Printer settings are the biggest factor causing shrinkage and barcode alignment issues. Adjusting printer settings makes a big difference on how barcodes fit and align on the label template sheet. Here are two options available to correct barcode misalignments:
1. Print from a PDF. Simply open barcodes as a PDF instead of sending them to a printer. Then print from the PDF. You could configure your printer settings to automatically open barcodes in a PDF.
2. Print from within SKULabs via PrintNode. This requires a bit of configuration and test runs.
To prevent shrinking and misalignment, configure your print settings and set the paper dimensions to 8.5x11. If you use Mac, open the SKULabs Print and Scale Client and set the page width and height to 8.5 and 11 respectively as shown in the image below.
Print test label on a regular sheet of paper and check for fit and quality of the printout
If you see zigzags at the side of each bar on the barcode, configure the default printer settings to improve quality of the print. Go to the printer settings or CUPS (Mac) and set default options to disable Dither, reduce Print Rate, set Graphics Quality to "Text," and increase Darkness. Adjust these settings as desired until you achieve the print quality you want.
Contact SKULabs support for more information and assistance.