Thermal labels are self-adhesive labels with a heat-sensitive coating. A thermal printer warms tiny points on the label and the coating turns black, so you print addresses and barcodes with no ink, toner or ribbon. That is why almost every online seller and warehouse uses them for courier labels.
This guide explains how direct thermal labels work, how long the print lasts, which sizes we stock and how many labels sit on each roll. It also covers rolls against fanfold and A4 sheets, Royal Mail labels, and how much to order. We do not sell printers, so check that yours is a direct thermal model before you buy.
In This Guide
- Quick picks: which thermal labels to order
- What are direct thermal labels and how do they print?
- How long do thermal labels last, and how should you store them?
- Thermal label size chart: which sizes do we stock?
- Do core size and roll diameter matter?
- Thermal labels on a roll, fanfold or A4 sheets?
- Which labels work for Royal Mail and other couriers?
- Which roll suits barcodes, prices and shelf labels?
- When should you add warning labels?
- How many thermal labels should you buy?
- Ordering thermal labels from Pack Solution
- Frequently Asked Questions
Quick picks: which thermal labels to order
Most buyers need one of these three. Rolls cover nearly every job, fanfold suits high volume courier printing, and A4 sheets are the answer if you only have an office printer.
Best for most label printers and mixed jobs
Thermal Labels on Rolls
Self-adhesive direct thermal labels in five sizes, from small barcode labels to courier labels with a packing-slip area.
- 2 x 1", 3 x 2", 4 x 4", 4 x 6" and 4 x 8"
- 200 to 1000 labels per roll by size
- No ink, toner or ribbon
From £3.50 ex VAT (£4.20 inc VAT)
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Best for printing courier labels in volume
Fanfold Thermal Labels 4 x 6"
A folded stack of 1000 direct thermal courier labels, so you reload far less often than with rolls.
- 101.6 x 152.4mm courier size
- 1000 labels per stack
- Perforated between labels
£12.00 ex VAT (£14.40 inc VAT)
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Best for printing labels on an office printer
A4 Sheet Labels
Self-adhesive labels on A4 sheets in 10 layouts, for when you have no thermal printer.
- 1 to 65 labels per sheet
- Boxes of 500 sheets
- Address, product and barcode labels
From £30.00 ex VAT (£36.00 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView productWhat are direct thermal labels and how do they print?
A direct thermal label is paper with a heat-sensitive face, an adhesive back and a peel-off liner. The print head in the printer heats the face line by line, and the heated spots go dark. Most thermal paper label rolls sold for shipping work this way.
The other method is thermal transfer, where the printer melts ink from a ribbon onto the label. Thermal transfer suits long-life labels and special materials. Clothing care labels often come as a satin label roll or a taffeta label roll. Product and asset labels can use BOPP label rolls. Outdoor signs may need a vinyl label roll. Equipment tags often use a polyester label roll. We do not stock ribbon, fabric or film labels. Our Thermal Labels on Rolls are direct thermal paper only, which is what a shipping or barcode printer needs.
- No consumables. The only thing you buy is the label.
- Self-adhesive. Peel a label off and press it onto the parcel, product or shelf.
- Sharp barcodes. Text and barcodes come out crisp and scan cleanly.
How long do thermal labels last, and how should you store them?
Direct thermal print is made for labels with a short working life. A courier label only needs to survive a few days in transit and a final scan, and direct thermal does that job well. Over time, heat, sunlight and some oils and chemicals will darken the background or fade the print, so it is a poor choice for a label that must stay readable for years in a sunny window.
Unused rolls react to heat in the same way, so storage matters more than most buyers expect.
- Keep rolls in their wrapping in a cool, dry and dark cupboard.
- Keep them away from radiators, sunny windowsills and the back of a hot van.
- Open one roll at a time and leave the rest sealed.
- Rotate stock so the oldest rolls are used first.
We do not stock waterproof thermal labels. If a label will sit outside or in a freezer, a synthetic thermal transfer label from a specialist is the better fit.
Thermal label size chart: which sizes do we stock?
