Labels are less forgiving than ordinary paper: a small offset can put text across every cut line, and unsuitable adhesive stock can cause trouble inside the printer. Check both the template and the printer's media requirements before the first real sheet.

Match the sheet, not just the label dimensions

Use the label manufacturer's exact product number when choosing a template. Similar-looking sheets can have different margins, gaps or numbers of labels. Confirm the full sheet size as well as the individual label size.

HP recommends a plain-paper test. Print a representative layout on ordinary paper, place it behind the unused label sheet and hold both to light. Check alignment near the top, middle and bottom. A steadily increasing offset suggests a scale or template-size problem; a uniform offset may come from positioning.

Check that the label stock is intended for the printer technology and supported by your model. Read its tray instructions. For example, HP's M607–M612 guide specifies Tray 2 or an optional 550-sheet tray and excludes Tray 1 for labels. The “manual feed tray” is therefore not a safe universal assumption.

Inspect the first adhesive sheet

Use flat, undamaged stock with labels firmly attached. Follow the manufacturer's rules about complete sheets and reuse; do not improvise with loose labels or exposed adhesive. Select the recommended media type and keep duplex off unless the exact media and printer explicitly support the intended workflow.

Print one sheet, let it settle as required by its media instructions, and inspect alignment and readability before starting a batch. If it contains barcodes, test one with the actual receiving system rather than judging bars by eye.

Keep the accepted template and settings together. Retest after switching label supplier, paper size or printer, even if the labels appear to be the same shape.

Sources: HP label preparation; HP model-specific label trays.