What you need
- A 4x6 thermal label printer. Most connect over USB or Wi-Fi.
- 4 x 6 in direct thermal labels, on a roll or fanfold. Direct thermal printers don't use ink: the heat darkens the label.
- The printer's driver, installed on your computer from the manufacturer's website.
- A 4x6 PDF, such as one from the shipping label maker.
Set up the printer once
- Install the driver from the manufacturer. Your computer may find the printer on its own, but the manufacturer's driver usually gives better results.
- Set the label size to 4 x 6 in (100 x 150 mm) in the printer's settings. On Windows, it's under Printing Preferences. On a Mac, add the paper size in the print dialog.
- Calibrate after loading new labels. The printer feeds a few labels to find the gaps between them. Most printers do it with a button press; your manual will say how.
Print a label
- Open the PDF. A PDF reader is more reliable than a browser's built-in viewer.
- Choose Print, then your thermal printer.
- Set the paper size to 4 x 6 in.
- Set the scale to 100% or Actual size. Turn off "Fit to page" or "Shrink to fit".
- Set orientation to Portrait or Auto.
- Print.
If something goes wrong
| What you see | What to change |
|---|---|
| The label prints tiny, in one corner | The paper size is still Letter or A4. Set it to 4 x 6 in and the scale to 100%. |
| A blank label comes out between labels | Calibrate the printer again. |
| The edges are cut off | Set the scale to 100% or Actual size, and check the label size is 4 x 6 in. |
| The print is pale | Turn up the darkness or density setting in the printer's preferences. |
| It prints sideways | Set orientation to Portrait or Auto. |
Thermal labels darken with heat and fade in sunlight, so store them somewhere cool and dark.
What else you can print
Your thermal printer can print more than shipping labels. With 4x6 labels:
With a roll of 2.25 x 1.25 in labels, you can print FNSKU labels for Amazon FBA. Set the label size in the printer's settings to match.