How to Print 3 x 5 Card in Word 2010?

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:

3 x 5 Card, Page Setup, Paper by Will Anderson, on Flickr

To confirm that the printer is not malfunctioning, I ran a test by printing the same file on a sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper, which came out like this:

Word 2010 3x5 card printed on 8.5 x 11 paper by Will Anderson, on Flickr

I think I may have found where the problem lies. When I click the print button the paper size shows up in the settings as Envelope #10 instead of as Custom:

3 x 5 Card, Word 2010 Print Menu Screenshot by Will Anderson, on Flickr

Just in case it may be helpful, here's a screen shot of the Word 2010 editing window for the card I'm trying to print:

3 x 5 Card, Word 2010 Screenshot by Will Anderson, on Flickr

What stands out to me is that the aspect ratio of the white "card" is not like a 3 x 5 card. It is much too wide, isn't it? Could this be a clue to solving the problem?

In any event, I'd sure be grateful for some help solving this problem. I'm having to resort to cranking up my old Windows XP PC and plugging it into the printer, just so I can print a 3 x 5 card.
______________
Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

Will,

I do wonder why you have not selected your sizing in that dialog that shows an envelope size as being chosen.

I also wonder what would happen if you set the size as you want it in that diagram then put full size paper in the tray. If it prints at all then its position on the paper might yield useful info - the printout you do show has the text far down on the paper and that offset might be the problem.

Do your printer specs confirm that it can handle the 3"x5" size & the margins you have set?

How comparable is your XP usage? Do you also use Word 2010 on that computer?

Denis

I prefer WordPerfect and Avery Labels for most such projects, Avery has many pre-cut forms for cards, invitations, business cards, etc., and WordPerfect has them built-in in its Format menu along with Envelopes. The pre-cut are break-apart after printing. Both Word and WordPerfect tend to allow a bit of margin inside the card. The card stock is sometimes hard to find locally but the major office suppliers have them and most come with a template sheet which I print extra copies of to check the alignment. Avery also has some software available for download that may be useful.

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"

Will,

What sizes does this dialog allow you to select?


Denis

Will,

I think the error message might be false - perhaps your driver / printer software is pre-Win10 and whatever is supposed to happen when you click on that is failing [and the error message is just it doing its best to interpret the problem].
- That might also explain why Custom is greyed out there.
- I understand that you are using Windows 7 driver / printer software so perhaps it is almost but not quite fully Windows10-compatible.

If you repeat the sequence on your WinXP-Word2003, what gets displayed?

Could you limit yourself to the displayed sizes by selecting, say, Envelope #10?
- Your only problem would be if you had centred anything in your text.
- Feed in a standard sheet of paper on which you have drawn pencil lines for both Envelope #10 & your card size [3x5] to see if you can get it to print in the area you want.

Denis

So, you suspect that I am using Windows 7 driver / printer software, eh? Then I guess I should try to figure out if my printer driver is up-to-date. I'm not sure how to do that, so perhaps a visit to the HP support community to ask for instructions. Thanks for that idea.

As for hooking the printer back up to the XP PC, I haven't yet been able to get myself down on the floor under my desk to unplug it from the Windows 10 PC.

We're having a streak of sunny warm weather here in Seattle, so I think I'll put this project on the back burner and go for a bike ride instead. They say that exercise helps boost your mood, and I have to confess that the frustration of not being able to solve this intractable printing problem has been pretty demoralizing.

Will,

CluelessInSeatl said:

So, you suspect that I am using Windows 7 driver / printer software, eh? Then I guess I should try to figure out if my printer driver is up-to-date. I'm not sure how to do that, so perhaps a visit to the HP support community to ask for instructions. Thanks for that idea.

That's where I got this link from.
Windows 7 driver / printer software
The 2013 software seems to be the latest Windows10-compatible software available but it is a "basic driver".
If you select WinXP as your OS you are shown a "full software" version from 2014.

It's been sunny here too,
Denis