How-to · Nº 16
How to make shipping labels
For shipping labels, use a 4×6 thermal label — direct thermal for short-term parcels printed on demand (no ribbon), or thermal-transfer with a wax-resin ribbon for weatherproof pallet and carton labels. Follow GS1 (a GS1-128 barcode carrying the SSCC) if you ship into major retailers, and print the barcode with enough contrast and quiet space to scan reliably.
A shipping label has one job, and a machine it will never meet decides whether it did it. Everything about the label answers to that scan at the far end of the journey: the print has to stay legible after a week in a hot trailer, and the barcode has to read first time on a fast conveyor, or the parcel gets pulled aside by hand. The format itself is boringly standard, a 4×6 thermal label; the two real decisions are which thermal process prints it and whether it carries a GS1 barcode.
Step by step
- 01
Use the 4×6 thermal format
A 4×6 thermal label is the shipping standard, printed on a thermal label printer directly from your shipping platform.
- 02
Direct thermal vs transfer
Direct thermal (no ribbon) suits short-term indoor parcels printed on demand; thermal-transfer with a wax-resin ribbon gives weatherproof pallet and carton labels that survive the yard.
- 03
Follow GS1 for retail
Shipping into big-box retail? Use a GS1-128 barcode carrying the SSCC, placed in the GS1 label zones and printed to at least a 1.5 (ANSI C) grade.
- 04
Print the barcode to scan
Print dark on a white background for contrast, at a proper size, with clear quiet space around the code — and keep it off curved or crushed areas.
- 05
Apply to a clean, flat face
Apply with a permanent adhesive to a clean, flat corrugated surface. Remember direct-thermal fades, so it is for short-term use only.
Direct thermal fades; thermal-transfer survives
The two thermal processes leave the printer looking identical and diverge weeks later. Direct thermal uses heat-sensitive paper and no ribbon, which makes it cheap and fast for parcels printed on demand. The catch is the same heat sensitivity: a label left on a sunny dashboard or in a hot trailer darkens or fades to blank, and a blank label is an unscannable parcel. Thermal-transfer melts a wax-resin or resin ribbon onto the face instead, so the print survives heat, light, abrasion and months in the yard — the standard for pallet and carton labels.
The barcode has to scan first time
A shipping barcode is graded, not just printed. Carriers and retailers expect at least a 1.5 (ANSI C) print grade: enough contrast, the right size, and a clear quiet zone around the code. A code that grades below that, or sits on a curved or crushed corner of the carton, gets flagged for manual handling or charged back to you. Ship into big-box retail and the code is also a GS1-128 carrying the 18-digit SSCC, placed in the GS1 label zones. Keep the printed area flat and the barcode off the fold, and the parcel clears the conveyor without a human ever touching it.
Good to know
- →Direct-thermal print fades with heat, light and time — not for long storage or outdoor exposure.
- →A curved or crushed carton distorts the barcode; keep the label flat so it scans first time.
- →See the ribbon-selection table and GS1 guide for matching material to the shipping path.
Common questions
What label do I use for shipping?
A 4×6 thermal label — direct thermal for short-term parcels printed on demand, or thermal-transfer with a wax-resin ribbon for weatherproof pallet and carton labels.
Do shipping labels need to follow GS1?
If you ship into major retailers, yes — a GS1-128 barcode carrying the 18-digit SSCC, placed in the GS1 label zones and printed to at least a 1.5 (ANSI C) grade so it scans.
Not sure it'll hold?
Tell us your surface and job and we’ll spec the right material and adhesive — and ship a free sample to test.