How can I print my notes onto 3x5 cards?

September 20, 2007 6:49 PM

Is there any way to print onto 3x5 recipe/note cards?

I have been taking a lot of notes on my computer for school. I'd like to take some of these and print them onto 3x5 recipe cards, for organizing when I write papers and such. I've tried doing this in Word, but it doesn't seem to work-- it is as though Word is expecting a larger piece of paper to go through the printer. The card slides through, it prints onto nothing, and then the next one comes through, and it prints onto nothing. I have adjusted the paper size but to no avail. I'm willing to go with a standalone program on this one, though if so, the cheaper (or free-er) the better.

I'm working on a Macbook, with an Epson R200 printer.

(By the way, I know there are programs that can arrange notes onto cards on the screen [Scrivener] but I want physical copies of these things.)

posted by synecdoche to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

Best answer: Have you tried sending a letter sized sheet of paper through the printer, when you've told the printer to expect a notecard? Sometimes the printer doesn't put the image where you think it will, and you'll need to be crafty to make the physical placement of the odd-size paper match the printer's behavior.

In general, yes, it is possible. I have done it, although not recently. I am not an expert in Word, but I would guess that you need to adjust the nominal paper size of the document, and then set the paper size again in the printer settings.
posted by janell at 6:58 PM on September 20, 2007

Avery makes perforated notecard paper, and then you set up a 'label' template, and print onto that
posted by nikko at 7:04 PM on September 20, 2007

Best answer: What about printing to labels, and then sticking the labels on the index cards?

Regarding Word, there are two places I usually change the paper settings, and one is in File>page set up, and the other in the File> Print> Properties.
posted by b33j at 7:05 PM on September 20, 2007

(darn link function is not cooperating... you'll have to cut & paste)

Laser & Ink Jet Index Cards from Avery

http://www.avery.com/us/Main?action=product.Details&catalogcode=WEB01&node=10210830&productcode=5388
posted by Corky at 7:06 PM on September 20, 2007

You may want to try putting text on ALL of an 8.5 x 11" page, print that as an 8.5 x 11" page, and feed an index card through. See where the image lands. Chances are it's not printing where you're expecting.

Barring that, yeah, try the Avery sheets.
posted by antipasta_explosion at 7:28 PM on September 20, 2007

Response by poster: Thanks-- it was the double paper size thing. It is working perfectly now.
posted by synecdoche at 8:22 PM on September 20, 2007

I know I'm a little late to the party, but, is there any chance you could share the settings you use?

I've got an Epson R200 -- I want to print on real 3x5 index cards -- not overpriced Avery perf sheets.

Also, can you explain the "double paper size thing?"
posted by snakey at 11:15 AM on March 25, 2008

Response by poster: Snakey, I was referring to the paper size being set in two different places, as described in b33j's reply.
posted by synecdoche at 8:32 PM on March 26, 2008