A royal mail print label job takes two things: postage bought online and something to print it on. Royal Mail and the big marketplaces let you pay for postage on screen, then hand you a label to print at home or at work. You stick it on the parcel and drop it off or book a collection.
Pack Solution sells the labels for that last step. We don't sell printers, postage or stamps. What we do stock is direct thermal labels for a label printer and A4 sheet labels for an office printer, plus the bags and boxes the labels go on.
In This Guide
- Quick Picks: Labels for Printing Postage at Home
- How a Royal Mail Print Label Works
- Thermal Labels or A4 Sheets: Which Should You Use?
- Using a Thermal Postage Label Printer
- Printing Postage on A4 Sheet Labels
- Etsy Postage Labels and Vinted Labels
- Where to Stick the Label on a Parcel
- Common Postage Label Mistakes
- Setting Up a Home Label Station
- Royal Mail Label Printing Checklist
- Stocking Up on Labels
- Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Picks: Labels for Printing Postage at Home
Most home and small business sellers need one of these three label formats. Pick by the printer you own or plan to buy.
Best for a Royal Mail label printer
Thermal Labels on Rolls
Self-adhesive direct thermal labels that print with heat, so there is no ink, toner or ribbon to buy.
- 4 x 6" (100 x 150mm) roll holds 500 labels
- Five sizes, 2 x 1" to 4 x 8"
- For Zebra-style printers that take standard rolls
From £3.50 ex VAT (£4.20 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView product
Best for printing postage on an office printer
A4 Sheet Labels
Self-adhesive labels on standard A4 sheets, made for printing on an office printer.
- 1 per sheet (199.6 x 289.1mm) or 2 per sheet (199.6 x 143.5mm)
- Ten layouts, 1 to 65 labels per sheet
- Boxes of 500 sheets
From £30.00 ex VAT (£36.00 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView product
Best for long print runs
Fanfold Thermal Labels 4 x 6"
A folded stack of 4 x 6 inch direct thermal labels that feeds from behind or under the printer.
- 4 x 6" (101.6 x 152.4mm)
- Stack of 1000 labels
- Perforated between each label
£12.00 ex VAT (£14.40 inc VAT)
Buy nowView product- Thermal Labels on Rolls in 4 x 6" (100 x 150mm) hold 500 labels per roll.
- Fanfold Thermal Labels come in stacks of 1000, each label 4 x 6" (101.6 x 152.4mm).
- Direct thermal labels print with heat, so there is no ink, toner or ribbon to buy.
- A4 Sheet Labels come in boxes of 500 sheets, in ten layouts from 1 to 65 labels per sheet.
- The 2 per sheet A4 layout gives two labels of 199.6 x 143.5mm from one sheet.
- We sell labels, mailing bags and boxes, but no postage or printers.
How a Royal Mail Print Label Works
You pay for postage online, Royal Mail generates the label, and you print it yourself before the parcel goes out. The label carries the address, the service and a barcode that is scanned along the way.
Use Royal Mail's own online postage service and follow its steps on screen. It asks for the parcel size and weight, the address and the service you want. The details change from time to time, so check current prices, size bands and weight limits there before you pay. The same goes for any royal mail print postage you buy through a marketplace.
Once the postage is paid, you choose a print format. Most label tools offer a full A4 page or a 4 x 6 inch label (sometimes written 6 x 4). That choice decides which labels you need. If your tool offers only A4, an office printer and A4 sheet labels will do the job. If it offers 4 x 6, a thermal printer can print it straight onto a label.
Good to know: Always match the print format in the label tool to the labels in your printer. A 4 x 6 label sent to an A4 printer, or an A4 page sent to a thermal printer, prints at the wrong size or not at all.
Thermal Labels or A4 Sheets: Which Should You Use?
Thermal labels suit anyone posting most days, and A4 sheet labels suit anyone posting now and then on an office printer. Both produce a label that sticks straight onto the parcel.
| Option | Size | Quantity | Printer | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal Labels on Rolls, 4 x 6" | 100 x 150mm | 500 labels per roll | Direct thermal, standard rolls | Daily sellers with desk space for a small printer |
| Fanfold Thermal Labels, 4 x 6" | 101.6 x 152.4mm | Stack of 1000 | Direct thermal, 4 x 6 inch | Long print runs and busy packing benches |
| A4 Sheet Labels, 1 per sheet | 199.6 x 289.1mm | 500 labels per box | Office printer | Full-page labels and large boxes |
| A4 Sheet Labels, 2 per sheet | 199.6 x 143.5mm | 1,000 labels per box | Office printer | Two parcels from one sheet |
| Thermal Labels on Rolls, 4 x 8" | 100 x 210mm | 200 labels per roll | Direct thermal, standard rolls | Address and packing slip on one label |
A thermal printer means buying one more machine, but it has no ink to replace. Each label comes off the roll ready to stick, so there is nothing to trim. An office printer is already on most desks, which makes A4 the easy way to start.
