Shipping Label Size Guide for Each Carrier: USPS, UPS, FedEx, Amazon and DHL
USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL and Amazon all print to a 4 x 6 inch thermal label by default, and each accepts one or two alternates for laser printers or doc tabs. This guide lists the accepted sizes per carrier with the published source, the placement rules that stop a barcode scanning, printer and roll specs, and the label sizes stocked here.
Label sizes each carrier accepts
Every major carrier prints to the same default, a 4 x 6 inch thermal label, and each has one or two alternates for laser printers or for labels with a tear-off doc tab. What differs is the barcode rules and how the label must sit on the box. The table gives the standard size, the alternates, the format rule that most often causes a rejected scan, and where the requirement is published.
| Carrier / program | Standard label size | Also accepted | Format notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USPS (Click-N-Ship, Ground Advantage, Priority Mail) | 4 x 6 in thermal or paper | Half sheet 8.5 x 5.5 in (one label per half page, printed on letter paper and taped); full 8.5 x 11 in with the label on the top half | IMpb barcode must be fully visible and scannable; label cannot wrap an edge; do not shrink the print scale. Postage and barcode on one face. | USPS DMM 204 (barcode standards); Click-N-Ship label options |
| UPS (WorldShip, UPS.com, API) | 4 x 6 in thermal | 4 x 8 in thermal (UPS's own thermal label stock, with routing and service detail), 8.5 x 11 in laser (one label per page or per half page, folded into a pouch) | MaxiCode and 1Z barcode must not be covered by tape seams or pouch edges; 4 x 8 stock leaves room for the receiver name block. | UPS label and packaging guidelines |
| FedEx (Ship Manager, fedex.com, API) | 4 x 6 in thermal | 4 x 6.75 in (with doc tab), 4 x 8 in, 4 x 9 in (with doc tab), 8.5 x 11 in laser with one label per half page | Doc-tab sizes print a tear-off stub for your own records. FedEx Ground labels carry a 96-digit barcode that must stay on a flat face. | FedEx label format options in Ship Manager |
| Amazon FBA shipment (box) labels | 4 x 6 in thermal | 8.5 x 11 in laser, one FBA box ID label per page (or two per page on 4 x 6 cut sheets) | Box label and carrier label go on the same face without overlapping. Pallet shipments add a 4 x 6 pallet label on all four sides. | Amazon Seller Central: FBA shipping label requirements |
| Amazon FNSKU (item) labels | 1 x 2 5/8 in (30-up letter sheets) | 2.25 x 1.25 in thermal; 1 x 3 in thermal; other sheet layouts (21-up, 24-up, 27-up, 40-up, 44-up) as listed in Seller Central | Must cover any existing barcode; one scannable barcode per unit. White labels, black print, no glossy finish. | Amazon Seller Central: FNSKU label sizes |
| DHL eCommerce and DHL Express | 4 x 6 in thermal | 8.5 x 11 in laser (Express: one label per page, plus an archive doc) | Express labels need the waybill number barcode clear of tape; eCommerce labels use the 4 x 6 thermal stock. | DHL label specifications |
| Shopify Shipping, Pirate Ship, ShipStation and other multi-carrier tools | 4 x 6 in thermal | 8.5 x 11 in laser (two labels per page on some tools, one on others) | The tool prints the carrier's own label image; the sizes above still apply. Set the printer to 4 x 6 in the tool, not only in the driver. | Each platform's print settings |
Sizes are the label image the carrier software generates. Printing a 4 x 6 image on 8.5 x 11 paper and cutting it down is accepted by every carrier above as long as the print scale is 100 percent; shrinking the image to fit a smaller label is the common cause of barcodes that will not scan at the sort facility.
Placement rules that apply to every size
- Flat face, no edges. The whole label, including the barcode, sits on one face of the box. Wrapping over an edge breaks the barcode and is the most common reason for a manual sort.
- Tape clear of barcodes. Tape the label's corners or use a self-adhesive label; clear tape over a barcode is allowed by UPS and FedEx if it is smooth and non-reflective, but a seam across it is not. USPS prefers no tape over the IMpb.
