Wide Edge Leading (W.E.L.) - What does wide edge leading mean?

Answer:

The orientation of an A4 sheet during the manufacturing and printing processes. Wide edge leading is when the widest edge of a sheet enters a machine first. On an A4 sheet this is the edge that measures 297mm, meaning that the sheet should be landscape when it is fed in. Most desktop printers do not accept sheets wide edge leading. Where a printer gives the option of choosing between wide and narrow edge leading, our labels should always be entered narrow edge leading; all of our label sizes and layouts have been designed to suit this particular feed direction, while our paper labels also have a grain (like wood) that goes from the top to the bottom of a (portrait) sheet and so must be fed into a printer with the grain (narrow edge leading) rather than against the grain (wide edge leading).