Printing on blank playing cards (3.5 x 2.5 Poker, or 3.5 x 2.375 Bridge)

[CaptainK]

I have some Bicycle playing cards with blank faces, and I'd like to print the faces myself.  I have a Photosmart C7280 All-in-One.  According to the User's Manual under "Papers to avoid" it says, "Any size paper other than those listed in the HP All-in-One printer software."  I see several paper sizes whose names I don't recognize, and the software doesn't tell me what the dimensions are.

Are there any existing papers in these sizes?  Is there anyway I can define my own paper sizes?  (I've been able to do that with older HP printers I've owned.)  Lastly, are there any issues printing on these cards that are lightly textured and slightly coated?

Thanks.

[007OHMSS · Accepted solution]

I looked into the printer drivers for the C7280, and it does have custom size options. However, the smallest media size built into the driver is 3.0 by 4.92 inches. A playing card is about 2.5 by 3.5 inches. If you could get these cards in sheet form, like labels, the cards could be printed that way.

Our advice is strictly limited to the question(s) asked and is based on the information provided to us.  HP does not assume any responsibility or liability for the advice given. 

[Mimi1948]

I have the C7280 and have the same problem printing labels. Avery 5418 label sheet is 4 x 6.5   I have it ready to print, sheets are in. Have gone in to put in custom sizes and it will print on a full sheet of paper. Lines up with the sheet of labels.  Will not print when the labels are put into the printer tray. Message comes up "paper mismatch". Next option on printer is to press ok to cancel print job. It then spits out the sheet of labels like it should if it had printed so I know the labels are in correctly. Before trying to print I go ...print...to properties...features..resizing options....custom...I enter 4.00  and 6.50. (actual label sheet size) it is on inches.  The box choices at the bottom are only cancel, the OK box is in gray.  But at the top of this dialog box it says..

"The custom size paper you have just defined will not become available for selection until you have exited and reentered the Printing Preferences/Properties.

In this "Custom Paper Size" dialog box the only choice I have is to X at top to close or Canel at the bottom. It does not let me do OK.  I click on the X to get out of that box and go exit the Preferences/Properties and look at the Print Preview and it is all there as I want the sheet of labels to be.  I click print and on the printer the message comes up ...Paper Mismatch . Page size or ype is incorrect...press OK to cancel job. OK, now it spits out the sheet of labels..

Can anyone help me with this?

Thank you

Mimi1948

[007OHMSS]

Okay, there is some other information which will help track down the problem. What program are you trying to print from? Office 2003? 2007? If you are using MS Office of some sort, have you tried using the built in labels templates? They are in the envelopes and labels section. If your particular label is not listed in there, go out on the internet with a search for "Avery #### Office 2003 template" for example just put your label numbers in the search string and the version of Office. This sounds like the problem, if you create a custom size, and it spits out the paper due to mismatch. Let me know if that helps. Thank you.

[CaptainK]

Free templates for various software applications should be available at avery.com.

[Mimi1948]

HP Photosmart C7280 All in One.  I want to thank you for your suggetions. I finally figured this out.  Had to go into Print - Properties-Features-Resizing-Custom-put in 4.00 and 6.50. To be able to have the OK button be an option on the bottom of this dialog box, I had to go up to the top of box and change the words Custom to a new name of what I want the label to be. After doing that I was able to click on OK.  After doing this, I went back into Avery Wizard where I had saved the format of the label I wanted. Opened it up. Went to print (printer set up) to Properties - Features - Resizing- chose "More" and down at the bottomI found "Custom" and found the name I named the label size (I named it 5418 Label) clicked on it and the name goes up where it had setter "letter". Clicked Ok. Clicked OK again. Then they printed.

Mimi1948