Use Member Manager > Library Cards > Printer Settings in the Standalone app when a physical printer needs repeatable correction.

For the best results, use the Standalone app when generating ID cards. Printer Settings are mainly for the Standalone app because browser printing is controlled by the browser, operating system, PDF viewer, and printer driver.

Libcodesk WebApp focuses on PDF and PNG generation. If staff need direct printer selection, calibration, roll-paper behavior, or duplex correction, use the Standalone app.

What The Screen Shows

The Printer Settings screen lists built-in and custom printer profiles.

Printer profiles keep printer-specific correction separate from card templates and page layouts.

Area	What It Does
Select Printer	Chooses the system printer used by the Standalone app.
Printer profile table	Shows built-in and user-defined printer profiles.
Default action	Sets the one printer profile used automatically.
Copy action	Copies a built-in profile so staff can adjust it safely.
Edit action	Opens a user-defined profile for changes.
Delete action	Removes a user-defined profile.
Create Printer Profile	Starts a new profile.
Import Printer Profile	Imports a profile file exported from Libcodesk.
Export Printer Profile	Saves a user-defined profile file for backup or reuse.

Only one printer profile can be the default at a time.

When To Use Printer Settings

Use Printer Settings only when the printer needs correction after the card template and page layout are already correct.

Common reasons:

• output prints slightly left, right, high, or low,
• front and back sides do not align,
• a printer shrinks or enlarges output,
• thermal roll output needs gap or black-mark behavior,
• cutting guides should be shown or hidden,
• one desk uses a different printer from another desk.

Do not redesign the card to fix one printer. Save a printer profile instead.

Select A Printer

In the Standalone app, use Select Printer before direct printing.

1. Open Library Cards > Printer Settings.
2. Choose Select Printer.
3. Pick the printer that should receive card output.
4. Save the setting.
5. Generate a small sample before printing a large batch.

The selected printer is remembered for the user so staff do not need to choose it every time.

Select Printer lists the printers available on the device. Choose the printer before direct Print or sample printing.

Create Or Copy A Printer Profile

Use Copy when a built-in profile is close to your printer. Use Create Printer Profile when the printer needs a completely new setup.

1. Open Library Cards > Printer Settings.
2. Copy the closest built-in profile or choose Create Printer Profile.
3. Enter a clear profile name, such as Front Desk Epson or Zebra 80 mm Roll.
4. Choose single-sided or double-sided behavior.
5. Set offset, scale, rotation, DPI, density, and cutting-guide behavior only when needed.
6. Save the profile.
7. Set it as default if it should be used automatically.

Edit printer profiles only after the card template and Page Layout are correct. Printer profiles compensate for printer-specific behavior.

What Each Setting Changes

Setting	Meaning	Use It When
Print side mode	Single-sided or double-sided output.	The printer supports duplex or staff print front and back separately.
Flip direction	How the back side is rotated or flipped.	Back-side cards are upside down or mirrored after duplex printing.
Back rotation	Rotation applied to the back side.	The back side needs 180-degree correction.
Horizontal offset	Moves output left or right.	Cards print too far left or right on the same printer.
Vertical offset	Moves output up or down.	Cards print too high or too low.
Scale X / Scale Y	Slightly stretches or shrinks output.	A printer is consistently shrinking or stretching one direction.
Rotation	Rotates the output by a small degree.	Output is slightly angled.
DPI	Printer dots per inch.	Thermal or label printers need the correct resolution, such as 203 or 300 DPI.
Print density / darkness	Thermal print darkness.	Barcode bars are too light or too dark on thermal printers.
Gap sensor / black mark	Media detection type.	Thermal labels use gaps or black marks between labels.
Cutting guides	Shows or hides trim guides.	Staff need cutting marks on sheets, or need a clean output without guides.

Calibration Wizard

Use the calibration wizard when output is close but not perfectly aligned.

The calibration wizard helps staff measure real printed output and save repeatable printer correction.

Basic calibration flow:

1. Select the printer.
2. Print the calibration sheet.
3. In the print dialog, use Actual Size or 100%.
4. Measure the printed rulers and alignment marks.
5. Enter the measured values.
6. Save the printer profile.
7. Print one card sample and check again.

Built-In Profiles

Built-in profiles are starting points. They cover common needs such as:

• single-sided proof printing,
• duplex flip printing,
• tight preview output,
• thermal gap sensor printing,
• thermal black-mark printing,
• mirror badge printing,
• precise office duplex output.

Built-in profiles are protected. Copy one before changing it.

Best Practices

• Use Printer Settings only for physical printer correction.
• Keep Page Layout responsible for rows, columns, gaps, and margins.
• Keep Card Templates responsible for design.
• Print one sample before a large batch.
• Save a separate profile for each printer that behaves differently.
• Name profiles by location and printer, such as Front Desk Epson L6460.
• Keep only one default profile selected.
• For the best results, use the Standalone app when printing ID cards.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What To Try
Output is shifted left or right	Adjust horizontal offset.
Output is shifted up or down	Adjust vertical offset.
Back side is upside down	Change flip direction or back rotation.
Output is the wrong size	Confirm print dialog scale is 100%, then use scale correction only if needed.
Barcode is too light on thermal printer	Increase print density or darkness.
Thermal labels skip incorrectly	Check gap sensor or black-mark setting and roll Page Layout.
Cutting guides are not wanted	Turn off cutting guides in the selected printer profile.
The wrong profile is applied	Set the correct printer profile as default.
WebApp does not show Printer Settings	Use the Standalone app. Browser printing is controlled outside Libcodesk.

FAQ

Do all users need Printer Settings?

No. Many users can print from built-in Page Layout presets without creating a printer profile. Use Printer Settings only when the physical printer needs repeatable correction.

Why are Printer Settings mainly in the Standalone app?

The Standalone app can work with selected system printers more directly. Browser printing depends on browser, operating system, PDF viewer, and printer-driver settings.

Should I fix alignment in the card template?

No. If one printer is shifted, use Printer Settings. The card template should stay reusable across printers and paper layouts.