Label sizes are given as width x height. The table lists the common roll sizes, with the five we stock marked, plus how many labels sit on each of our rolls.
| Size | Millimetres | Stocked by us | Labels per roll | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 x 1" | 50 x 25mm | Yes | 1000 | Barcodes, stock codes, price labels |
| 3 x 2" | 76 x 51mm | Yes | 1000 | Product, shelf and bin labels |
| 4 x 2" | About 102 x 51mm | No | n/a | Small address labels |
| 4 x 3" | About 102 x 76mm | No | n/a | Small parcel labels |
| 4 x 4" | 101.6 x 101.6mm | Yes | 750 | Small parcels, warehouse and pallet ID |
| 4 x 6" | 100 x 150mm | Yes | 500 | UK courier shipping labels |
| 4 x 8" | 100 x 210mm | Yes | 200 | Courier label with packing-slip area |
If you were planning to buy 4 x 3 direct thermal labels for small parcels, the 4 x 4" roll is the nearest size we stock. If you had a 4x2 label roll in mind for product or address labels, the 3 x 2" roll is the closest match. Check your label software can print at the new size before you switch.
The 4 x 6" size has its own page: our 4x6 thermal labels size guide covers the 100 x 150mm and 101.6 x 152.4mm versions and the printer settings.
Do core size and roll diameter matter?
Yes. Label rolls are wound on a cardboard core, and two measurements decide whether a roll fits your printer. The core is the hole in the middle, which has to slide onto the printer's spindle or roll holder. The outside diameter is the width of the whole roll, which has to fit inside the cover when it closes.
Desktop printers have limited space, so a large roll that suits an industrial printer may not close in a small one. A thermal label jumbo roll is wound for big warehouse printers with a large core and a wide housing, which is why we stick to standard rolls. Our rolls are made for Zebra-style direct thermal printers that take standard rolls. Printers that only accept their own branded rolls will not take them.
If your printer has a narrow spindle or a small cover, call 0161 706 1246 before you order and we will check the roll against your model. Our guide to which labels fit your printer covers printer fit in more detail.
Check before you buy. Your printer must be a direct thermal model set up for the label width you order. Measure the spindle and the space under the cover, or check your printer manual for the largest roll it takes.
Thermal labels on a roll, fanfold or A4 sheets?
All three are self-adhesive. The difference is how they feed and what printer they need.
| Format | Printer | Quantity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolls | Direct thermal | 200 to 1000 per roll by size | Mixed jobs and desks with little space |
| Fanfold 4 x 6" | Direct thermal | 1000 per stack | Long courier print runs |
| A4 sheets | Office printer | 500 sheets per box, 1 to 65 labels per sheet | Sellers without a thermal printer |
Rolls. Self adhesive labels on a roll sit inside the printer and suit most desks. Each adhesive label roll in our range covers one size, and you can mix sizes in one order. We do not stock a continuous label roll or round sticky labels on a roll. We do not stock yellow direct thermal labels either. Every roll we sell is cut into separate rectangular labels of a fixed size.
Fanfold. Fanfold Thermal Labels 4 x 6" come as a flat stack of 1000, folded at the perforations. The stack sits behind or under the printer, so you reload half as often as with a 4 x 6" roll of 500. Choose fanfold if you print courier labels all day and have room for the stack.
A4 sheets. A4 Sheet Labels come in 10 layouts in boxes of 500 sheets. The 2 per sheet layout (199.6 x 143.5mm) prints two large shipping labels on an office printer. The 21 per sheet layout suits return addresses, and 65 per sheet suits small price labels.
Our older guide on why thermal label rolls make labelling easier covers the day to day handling of rolls in more depth.
Which labels work for Royal Mail and other couriers?
Royal Mail thermal labels are 4 x 6 inch (100 x 150mm). The same size works for Evri, DPD and Parcelforce, and for postage labels printed from marketplace order screens. Set the label format to 4 x 6 or 6 x 4 in your carrier or marketplace label tool, then print on a direct thermal printer.
For thermal shipping labels, choose between the 4 x 6" roll of 500 and the fanfold stack of 1000. If you also want to print the packing slip on the same label, the 4 x 8" (100 x 210mm) roll prints the address with the order details below it, 200 labels to a roll.
If you do not have a thermal printer, A4 sheet labels at 2 per sheet give you a label area large enough for a courier label on an office printer.
Which roll suits barcodes, prices and shelf labels?
