How to Print a Shipping Label
Most label problems are print problems, not label problems. The file is usually fine; the print dialog quietly rescaled it. Here is what to set, and what to do if you have no printer at all.
The one setting that causes most failures
In the print dialog, scaling must be 100% or Actual size. Not "Fit to page", not "Shrink to fit", not "Scale to paper size". Fit-to-page is usually the default, and it reduces the label by a small percentage to guarantee nothing is clipped by the printer's unprintable margin.
That small reduction is the problem. Barcodes have a specified module width — the thickness of the narrowest bar — and scanners are built around it. Shrink the whole label by four or five percent and the modules narrow past the point where a scanner reads them reliably. The label looks perfect to you and scans intermittently in the sorting facility, which is the worst possible failure mode because it is invisible until the parcel is delayed.
After printing, check the label's physical size with a ruler. A 4×6 label should measure four inches by six inches. If it measures slightly less, scaling was applied and the printer settings need fixing before you send anything.
Thermal printer settings
Set the media size in the printer driver to match the label stock exactly — 4×6 for standard shipping labels. Thermal drivers usually ship with a default that is close but not identical, which produces a small offset on every label.
Darkness or density is the second setting worth attention. Too light and the barcode bars have soft edges that scan poorly; too dark and the bars bleed into each other, which also fails. Print one label, scan it with a phone barcode app, and adjust one step at a time from the middle of the range.
If labels come out consistently offset by the same amount, the printer needs calibration rather than a driver change. Most thermal printers have a media-calibration routine that feeds a few labels and learns the gap between them — running it after changing label stock resolves most alignment complaints.
Inkjet and laser on adhesive sheets
Use the correct paper-type setting. Selecting "Labels" or "Heavy paper" slows the feed and increases ink drying time, which prevents smudging on adhesive stock. Left on plain-paper settings, an inkjet can lay down ink faster than the label surface absorbs it.
Print in black and white. Colour adds nothing a scanner uses and consumes ink. Greyscale also produces crisper barcode edges than a composite black mixed from colour cartridges — if your driver offers "black ink only", use it.
Let inkjet labels dry for a minute before handling. Fresh ink on label stock smears easily, and a smeared barcode is unreadable. Laser output is fused and can be handled immediately.
Printing without a printer
Save the PDF and take it to a print shop, an office supply store, or a shipping store — nearly all will print from a USB drive or an emailed file. Ask for a single-sided black-and-white page at actual size, and say it is a shipping label so they don't apply fit-to-page.
Many carrier locations will also print a label from a QR code or a tracking reference at the counter, which sidesteps printing entirely. This varies by carrier and location, so confirm before travelling.
If you are printing to a shared or network printer from a phone, the mobile print dialog often has fewer scaling options than a desktop one. Where possible, print the label from a computer so you can verify the scale setting explicitly.
Common questions
Why does my printed shipping label look small?
Almost certainly fit-to-page scaling in the print dialog. Set scaling to 100% or Actual size and reprint, then confirm the label measures its stated size with a ruler.
Can I print a shipping label on regular paper?
Yes. Print it on plain paper and attach it with clear tape around the edges — not across the barcode. It is entirely acceptable to carriers; adhesive stock is a convenience, not a requirement.
Should I print in colour?
No. Black and white is what scanners read, it costs less, and on an inkjet it usually produces sharper bar edges than a colour-composite black.
Can I print two labels on one page?
You can if the page format supports it, but cut carefully and keep the quiet zone — the blank margin around the barcode — intact. Cutting into that margin is a common cause of scan failures.
More label guides
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