How to print shipping labels with or without a label printer
Print a shipping label on any printer or a 4 × 6 thermal label printer, pick the right label printer, and attach the label so it scans first time.
Updated
Short answer. You don’t need a special printer. Print the letter-size PDF on any printer at actual size, cut along the border, and tape it flat to the largest side of the box. A 4 × 6 thermal printer saves time once you ship more than a few parcels a day.
The two label formats
Every ProtonShip label comes in two PDFs. The 4 × 6 one is a single label on a 4 by 6 inch page, the size thermal label printers use. The letter one puts the same label on a regular 8.5 by 11 inch sheet for any home or office printer.
Carriers scan the same barcode either way. The only difference is how you print and attach it.
Printing on a regular printer
- Open the letter-size PDF.
- In the print settings, choose Actual size or 100%. “Fit to page” shrinks the barcode, and a scanner may not read a shrunken barcode.
- Print in black on plain white paper. Colour isn’t needed.
- Cut along the label’s border and tape it on (see below).
Full-sheet adhesive paper skips the tape. Half-sheet labels work too, as long as the label fits on one half at actual size.
When a thermal printer is worth it
A direct thermal printer prints with heat on special label stock, so there’s no ink or toner to buy, and each label comes out already sticky and the right size. It pays off once cutting and taping labels takes real time out of your day.
What to look for:
- It prints 4 × 6 inch labels. That’s the size carriers use.
- It works from your computer’s normal print dialog, so any PDF prints from your browser.
- It takes the label format you want to buy: rolls or fanfold stacks.
Thermal labels can darken or fade if they sit in heat or sunlight for a long time. Print them on the day you ship.
Which label printer to use
Any of these prints a ProtonShip label, because every label comes as a 4 × 6 PDF and a letter-size PDF. The choice comes down to how many parcels you ship and how much cutting and taping you want to do.
| Printer | Prints on | Use it with |
|---|---|---|
| Direct thermal label printer | 4 × 6 inch heat-sensitive labels, on a roll or a fanfold stack. No ink or toner. | The 4 × 6 PDF |
| Thermal transfer label printer | Labels printed through a ribbon, which last longer than direct thermal ones | The 4 × 6 PDF |
| Inkjet or laser printer | Plain letter paper, or full-sheet or half-sheet adhesive labels | The letter-size PDF |
A label only has to last until the parcel is delivered, so a direct thermal printer is enough for shipping. If you ship a few parcels a week, the printer you already have does the job.
Attaching the label
- Put it on the largest flat side of the box, not across an edge or a seam.
- Tape it flat with clear tape, and keep tape off the barcode if you can. Shiny tape over a barcode can stop it scanning.
- On a reused box, remove or cover every old label and barcode. A scanner can pick up the old one.
- For a padded mailer, smooth the label flat so the barcode doesn’t wrinkle.
Common printing mistakes
- Scaling the label to fit the page prints the barcode smaller than it should be. Reprint at actual size.
- Low toner or ink leaves grey, broken bars that are hard to scan. Replace the cartridge before a big batch.
- The 4 × 6 file sent to a letter printer comes out as a small label in the corner of the page. That works at actual size, but the letter PDF is easier.
- A crease through the barcode can make it unreadable, so don’t fold the label.
For a big batch, Bulk upload puts every label from a spreadsheet into one PDF, ready for a thermal printer or a stack of paper.
Print your labels at your desk
Every label comes as a 4 × 6 PDF and a letter-size PDF.
Related reading
Labels that print anywhere
Every ProtonShip label comes as a 4 × 6 PDF and a letter-size PDF.