Address Label Template — Free Maker
Create clean, professional address labels for envelopes, packages, and mail. Our address label maker generates print-ready PDFs that work with any printer. Perfect for holiday cards, business mailings, and everyday correspondence. Enter your addresses below and download instantly.
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Address Label vs Shipping Label: What Is the Difference?
Address Label
An address label contains only the sender and recipient addresses — nothing else. No carrier name, no service class, no tracking barcode, no postage indicator. It is a purely informational label that tells mail handlers where a piece of mail is going and where it came from.
Common uses: envelopes, holiday card mailings, office inter-department mail, return address stickers, gift packages shipped by personal courier, and any situation where you are not using a tracked carrier service.
Shipping Label
A shipping label is the full carrier label — it includes the to/from addresses plus the carrier logo, service type (e.g., USPS Priority Mail, UPS Ground), a tracking barcode, and often a postage indicator. These are machine-readable and get scanned at every point in the carrier network.
Common uses: any package shipped via USPS, UPS, FedEx, or DHL where tracking and carrier handling are required.
This tool creates both. If you need a tracking barcode and carrier branding, use our shipping label templates. If you just need a clean to/from address, the address label format works for any printer or label sheet.
Common Uses for Address Labels
Office Inter-Department Mail
Route internal mail between departments or floors without using carrier labels. A simple to/from address label on a reusable envelope is standard office practice.
Holiday Card Mailings
Instead of handwriting 50+ addresses, create address labels in bulk, print on a sheet, and stick them on envelopes. Saves an hour and looks professional.
Personal Package Deliveries
Sending something via a local courier, a friend picking up a delivery, or a non-carrier transfer? A clean address label communicates destination clearly.
Return Address Stickers
Print a sheet of return address labels with just your sender address. Works for business correspondence, wedding invitations, or any bulk mailing.
Printing Address Labels on Standard Label Sheets
The most common format for address labels on standard printers is a letter-size sheet with either 2-up (two columns) or 4-up (two rows of two) labels per page. These are compatible with Avery 5160 (30-up, for return address stickers), Avery 5163 (10-up, full shipping labels), and similar sheets.
- 1Choose “Letter — 4 per page” in the size selector above. This fits four 4x3-inch labels on one sheet.
- 2Download the PDF and open it in your PDF viewer. Set print scale to “Actual Size” (not “Fit to page”) — scaling distorts label dimensions.
- 3Load your label sheet face-up (or face-down, depending on your printer — do a test run on plain paper first to confirm orientation).
- 4Print and peel. If your margins are slightly off, adjust your printer's margin settings — most laser printers have a 0.125” minimum margin.
Practical Tips for Better Address Labels
Font Size for Readability
For labels that will be handled by postal workers or scanned at distance, use a minimum of 12pt for the address lines. Anything smaller risks misreading. Our templates default to 14pt for street lines and 12pt for city/state/zip — do not go below this if legibility matters.
Verify Before Batch Printing
Before printing 50 address labels, print one and verify the address is complete and correctly formatted. For US addresses, the format is: Name, Street Address, City, State (2-letter abbreviation), ZIP code on the same line. Missing ZIP codes cause delivery delays. For international addresses, include the country on the last line in capital letters.
Use Suite / Apt Numbers
Always include apartment, suite, or unit numbers. “123 Main St” and “123 Main St Apt 4B” are very different destinations. USPS reports that missing secondary address information is one of the top causes of delayed or returned mail.
Label Adhesion
Self-adhesive label paper (the kind with a peel-off backing) works best. If you print on plain paper and tape it, use clear tape and cover the entire label to prevent smearing if the package gets wet. Inkjet-printed labels should be sealed with clear tape — inkjet ink runs when wet. Laser-printed labels are more water-resistant.