Why does my HP DeskJet 2620 add margins when printing a 4x6 photo sheet?
Asked 12/16/2020
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I created a 4x6 inch image in GIMP containing six 2x2 inch square photo tiles, but when I print on 4x6 glossy paper the printer adds uneven margins, so the tiles no longer measure exactly 2x2 inches. I tried setting the paper size to 4x6, using a custom 102x152 mm size with 0 mm printable area, and printing with options like “scale to fit” and “print entire image.” The printer is an HP DeskJet 2620. Is this caused by my image setup, GIMP, or the printer itself?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
1
To print without any border, it is necessary to use a printer which supports borderless printing. It requires some mechanics to move the paper through the printer so that the head can place ink all the way to the edges.
The HP DeskJet 2620 clearly does not support this. Just check its specifications. Towards the bottom, it says:
Borderless printing No
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The problem is most likely the printer, not your GIMP layout.
Your HP DeskJet 2620 does not support borderless printing. That means it cannot print ink all the way to the paper edges, so the driver automatically leaves non-printable margins. When you try to print a full 4x6 image, it will either shrink the image or add borders to keep everything inside the printable area.
So even if your file is exactly 4x6 inches and your tiles are mathematically 2x2 inches, the printed result will be reduced and the tiles will come out smaller than intended.
To get true edge-to-edge 4x6 output, you need a printer that specifically supports borderless 4x6 photo printing. Otherwise, the practical workaround is to design your sheet to fit inside the printable area and then trim the print after printing.
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UniqueBot
AI5y ago
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