The standard shipping label size, 500 to a stack.
Typical price
$8 to $16
Why we pick it
- Typical price
- $8 to $16
- Works with
Fanfold stacks feed flat behind the printer and hold more labels than a roll. 4 × 6 in matches the label size USPS, UPS and the marketplaces print.
Good for
- Ten or more packages a week
- Printers with a rear feed slot
Not for
- Printers that only take rolls
Our approved alternative for the same job: 4 × 6 in thermal labels, 250 roll
The guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Who a 500 fanfold stack suits
You print labels most days and have a little floor or shelf space behind the printer. Fanfold labels come as one long strip folded into a block, so the printer pulls them through without a holder.
Most home sellers settle on this stock, from Poshmark clothing resellers to a card shop shipping Whatnot orders after each show.
Perforations, adhesive and price per label
Buy 4 × 6 in direct thermal labels with perforations between each one, so you can tear off a single label. On recycled cardboard, use permanent adhesive: a weak label can come off in a sorting machine.
Confirm the stack count matches the listing, and choose BPA-free labels if you handle them all day. Some packs come as several stacks of 500, so compare the price per label across pack sizes.
Feeding a stack from behind the printer
Set the stack square behind the printer with the first label coming off the top, then thread it into the rear slot. Leave room for the strip to rise without rubbing on the wall or a box.
With a thermal label printer and a shipping scale at the same station, you weigh, buy and print in one go. On the last fold, tape a new stack's lead edge to the old one's tail to avoid re-threading.
A roll for tight desks, cases for a Zebra
The 4 × 6 in thermal labels, 250 roll, suit a crowded desk with no space behind the printer, at a slightly higher price per label.
High-volume sellers on a Zebra ZD421d often buy fanfold by the case. The same 500 stack works there, so you need one kind of label stock.
Kit for this step
Working out your label spend
At a typical $8 to $16 per 500, a label costs about 1.5 to 3 cents. At 50 packages a week, a stack lasts ten weeks.
Keep one spare stack on hand for the holiday rush, stored flat so the folds stay crisp and feed straight.
Common mistakes
Each one costs you money or reviews, and each has a fix.
- A stack beside the printer twists the strip and jams. Put it directly behind the feed slot.
- Weak adhesive can drop off recycled boxes in transit; pick a permanent adhesive.
- Tear along the perforation against the printer's tear bar, or you rip through the barcode.
- Recalibrate on every new brand of labels, or they print across the gap.
Ranked in
Where it places in our rankings, and the reason.
Setups that use it
Complete kits this product is part of.
Guides that use it
Step-by-step help where this product does a job.
Questions
Straight answers to what sellers ask about this.
Do these labels fit every 4 × 6 thermal printer?
They fit any direct thermal printer that takes 4-inch-wide labels, including the MUNBYN, Phomemo and Zebra ZD421d.
Are 4 × 6 in and 100 × 150 mm the same label?
Near enough. Listings use both names for the same label, and either fits a 4-inch printer.
Can I print USPS and UPS labels on them?
Yes. USPS, UPS, FedEx and the main marketplaces all produce labels at this size.
Fanfold or roll?
Fanfold costs less per label and needs no holder. Pick a roll only if space behind the printer is the problem.
How should I store spare stacks?
Flat, in a box, away from heat and sunlight, which can darken thermal labels before use.
Alternatives
Other picks for the same job, cheaper and pricier.
2.25 × 1.25 in thermal labels, 1,000 roll
Prints a SKU or a short note on a bag, a bin or a toploader sleeve. It needs a printer that accepts narrow rolls, so check the minimum label width before you buy.
Typical price$5 to $10
See on Amazon4 × 6 in thermal labels, 250 roll
Put a roll on a holder or inside a printer with a roll bay to save space on a crowded desk. Each label costs about 3 to 6 cents, a little more than fanfold.
Typical price$8 to $14
See on Amazon