Print Shipping Labels on A4: One, Two or Four per Sheet
LabelCropTools product documentation · Updated
An A4 office printer can print shipping labels without a thermal roll. The main decision is how many cropped labels to place on a sheet. More labels save paper, but each label becomes smaller, so legibility must be checked on the physical print.
Choose the arrangement in the label tool
One label per A4 sheet leaves room for a larger proportional label. Two labels divide the sheet into top and bottom slots. Four labels use a two-by-two grid; landscape labels can rotate within their slots to use the space more effectively.
Choose the arrangement before downloading. If a label contains an unusually long address or dense product table, compare its smallest text in each arrangement rather than assuming four-up will fit every batch comfortably.
Print one PDF page on each physical A4 sheet
The downloaded PDF already contains your chosen label arrangement. Leave Pages per sheet at one in the PDF viewer or printer dialog. Selecting four-up in both the tool and the print dialog would put sixteen labels on a sheet, making them much smaller than intended.
Select A4 stock, use the orientation shown by the PDF and begin with Actual size or 100% when the paper matches. Turn off headers and footers when printing from a browser viewer if they add content to the sheet.
Allow room for cutting and attachment
Optional dashed guides show where the A4 label slots divide. Keep your cuts outside the printed address, routing information and barcode quiet zones. If your printer clips the guides or label edge, use a margin that suits its printable area.
After cutting, attach the label flat. A fold, seam, glossy cover or torn barcode can affect the result even when the PDF was correct. Keep the source and printed sample available until the batch has been checked.
Inspect the first sheet before printing the batch
Compare the full order numbers and addresses with the dispatch list, and scan a sample from the physical sheet. Include the longest label in your check. A screen preview does not test printer resolution, toner, stock or attachment.
If four-up text is difficult to read, use two-up or one-up. The right choice depends on your source artwork and equipment; there is no universal paper-saving percentage that guarantees readable shipping labels.
Tools for this workflow
Related reading
This guide describes the current product workflow, rather than a marketplace or printer certification. About this documentation · Report an issue · Product limitations