Centering Your Image: A Guide to Perfect Alignment
Centering your image is easy when you're doing a full bleed image. But what if you're working with an image on a white background? It can be challenging to see your image clearly, as the substrate or paper might block your view.
Centering on Small Items: Tips and Tricks
Centering your image on small items, like name tags, is quite simple and similar to creating a bleed effect on a substrate. The key is to use a border around your image.
Adding a border helps center your image, especially if you plan to have a white background. Start by scanning or obtaining the dimensions of your substrate. When making a border, always ensure it’s 0.25 to 0.50 inches larger than the actual printing size of the substrate. This way, you won’t accidentally print the border onto your substrate, but you can still use it for centering purposes. Once the border is created, center-align your image to the border and print! See the picture below for reference.

Example: Centering a Name Tag
Here is an example of a name tag (1” x 3”). I created a 1.25” x 3.25” border and centered my image within the middle of the border. Once printed, simply place the substrate within the borders, ensuring there’s roughly equal space between the substrate and the border on all four sides. Then place a blank sheet on top and press.
For items that require the paper to be placed on top of the substrate, simply tape the substrate onto the paper after alignment, then flip it over and press.