Using a Thermal Postage Label Printer
A thermal postage label printer marks the label with heat, so the only thing you ever reload is labels. Most models used for parcels print 4 x 6 inch labels.
Our thermal labels on rolls are made for Zebra-style direct thermal printers that take standard rolls. Printers that only accept their own branded rolls will not work with them, so check your printer's manual before you order. The 4 x 6" (100 x 150mm) roll is the usual courier label size and holds 500 labels.
The same roll handles more than one carrier. Royal Mail, Evri, DPD and Parcelforce all print to the 4 x 6 size, so one royal mail label printer covers every service you use. Sellers on eBay, Etsy and Vinted print the same size too.
Fanfold Stacks for Long Runs
If you print all day, fanfold thermal labels mean fewer reloads. Each stack holds 1000 labels of 4 x 6" (101.6 x 152.4mm), folded along perforations so each one tears off cleanly. The stack sits behind or under the printer and feeds in. Pick rolls instead if your printer only takes a roll inside its cover or your desk is tight on space.
For help matching labels to a model, see our guide to label printer labels.
Printing Postage on A4 Sheet Labels
A4 postage labels let you print postage at home on the printer you already have. Load the sheets, print the label at actual size and peel it off.
A4 Sheet Labels are self-adhesive labels on standard A4 sheets, sold in boxes of 500 sheets. For postage, two layouts make sense. The 1 per sheet layout (199.6 x 289.1mm) takes a full-page label. The 2 per sheet layout (199.6 x 143.5mm) splits the page, so two parcels share one sheet.
The 4 per sheet layout (99.1 x 139.0mm) is close to a 4 x 6 inch label in size and leaves room for a logo or barcode. It can work for printable postage labels if your label tool lets you place the label on a quarter of the page. Test it on plain paper first.
Getting A4 Labels to Line Up
- Print one test page on plain paper.
- Hold the test page over a label sheet against the light and check the label sits inside the edges.
- Set the print scale to actual size or 100%, not fit to page.
- Load label sheets the way your printer's manual shows for labels.
- Print, then let the sheet settle for a moment before you peel.
Our sibling guide to A4 address labels and sheet sizes covers all ten layouts and what each one suits.
Etsy Postage Labels and Vinted Labels
Marketplaces sell postage inside their own sites, and the label prints the same way as one bought from Royal Mail. Choose A4 or 4 x 6 in the print options and use the matching labels.
Etsy postage labels are bought from your shop's order page and print from your browser. A vinted postage label comes with the sale, and some services let you show a code at a drop-off point instead of printing. Either way, follow the marketplace's own instructions for the carrier it uses.
Whatever the source, a print shipping label job works the same once the file is open. Check the size, print at 100% and stick the label flat. If you sell on more than one site, a single stock of 4 x 6 thermal labels covers them all. Keep a box of A4 sheets as a backup for the day the thermal printer jams.
Where to Stick the Label on a Parcel
Put the label flat on the largest face of the parcel, away from seams, folds and tape edges. The barcode must lie flat and stay uncovered so it scans first time.
On a box, use the top panel and keep the label clear of the flaps' join. Don't wrap a label round a corner or over an edge. On a mailing bag, smooth the bag flat before you press the label down, because a crease through the barcode can stop it scanning.
Grey mailing bags give a smooth, opaque face for a label. They seal with a self-seal strip, so no tape crosses the label area. The 9 x 12" (230 x 300mm) size takes an A4 document flat, and the 4 x 6" (100 x 150mm) bag suits small accessories.
Best for a flat face to take the label
Grey Mailing Bags
Opaque grey polythene postal bags with a self-seal strip and a water resistant outer.
