How to Print 3 x 5 Card in Word 2010?

Until you get to the bottom of this issue, have you considered using ‘Text Boxes’ in a Landscape orientated document to achieve what you want?
Insert (Draw) a Text Box and give it a size of 3” x 5”.
The border by default will have an outline so it can be cut/cropped when printed, but this can be changed to a less ‘weighty’ one and a lighter gray colour should you wish via the Format tab > Shape Outline option.
Once the first Text Box is populated with the desired text and formatting, press the Ctrl key, keep pressed, then select the Text Box and drag across to the right.
With the Ctrl key still pressed and the copied Text Box still selected, select the original Text Box also.
Now drag both Text Boxes down and position so you now have four.
Release the Ctrl key then Print Preview > Print.

This is a compromise and wastes a little paper/card, but may get you out of a hole till you get a preferable solution.
Click the image below to see a short video of how I have done this.
Note: I’m using Word 2019, but 2010 will be similar.

@CluelessInSeatl

Opening post #1
“Windows 10 Version 20H2, MS Word 2010, HP LaserJet P1006 printer
I followed the instructions in an online video for printing a 3 x 5 card, but the card comes out blank.

"Even though I set a custom paper size of 3" x 5" like this:”
--- Note that once the settings are adjusted accordingly, they are not saved.
--- I don’t have any 3x5 cards to experiment with plus I have Word 2016 but if it’s possible to save the settings, I would do so.
--- I was able to adjust to those settings in my Word 2016 but I can’t test anything because I don’t have 3x5 cards to experiment with.
--- I’d like to believe that if you save the 3x5 settings saved you will not see Envelope #10 instead of as Custom as you mention a little further down.
--- It’s confusing to the reference to Envelope #10 if the tray is empty and the alignment side rails aren’t closed in yet.

On your XP machine, did you have to originally adjust for 3x5 card settings?
--- What Word version & the 3x5 card settings on the XP machine?
--- Were the settings saved so you could easily print onto 3x5 cards w/o resetting each time?

Moving on, the video explains that the 3x5 card isn’t inserted until after selecting print the first time.
--- Is the tray empty until then?
--- After inserting the 3x5 card and the alignment side rails are closed in [which isn’t mentioned], you should see what will be printed according to the video.
--- When ready, select print a 2nd time.

If the above doesn’t work, post exactly what occurred.

If you had fed the paper into the printer the other way round, this is what you would have seen . . . .

On a blank piece of paper?
Wouldn't it be potentially more effective if the print preferences were accessed and the orientation was Rotated by 180 degrees?

@CluelessInSeatl, thanks for the update. This morning I went out and bought some 3x5 cards. Going through the procedure looked like it was going to turn out well. Unfortunately, it didn't.
I got this notification on the printer display: "The printer cannot print on paper shorter than 4.5”/11.4 cm."
--- Naturally the 3x5 card spit out blank.

After that I included a #10 envelope also: same result.

I included a regular sheet of paper after that: same result.

@CluelessInSeatl, thanks for the update. This morning I went out and bought some 3x5 cards. Going through the procedure looked like it was going to turn out well. Unfortunately, it didn't.
I got this notification on the printer display: "The printer cannot print on paper shorter than 4.5”/11.4 cm."
--- Naturally the 3x5 card spit out blank.

After that I included a #10 envelope also: same result.

Using a regular sheet of paper: same result.

In each case I did them twice: each on with a different orientation.

There would be some kind of limit on Card/Paper sizes due to the mechanical handling mechanism and printhead in the printer.You should be getting an error message like on mine which is Word 2010 and a Canon printer.

The easiest way around that is to use a 8.5" x 11" Card to layout 4 cards with cutting indicators and text boxes, margins or whatever method suits, and then just cut out 4 Cards the right size 3.5" x 5".
As in post #11 is one way.

You can setup page size to any very small custom size in Word 2010, however the printer won't be able to handle a very small paper/card size.

CluelessInSeatl said:

Thanks for all the responses. At the suggestion of Denis I've edited my original post to include all the text and graphics from my post over on the msofficeforums.com.

I am able to print 3x5 cards on the HP P1006 printer from Word 2003 running under Windows XP. So there are at least two variables at play here: 1. The version of MS Word and 2. The version of Windows.

I need to take a rest break now, but I'll post more a bit later,

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

- - - Updated - - -

I've got some new information that may help zero in on the cause of my printing problem:

The file that won't print correctly is a .docx file that was produced in Word 2010 running under Windows 10.

It occurred to me to try printing one of my old .doc files produced by Word 2003 running under Windows XP. I long ago copied all my old .doc files from my XP machine onto my Windows 10 machine.

So I picked one of those old .doc files that was formatted to print to a 3x5 card, opened it with Word 2010 on my Windows 10 PC and clicked "Print." And it printed out just fine!

So I opened one of my .docx files that was created in Word 2010 and formatted to print on a 3x5 card, and again it didn't print out correctly.

So, what are the differences between the card that prints correctly and the ones don't? Well first of all, .doc vs. .docx file format. But also, portrait vs. landscape orientation. The card that printed correctly was in portrait orientation, and the two files that printed incorrectly were in landscape orientation.

Before shutting down my computers for the night, I ran another experiment; this time I used Word 2010 on my Windows 10 machine, to open and print one of my old .doc landscape 3x5 card document files and it failed in the same way as the other failures. It shifts the printing over nearly 5 inches.

So I think I've narrowed the problem down to the 3x5 landscape orientation, that prints ok from Word 2003 under Windows XP, but not from Word 2010 under Windows 10.

I'm just about tuckered out for tonight, so I probably won't get back to this project until tomorrow.

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

"I am able to print 3x5 cards on the HP P1006 printer from Word 2003 running under Windows XP."

"So I picked one of those old .doc files that was formatted to print to a 3x5 card, opened it with Word 2010 on my Windows 10 PC and clicked "Print." And it printed out just fine!"
--- Did it open in compatibility mode?

Save that old .doc file as the standard that works: staying with .doc for the time being.
--- When you want to print onto a 3x5 card with different information, type in the new information.

How many 3x5 cards are you printing to: one at a time or how many more each time?
--- If you are printing to more than one card at a time, how are you aligning each 3x5 card?

Sorry about the double post yesterday
Did you get a similar message the first time you tried using that video"
--- "The printer cannot print on paper shorter than 4.5”/11.4 cm."
--- Naturally the 3x5 card spit out blank as you experienced.