The Lazy Warlord

These PDFs were designed to be printed double-sided, but I ran into some alignment issues while putting the Data Cards together. Sometimes the back side would print noticeably off-center, which became a problem when cutting the cards out. Best case, the cards just looked a little rough. Worst case, important text got trimmed off. This typically happened when printing on cardstock but could happen with normal paper to a lesser degree.

After a lot of trial and error, I discovered the issue seems to depend heavily on the type of paper or cardstock being used and the printer. I print my cheat sheets on 67 lb cardstock because it feels much sturdier than plain paper, and I usually laminate them afterward for durability.

Why the Alignment Problem Happens

The issue comes from the automatic double-sided printing feature. When the printer pulls the sheet back in to print the second side, it doesn’t always feed the paper perfectly consistently. Thicker cardstock tends to make this even worse.

To help compensate for this, I removed the border from the back side of the cards. That way, if there’s a slight shift during printing, the cards won’t look obviously misaligned. When trimming, simply use the front side of the card as your cutting guide.

The best workaround I found was:

1. Print the front side first.
2. Manually reinsert the sheet into the top of the paper tray.
3. Print the back side separately.
4. You can batch print the odd pages first and then even pages to speed things up.
5. When printing, make sure you don’t have “print both sides” selected.

Usually, the sheet goes back into the tray printed side up, but the exact orientation depends on whether the document is in landscape or portrait orientation. Definitely do a few test prints on cheap plain paper first, unless you enjoy sacrificing cardstock to the printer gods.

Printing Tips

If you’re using cardstock, make sure to adjust your printer settings accordingly. My HP printer’s recommended setting wasn’t even visible in my software menu, so I ended up using the “Matte Paper” setting instead. Depending on your printer, you may also see options like “Cardstock” or “Heavy Paper.”

The important thing is giving the printer enough time and support to properly handle the thicker material and to allow the ink to dry properly.

Be mindful of your printer’s limitations. If you plan to use cardstock, check what paper weights your printer officially supports first. Even if the cardstock falls within those specs, printers can still struggle with automatic double-sided printing because thicker stock is stiffer and doesn’t always feed consistently through the rollers.

If that happens, try the manual-feed method mentioned above instead. It takes a little extra time, but it greatly reduces alignment issues and usually produces much cleaner results.

Trimming

To cut your cards out, you can use either a good pair of scissors or a paper trimmer. If you decide to laminate your cards, make sure you laminate them before cutting them out.

I personally use a Fiskars 12″ Trimmer. It’s fairly compact and uses a smooth sliding blade instead of the old guillotine-style cutter. One feature I really like is the wire cutting guide, which lets you clearly see exactly where the cut line will land.

I originally used a different brand, but it was difficult to line the blade up precisely, which made clean cuts frustrating. That’s ultimately why I switched to the Fiskars trimmer. It’s reasonably priced, especially if you catch it on sale at places like Michaels.

To Laminate or Not

Laminating your Data Cards and Cheat Sheets protects them. If you don’t have a laminator, check around with friends (or particularly their wives or girlfriends who are scrapbooking). I’ve had success laminating 67lb weight paper (we’ll see long-term if there is any delamination). I’ve heard mixed results for heavy cardstock of 110 lbs–people have recommended using 5mm laminating pouches, but some people claim it will delaminate.

If you’re in the U.S. and interested in laminating your cards, you can pick up a reasonably priced Scotch laminator at places like OfficeMax, Staples, or most craft stores. I used 3mm laminating sheets, and OfficeMax especially seems to run sales on them pretty often.