- 16 sizes, 4 x 6" to 34 x 42"
- Self-seal strip, no tape needed
- Packs of 100, 50 or 25
From £2.90 ex VAT (£3.48 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView product- Remove or cover old labels and barcodes on reused boxes.
- Don't put clear tape over the barcode.
- Keep the return address on a separate, smaller label.
- Press the label down from the centre outwards to avoid bubbles.
Common Postage Label Mistakes
Most failed labels come down to the wrong size, a faded print or a label that peels. Each is easy to fix before the parcel leaves.
A postage label printed at the wrong scale may cut off the barcode. Always print at 100%. On a thermal printer, set the label size in the printer settings to 4 x 6 inches (or 100 x 150mm) so the printer knows where each label starts and stops.
Faded thermal print usually means the print darkness is set too low or the print head needs cleaning. Check your printer's manual. On an office printer, a light print can mean the ink or toner is running out.
Labels that lift at the corners often went on a dusty, damp or curved surface. Wipe the face clean, use the flattest side and press firmly. Don't stick a label across two sides of a box.
A royal mail postage label is only valid for the parcel size, weight and service you paid for. Weigh and measure the packed parcel before you buy, not the item on its own.
Setting Up a Home Label Station
A small, fixed setup makes printing labels quicker and cuts mistakes. Keep the printer, labels and packaging within reach of one bench.
- Choose your format: 4 x 6 thermal or A4 sheets.
- Set the same format as the default in every label tool you use.
- Keep one spare roll, stack or box of labels in stock.
- Store labels flat and dry, away from direct sun and heaters.
- Keep two or three sizes of mailing bag and box beside the printer.
- Weigh every packed parcel before you buy postage.
Thermal labels react to heat, so keep spare rolls away from radiators and sunny windowsills. For a wider look at label formats, read our guide to shipping labels on rolls, fanfold and A4 sheets.
Choosing postage labels for printer setups is mostly about volume. A handful of parcels a week fits A4. Posting every day, a postage label printer pays back the desk space quickly.
Royal Mail Label Printing Checklist
- Pack, weigh and measure the parcel first.
- Buy postage through Royal Mail's online service or your marketplace.
- Check current prices and size limits before you pay.
- Pick the print format that matches your labels: A4 or 4 x 6.
- Print at actual size, never fit to page.
- Stick the label flat on the largest face, clear of seams.
- Keep tape off the barcode.
- Keep spare labels in stock.
Stocking Up on Labels
For most sellers, one label format is enough. Daily senders do best with a thermal printer and 4 x 6 labels on a roll or in a fanfold stack. Occasional senders can print postage label royal mail files on A4 sheet labels with the printer they already own. Every size above is in our labels collection, and orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same working day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I print a Royal Mail label at home?
Yes. Buy the postage through Royal Mail's online service, then print the label on your own printer. An office printer works with A4 sheet labels, and a direct thermal printer works with 4 x 6 inch labels. Check the current prices and size limits with Royal Mail when you buy the postage.
What size is a Royal Mail postage label?
Most sellers print a 4 x 6 inch label. Our Thermal Labels on Rolls come in 4 x 6" (100 x 150mm) with 500 labels per roll, and our fanfold stack holds 1000 labels at 4 x 6" (101.6 x 152.4mm). On an office printer, the A4 Sheet Labels 2 per sheet layout gives two labels of 199.6 x 143.5mm.
Which postage label printer should I buy?
Most sellers choose a direct thermal printer that takes 4 x 6 inch labels on standard rolls. Our thermal labels suit Zebra-style direct thermal printers. Printers that only accept their own branded rolls will not take them, so check your model before you order. We sell labels, not printers.
Do I need a special printer to print postage at home?
No. Any office printer can print postage onto A4 Sheet Labels, which come in boxes of 500 sheets. Pick the 1 per sheet layout (199.6 x 289.1mm) for one label per page, or 2 per sheet (199.6 x 143.5mm) for two parcels from one sheet. A thermal printer is faster if you post every day.
How do I print a Vinted postage label?
Vinted gives you the label or drop-off details once an item sells. Print it on plain paper, an A4 sheet label or a 4 x 6 inch thermal label, depending on the format offered. Stick it flat on the parcel's largest face, away from seams and tape.
Do you sell postage or label printers?
No. We sell the labels you print onto, plus mailing bags and boxes, but not postage, stamps or printers. Buy the postage from Royal Mail or your marketplace, then print it on our thermal labels or A4 sheet labels.
