This is a recurring issue and seems to be random.  The file might work at one point, but then on another print with the exact settings it cut off a part of the image.

The left side was directly from inkscape, the right was saved as pdf and then printed.

I have also had this happen with plaques, but those I can cheaply test first on card stock before running the job.  

Very frustrating.

The bulletproof way to "print" Inkscape files is to save a copy as pdf, then use Adobe Reader to send the pdf to printer/laser/etc.

I was not clear in my original post.  The .pdf file did do better, but it still cut off a part of the drawing toward the bottom.