DS-260 confirmation page shifts out of alignment on print — margins & scaling fixes

Joe B.

Expert ★★★★★ 27,853 satisfied customers

Specialities: Windows 11/10, Printers, PDF/Browser printing, Immigration document formatting

DS-260 confirmation page misaligned — barcode off-center, cropped margins, wrong document size

Technician

Hey! We’ll get your DS-260 confirmation page to print in the correct alignment so the barcode and case details are centered. A couple quick checks: are you printing from CEAC in Chrome/Edge/Firefox or from a downloaded PDF in Adobe Reader? What paper do you use—Letter (8.5×11) or A4? And does the preview show Fit to page/Shrink to fit enabled?

Customer

I’m printing straight from CEAC in Chrome. The confirmation page looks fine on screen, but the print is shifted right and the bottom line is cut off. Our printer is set to A4, I think.

Technician

Got it. Misalignment on the DS-260 confirmation page usually comes from three things: 1) Paper size mismatch (Letter vs A4), 2) Scaling (not printing at 100% / Actual size), and 3) overly narrow or custom margins in the browser/driver. Let’s lock those down so the barcode sits centered and nothing crops.

Customer

Okay. What settings should I change in Chrome to stop the page from shifting out of alignment?

Technician

Step 1 — Fix alignment in the browser (Chrome/Edge/Firefox)
1) Open the print dialog (Ctrl/Cmd+P). Set Destination to your printer.
2) Set Pages = All, Layout = Portrait.
3) Under More settings choose the correct Paper size: try Letter 8.5×11 first. If your country uses A4, select A4 both here and in the printer driver.
4) Set Scale = 100% (turn off Fit to page/Shrink to fit).
5) Margins = Default (not “None”). Disable browser Headers and footers so they don’t push content.
6) Click Print using system dialog (Ctrl+Shift+P) and confirm the paper size and scaling = 100% again inside the driver. This resolves most DS-260 confirmation page misaligned cases.

Customer

The preview looks better at 100%, but the bottom still touches the edge. The barcode is barely inside the line.

Technician

Step 2 — Download and print via Adobe Reader (most reliable)
• In CEAC, click Print Confirmation then choose Save as PDF.
• Open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader → Print.
• Set Page Sizing = Actual size (not “Fit” or “Shrink”).
• Auto-rotate and center = On; Choose paper source by PDF size = Off.
• Paper = Letter or A4 to match your region; Borderless = Off.
• If the bottom is still tight, set Margins to “Printer’s margins” or reduce scaling slightly to 98–99% to keep the barcode within the frame. Consulates accept slight reduction as long as the code is clear and centered.

Customer

Our office printer defaults to “A4 borderless”. Could that push the DS-260 confirmation out of alignment?

Technician

Yes. Borderless and auto-expand modes often shift content. Do this:
• In Printer Properties → Preferences set Paper size to the exact stock in the tray (Letter or A4), Borderless = Off, Print quality = Standard.
• Disable driver options like Fit to printable area, Scale to fit, Zoom, or vendor “Edge-to-edge”.
• Ensure the physical tray guides are tight—skew causes the barcode off-center symptom even when settings are correct.

Customer

If we must submit a digital copy, how can I check alignment before wasting paper?

Technician

Step 3 — Verify alignment with Print to PDF
• In your browser, set Scale 100%, correct paper size, and Default margins, then choose Microsoft Print to PDF/Save as PDF and open the file.
• Zoom to 100% and check that borders are even and the barcode sits ~0.5″ from edges. If it looks centered here but not on paper, the problem is the printer driver or tray guides.

Customer

We have to bring a clean copy to the consulate. Any final checklist to ensure they can scan it?

Technician

Final checklist for DS-260 confirmation page printing:
• Paper: Letter 8.5×11 (US) or A4 (most other countries), no borderless.
• Scaling: 100% / Actual size; disable Fit to page/Shrink to fit.
• Margins: Default, headers/footers off.
• Print in black & high quality to keep the barcode crisp.
• If your model supports it, turn off “edge expand” and any “auto-centering” features that can shift the image.

Customer

That did it — using Adobe “Actual size” on Letter fixed the misalignment and the barcode is centered. Thanks!

Technician

Summary: When the DS-260 confirmation page prints out of alignment, match Letter vs A4, set Scale 100% / Actual size, use Default margins, and avoid Fit/Shrink or borderless. Printing via Adobe Reader with Actual size is the most reliable path. Need help aligning your model’s driver? Open the chat.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted fix when the DS-260 confirmation page shifts out of alignment on print: choose the correct paper size (Letter/A4), print at 100% / Actual size, use Default margins, and turn off Fit to page/Shrink to fit. If the browser still crops, download the PDF and print via Adobe Reader → Actual size with borderless disabled.

FAQ

Step-by-step (Windows/macOS)

1. In browser print dialog set Scale 100%, Default margins, correct Paper size.
2. Open Print using system dialog and confirm the same settings in the driver; disable borderless and any auto-fit/edge expand.
3. If issues persist, download the PDF and print from Adobe Reader with Actual size.
4. Run a Print to PDF check; if PDF is centered but paper isn’t, adjust driver/tray.

Sources

• Adobe — Troubleshoot printing PDFs
• Google Chrome — Print settings & scaling
• U.S. Dept. of State — Immigrant Visa Process (CEAC)

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