I-601 hardship evidence cover sheet prints cropped — fix USCIS PDF scaling & margins

Joe B.

Reviewed for technical accuracy

Specialities: Windows/macOS printing, PDF/Adobe Reader, USCIS forms & notices, Page scaling & margins

I-601 hardship cover page cropped at bottom — USCIS PDF prints cut off, barcode/margins missing on HP/Epson/Canon/Brother

Technician

Hi! We’ll fix an I-601 hardship evidence cover sheet printing cropped — for example the bottom barcode cut off, header truncated, or page edges missing. A few checks first: are you printing from Adobe Acrobat Reader or from the browser (Chrome/Edge/Preview)? What paper size is the printer set to — Letter 8.5×11 or A4? And are you using an HP/Epson/Canon/Brother with a class driver or a vendor driver?

Customer

It’s my USCIS I-601 hardship evidence cover page from myUSCIS. When I print, the bottom line and barcode get cropped. I used Chrome on Windows with an HP inkjet.

Technician

Thanks. Two common causes: 1) Browser viewers apply auto scaling or margins that clip the USCIS barcode area. 2) The printer is set to A4 while the file is Letter (or the opposite), so the page is shifted and the cover sheet prints cut off at the bottom. We’ll switch to Adobe Reader, enforce Fit/Actual size (100%), and align paper size to stop cropping.

Customer

I didn’t check paper size. Chrome just printed it. How do I make sure the USCIS I-601 cover sheet prints full page with margins?

Technician

Do this:
Step 1 — Open in Adobe Acrobat Reader (not the browser)
• Download from myUSCIS, right-click the PDF → Open with → Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Click File → Print. Under Page Sizing & Handling, choose Fit or Actual Size (100%). Avoid “Custom scale” unless we set it to 100%.
• Make sure Paper Size is Letter 8.5×11 if your printer uses Letter. If it shows A4, change it or select Choose paper source by PDF page size.

Customer

The preview looks better, but I’m worried the barcode will be clipped. Any advanced settings to prevent that?

Technician

Great question.
Step 2 — Respect the printer’s printable area
• In the printer’s properties, disable Borderless if your device doesn’t truly support edge-to-edge; it can shift content and make the barcode cut off.
• Set Scaling to Fit (adds small margins) or Actual Size with Print within printable area enabled if available.
• Keep orientation on Portrait and uncheck header/footer options that browsers add.

Customer

What if the bottom still gets cropped? I need the I-601 cover page barcode to be readable when I mail the packet.

Technician

Step 3 — Force reliable rendering
• In Adobe Reader click Print → Advanced and check Print as Image. This prevents drivers from shifting vector content.
• Print via the system dialog (Ctrl+Shift+P in Chrome/Edge) and pick the same settings: Letter, Fit/100%, Portrait, and Disable page scaling in driver if present.
• If you previously used a class driver (WSD/IPP), try the vendor driver or a Standard TCP/IP queue — some class drivers clip margins differently.

Customer

I’m outside the U.S. and my printer defaults to A4. The USCIS PDF is Letter. Is that why the cover sheet prints cut off?

Technician

Exactly.
Step 4 — Fix A4 vs Letter mismatch
• In the printer driver set Paper size = Letter 8.5×11 (or load Letter paper).
• In Adobe Reader enable Choose paper source by PDF page size. This ensures the I-601 hardship evidence cover sheet is scaled for the document’s size, not the driver default.
• Avoid browser “Scale to Fit” on A4; it often trims the bottom where the barcode sits.

Customer

Do I need special quality settings so the barcode is scannable when USCIS receives my packet?

Technician

Step 5 — Make the barcode crisp
• Use 300–600 dpi, Black & White/Grayscale, and Plain paper media type.
• Turn off Economy/Toner Save and any edge smoothing that distorts thin bars.
• If the barcode still looks soft, export to a new PDF via Microsoft Print to PDF (flattening) and reprint from Adobe Reader.

Customer

I re-downloaded from myUSCIS and printed using your steps. The cropping is gone and the barcode looks good. Anything else before I mail my I-601 packet?

Technician

Final checks:
• Print two copies of the I-601 hardship evidence cover sheet and keep one in your records.
• Verify margins (top/bottom) and that the barcode isn’t clipped when stacked with exhibits.
• If you must scan for your attorney, scan at 300 dpi so the barcode remains scannable.
Need help ensuring every cover page prints correctly? Open the chat.

Customer

Perfect — my I-601 cover sheet now prints full page with the barcode intact. Thank you!

Technician

Summary: If your I-601 hardship evidence cover sheet prints cropped, open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader, use Fit/Actual Size (100%), match Letter vs A4, and print via the system dialog. For stubborn cases enable Print as Image, switch to a vendor driver or a Standard TCP/IP queue, and re-download from myUSCIS. Ready for hands-on help? Chat with an expert.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted fix when the I-601 hardship evidence cover sheet prints cropped: open in Adobe Reader, set Fit/100% scaling, ensure Letter 8.5×11 (or enable “Choose paper source by PDF page size”), and print via the system dialog. If the bottom barcode is still cut off, use Print as Image and try a vendor driver or Standard TCP/IP queue.

FAQ

Step-by-step (Windows 11)

1. Download the I-601 cover sheet from myUSCIS and open in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
2. In Print, select Fit or Actual Size (100%); set paper to Letter 8.5×11.
3. Print via the system dialog; disable borderless and headers/footers; DPI 300–600.
4. If still cropped, enable Print as Image and try a vendor driver or Standard TCP/IP queue.

Note for macOS

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader (not Preview) and choose Fit/100%.
2. Ensure paper size is US Letter or enable “Scale to Fit → Print entire image” without trimming margins.

Sources

• Adobe — Print as Image
• Adobe — Printing PDFs, scaling & page size
• USCIS — Filing guidance

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