A smaller roll if fanfold won't fit behind your printer.
Typical price
$8 to $14
Why we pick it
- Typical price
- $8 to $14
- Works with
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.
Good for
- First thermal printer
- Small desks
Not for
- High volume, where fanfold costs less
Our approved alternative for the same job: 4 × 6 in thermal labels, 500 fanfold
The guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Who a 250 roll suits
You ship a few packages a week and your printer sits on a shelf or a narrow desk with no room behind it for a fanfold stack. A roll of 250 labels at 4 × 6 in sits on a holder or inside some printers and keeps the desk tidy.
Use a roll in a second printer at a craft fair or flea market booth, where a loose fanfold stack blows around.
Core size, coating and label count
Order 4 × 6 in direct thermal labels with a core that fits your printer or holder. Common cores are 1 inch and 3 inches; your printer's manual gives the right one.
Choose permanent adhesive and a coated face paper, which resists smudging. Check the label count on the listing: some 4 × 6 rolls carry fewer than 250.
Loading a roll and calibrating
Put the roll on an external holder behind the printer, or inside it if the case has a roll bay, with the label side facing the print head. Feed the first label through and run the printer's calibration.
All three of our thermal printers take this size. Store spare rolls in a box away from heaters, because heat darkens thermal paper.
Fanfold for daily shipping, smaller labels for envelopes
The 4 × 6 in thermal labels, 500 fanfold, cost less per label and need no holder, so pick fanfold if you have space behind the printer and ship daily.
If you ship cards in small rigid mailers, a 4 × 6 in label covers most of the front. Keep the label flat and clear of the flap so it scans.
Kit for this step
3 to 6 cents a label, six months a roll
At a typical $8 to $14 for 250, that works out at about 3 to 6 cents a label.
At ten packages a week a roll lasts around six months, so buy one or two at a time.
Common mistakes
Each one costs you money or reviews, and each has a fix.
- Check your printer's core size first; the wrong core leaves a roll that won't sit on your holder.
- Labels facing away from the head print nothing, so turn the roll until the label side meets the head.
- A hot attic fogs the labels gray, so keep rolls somewhere cool and dark.
- Calibrate after each change of roll brand, or labels 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 rolls fit the MUNBYN and Phomemo printers?
Both take 4 × 6 in direct thermal labels. Check whether yours has a roll bay; if not, you need an external holder.
Is a roll more expensive than fanfold?
Slightly, per label. A 250 roll typically costs $8 to $14.
Will the labels fade?
Direct thermal labels fade over months in sunlight and heat. A label only has to last until delivery, but spares stored on a sunny shelf will fade.
Can I use a roll in the Zebra ZD421d?
Yes, the Zebra takes rolls inside the case, within its size limits. Compare the core and outer diameter with Zebra's specification.
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, 500 fanfold
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.
Typical price$8 to $16
See on Amazon