- One carrier label per box. Remove or fully cover old labels and barcodes, including retail UPCs on the outside of a reused box. Opaque blockout labels exist for this.
- Orientation. Barcodes scan in any orientation on a flat surface, but labels placed on the largest face and away from seams, straps and flaps scan first time.
Printers, rolls and cores
The label size and the printer decide the stock to buy. Desktop thermal printers take 4 inch wide rolls on a 1 inch core; industrial units take a 3 inch core and a larger roll. Direct thermal paper prints without a ribbon and is the default for shipping labels that last days to months; thermal transfer needs a ribbon and holds up outdoors and in cold storage.
| Printer class | Label width | Common models | Roll core / max roll | Label stock to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop direct thermal (4 in) | Up to 4.1 in print width | Rollo, Zebra ZP450 / GK420d / ZD421, DYMO LabelWriter 4XL, Brother QL-1110NWB, MUNBYN, iDPRT | 1 in core, about 5 in outside diameter on most; Rollo feeds fanfold or an external roll holder | 4 x 6 direct thermal rolls of 250 to 500, or fanfold stacks of 2,000; no ribbon |
| Industrial thermal transfer | 4 to 6 in | Zebra ZT411 / ZT421, Honeywell PM43, SATO CL4NX | 3 in core, 8 in outside diameter | 4 x 6 thermal transfer labels (wax or resin ribbon) for labels that must survive outdoor or chemical exposure |
| DYMO LabelWriter 450 / 550 | Up to 2.2 in | LabelWriter 450, 450 Turbo, 550 | Proprietary spool | Too narrow for a 4 x 6 carrier label; use the 4XL or 5XL models |
| Laser or inkjet (letter sheets) | 8.5 x 11 in sheets | Any office printer | n/a | Half-sheet 8.5 x 5.5 labels (2 per page) or full-sheet 8.5 x 11; 30-up 1 x 2 5/8 sheets for FNSKU |
Stocked label sizes
Counts are live products in the catalog by size. The label size chart lists every dimension with a use for each, and the thermal label size chart covers roll counts and cores for thermal stock only.
Choosing between 4 x 6 thermal and half-sheet laser
Under about 20 shipments a day, a laser printer and half-sheet labels cost nothing extra and the packing slip can print on the other half of the page. Above that, a 4 x 6 thermal printer pays for itself in toner and time: a direct thermal label costs a few cents, prints in under two seconds, and needs no cutting. Fanfold stacks of 2,000 remove roll changes for anyone printing in batches. For the FBA seller, the same 4 x 6 printer handles box labels, pallet labels and, with a 2.25 x 1.25 roll, FNSKU item labels. The one case for thermal transfer is a label that must survive sun, rain or freezer storage for months: direct thermal paper darkens with heat and fades under UV. The fanfold vs roll page compares the two stock formats.
Shop 4x6 thermal labelsShipping labelsAll labels and tags
Frequently asked questions
What size are USPS shipping labels?
4 x 6 inches is the standard for Click-N-Ship and every third-party tool. USPS also accepts a half-sheet 8.5 x 5.5 inch label or a full 8.5 x 11 page with the label on the top half, printed at 100 percent scale.
What size is a UPS shipping label?
4 x 6 inches for thermal printers. UPS's own thermal stock is 4 x 8 inches, which adds a routing block, and laser labels print on 8.5 x 11 sheets, one or two per page.
What label sizes does FedEx use?
4 x 6 inches standard; 4 x 6.75 and 4 x 9 inches when a doc tab is printed; 4 x 8 inches; and 8.5 x 11 laser sheets with one label per half page.
What size label does Amazon FBA require?
Shipment box labels are 4 x 6 inches (or printed one per 8.5 x 11 page). FNSKU item labels are 1 x 2 5/8 inches on 30-up sheets, or 2.25 x 1.25 and 1 x 3 inches on thermal rolls.
Can I print a 4x6 label on regular paper?
Yes. Print at 100 percent scale on letter paper, cut to the label, and tape the corners or the full label with smooth tape. Do not let tape seams cross the barcode.