For barcodes, stock codes and prices, the 2 x 1" (50 x 25mm) roll holds 1000 labels and prints from the same thermal printer as your shipping labels. It works as a price label roll for products on a shelf or in a bag. It does not fit hand-held pricing guns, and we do not stock price gun label rolls.
For product labels, shelf edges and storage bins, the 3 x 2" (76 x 51mm) roll gives more room for a product name, barcode and size, with 1000 labels per roll. The 4 x 4" roll suits pallet ID and carton labels in a warehouse.
If you were looking at thermal labels 4x2 or 4 x 2 direct thermal labels for product labelling, the 3 x 2" roll is the nearest size we stock. If you wanted direct thermal labels 4x3 for parcels, use 4 x 4".
When should you add warning labels?
A shipping label tells the courier where a parcel goes. A warning label tells them how to handle it. Our Warning Labels come in two designs on rolls.
- Fragile, 89 x 32mm, 1000 per roll. Glass, ceramics, electronics and anything else that breaks. The size fits mailing bags, small boxes and carton side panels.
- Caution Heavy, 148 x 50mm, 500 per roll. Heavy boxes and pallets, so handlers know before they lift.
Put a Fragile label on the top of the box and on at least one side, so it shows however the parcel is stacked. A label does not protect the item, so wrap breakables first.
Best for breakables and heavy boxes
Warning Labels
Fragile and Caution Heavy labels on rolls that tell handlers how to treat a parcel.
- Fragile 89 x 32mm, 1000 per roll
- Caution Heavy 148 x 50mm, 500 per roll
- Peel and stick by hand
From £10.00 ex VAT (£12.00 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView productHow many thermal labels should you buy?
Work it out from your weekly parcel count. Count one label per parcel, plus a few spares for reprints and test prints.
- 20 parcels a day, 5 days a week: about 100 labels a week. A 4 x 6" roll of 500 lasts about 5 weeks, and a fanfold stack of 1000 lasts about 10 weeks.
- 100 parcels a day: about 500 labels a week, so one roll or half a fanfold stack every week. At this level fanfold saves a lot of reloading.
- Product labels: count your stock lines and how often you relabel. A 2 x 1" or 3 x 2" roll of 1000 covers a small shop for a long time.
Buy four to six weeks of direct thermal label rolls at a time. That keeps you stocked through busy weeks without leaving rolls on the shelf long enough to age. The price per roll and per stack falls as you order more, with the tiers shown on each product page.
Ordering thermal labels from Pack Solution
Pick your size on the product page and add the number of rolls you need. The minimum order is one roll or one stack. Prices are shown ex VAT, and VAT is added at checkout.
Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same working day from Manchester, and Royal Mail Tracked 48 is free on every order with no minimum. Faster courier options are at checkout. You can also collect free from Unit 2, 50 Derby Street, Manchester M8 8HF, and businesses within 10 miles can use our local van delivery.
The rest of our range is in the labels collection. If you order every week, a trade account keeps invoicing simple, or call 0161 706 1246 or email sales@packsolution.co.uk for a regular trade quantity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do thermal labels need ink or a ribbon?
No. Direct thermal labels have a heat-sensitive coating, and the printer darkens it with heat. You never buy ink, toner or ribbon for them.
What size thermal label do I need for Royal Mail?
4 x 6 inch (100 x 150mm) is the usual Royal Mail and courier label size. Our 4 x 6" rolls hold 500 labels and our fanfold stacks hold 1000.
How many labels are on each roll?
It depends on the size. 2 x 1" and 3 x 2" rolls hold 1000 labels, 4 x 4" rolls hold 750, 4 x 6" rolls hold 500 and 4 x 8" rolls hold 200.
Will your thermal labels fit my printer?
Yes, if it is a Zebra-style direct thermal printer that takes standard rolls of that width. Printers that only accept their own branded rolls will not take them. Call 0161 706 1246 if you are unsure.
Do you sell 4 x 3 or 4 x 2 thermal labels?
No. We stock 2 x 1", 3 x 2", 4 x 4", 4 x 6" and 4 x 8" rolls. For small product labels the 3 x 2" roll is the nearest size, and for small parcels the 4 x 4" roll.
How should I store thermal label rolls?
Keep them in a cool, dry, dark place in their wrapping, away from radiators, windows and hot vans. Heat and sunlight darken or fade the coating, so open one roll at a time.
