Fragile labels and stickers
Print free fragile labels and stickers: Fragile, This side up, Keep dry and Do not stack, with the international symbols, in English or English and French. They print six to a letter page, or one to a 4 × 6 label.
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Print at 100% (actual size), cut along the dashed lines and tape each label flat, away from the shipping label.
How to pack fragile items
A handling label tells people what’s inside and which way up it goes. The packing keeps the contents whole:
- UPS asks for at least two inches (five centimetres) of filler around the contents, in a rigid box with its flaps attached.
- For fragile goods, UPS suggests two boxes: an outer box six inches (15 centimetres) larger each way, with three inches (7.6 centimetres) of cushioning between them.
- Canada Post asks for each item wrapped separately, and cushioning on all sides of anything fragile.
What the carriers’ terms say about fragile items
- Canada Post (terms) takes no liability for damage to shipments of fragile items, naming ceramics, glass, porcelain, mirrors, crystal, pottery and china.
- Purolator (terms) carries glassware, ceramics, porcelain, china, crystal and glass at the shipper’s risk.
- UniUni (restricted goods) doesn’t take very fragile items such as glassware and porcelain.
A label doesn’t change any of this. Our claims guide has each carrier’s deadlines, and the prohibited items page lists what can’t ship at all.
The symbols
The pictures follow the international handling marks for packaging: a glass for fragile, two arrows for this side up, an umbrella in the rain for keep dry, and a crossed-out box on top for do not stack. They read the same in any language, and the French option prints the words in both official languages.
Questions about fragile labels
Do fragile stickers actually work?
Don't count on one. A fragile sticker asks for care, but the carriers' terms don't change for it: Canada Post's exclude damage to fragile items such as glass and ceramics, whatever the box says. Use the sticker, and pack as if it weren't there.
What is a fragile sticker?
A label on the outside of a box saying its contents can break, usually the word FRAGILE with a glass symbol, sometimes with HANDLE WITH CARE. It's also called a fragile sign or fragile label. This side up, Keep dry and Do not stack labels work the same way. These print on plain paper or label stock and tape on like a sticker.
Can I put my own fragile sticker on a package?
Yes. None of the carriers' terms we checked asks for a particular sticker, so a printed one does the same job as a bought one. None of them says a sticker changes how a parcel is handled or what a claim covers either, so pack as if the sticker weren't there.
Where do the labels go?
On the top and on at least two sides, so one shows whichever way the box sits. Put This side up labels on all four sides with the arrows pointing to the top, and keep every label clear of the carrier's shipping label.
Can I print them on a label printer?
Yes. Choose 4 × 6 label and black, since thermal label printers print in black only.
Are they free?
Yes, with no account. Print as many as you need.
Compare four carriers in one quote
UniUni, Purolator, UPS and FedEx in one account, paid per label.