Shipping & e-commerce labels
Two labels leave with every parcel. They are not the same label.
The short answer: the carrier label changes with every order — print it yourself on blank or thermal rolls. Everything the customer sees when the box opens is identical on every parcel — seals, fragile, returns, thank-you stickers — so have it printed in full colour, from 100 labels. Two supply routes, one manufacturer.
Materials
Four ways to label a parcel
Blank rolls
Unprinted stock for your own printer — address, content and picking labels, in roll formats up to 100 × 70 mm. The lowest cost per parcel when the content changes every time.
from £38 / 100
Thermal stock
Direct thermal paper for dispatch printers, in a protected grade that resists the damp of a warehouse. Blank from £54, or printed with your header.
from £157 / 100 printed
Printed coated paper
Box seals, fragile and returns labels, thank-you stickers. Full colour, matt or gloss lamination, any die-cut shape — the part of the parcel the customer photographs.
from £117 / 100
White polypropylene
For parcels that wait outside, pallets on a loading bay and shipments to wet climates. Waterproof, tear-resistant, print stays legible.
from £168 / 100Production runs 2 to 10 working days once the proof is approved. Delivery across Europe and the UK, duty paid.
Formats
Sizes the dispatch bench actually uses
| Job | Typical size | Material | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier label (A6) | 105 × 148 mm | White polyester, or A5–A3 sheets | Above the 100 × 105 mm ceiling of our paper rolls |
| Address / content label | 100 × 70 mm | Thermal or coated paper | Leave room for a barcode at 100 % scale |
| Small dispatch label | 60 × 40 mm | Thermal roll | Standard picking and bin format |
| Box seal / tape stop | 55 × 105 mm | Printed coated paper | Must break or tear on opening |
| Fragile & handling | 100 × 50 mm | Coated paper or PP | Fluorescent stock is read from further away |
| Thank-you sticker | 50 × 50 mm | Coated paper, any shape | Round and die-cut shapes cost the same |
Sizes depend on the material: paper and thermal stocks are cut up to 100 × 105 mm, blank rolls up to 100 × 70 mm, white polyester up to 150 × 220 mm and clear films up to 300 × 350 mm. Die-cut vinyl and paper stickers come in sheets up to A3. Ask us if your format sits outside that. Labels ship on rolls or in sheets — tell us the printer model and we match the winding.
Volume
What scale does to the price
A shipping label is bought by the thousand, so the only figure that matters is the one per label. Below, the real price of a printed 100 × 105 mm coated label — die, setup and printing included — as the run grows.
| Quantity | Run price | Per label | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | £198 | £1.98 | A pilot run or a seasonal design |
| 500 | £215 | £0.43 | The die and setup are already paid for |
| 1 000 | £243 | £0.24 | A quarter of dispatch for a small shop |
| 2 000 | £291 | £0.15 | Where most e-commerce orders land |
| 3 000 | £336 | £0.11 | Ten times the quantity, under six times the price |
Prices shown for a full-colour coated label, 100 × 105 mm, excluding VAT and delivery. The quote tool prices your own size and material in seconds. Above 10 000 labels, quantities are quoted at volume rates — up to millions.
Barcodes & tracking
One code per parcel, printed in the run
Order numbers, EAN and Code 128 barcodes, GS1 codes and unique QR codes are printed label by label — no second print job, no sheet of stickers applied by hand at the end of the day. It is what turns a box seal into a traceable unit, and what lets a returns label carry the order it belongs to.
Send the starting number or your data file as a CSV or Excel export. Nothing else is expected of you — we handle the layout, the check digits and the proof.
- Carrier label
- Blank thermal roll, A6
- Box seal
- Coated paper, 100 × 50 mm
- Finish
- Matt lamination
- Returns label
- Coated paper + order number
- Variable data
- Order number + Code 128
- Quantity
- 2 000 per design
An example of a real order. Quantities are not capped — we print from a hundred pieces to several million.
FAQ
Shipping labels — what shops ask us
What size is a standard shipping label?
A6 — 105 × 148 mm — is the format almost every European carrier prints on. It sits above the ceiling of our paper and thermal rolls, which are cut up to 100 × 105 mm, so an A6 label is supplied on white polyester, cut up to 150 × 220 mm, or as A5 to A3 sheets. The natural roll formats are the smaller dispatch labels: 100 × 70 mm for address and content labels, 60 × 40 mm for picking.
Should I use thermal rolls or printed labels?
Both, for different jobs. The carrier label changes with every parcel, so it belongs on a blank or thermal roll printed by your own machine. Everything the customer actually sees when the box opens — the seal, the thank-you sticker, the fragile and returns labels — is the same every time, so it is cheaper and far better looking printed in full colour by us.
Do you print barcodes on shipping labels?
Yes. EAN-13, Code 128 and GS1 barcodes, sequential numbering and unique QR codes are printed label by label in the same run, from 100 labels. Send the starting number or your data file — we do not ask you to build anything.
Will the label survive rain and handling in transit?
A coated paper label under a lamination copes with normal handling. For parcels that travel uncovered, are stored outside, or ship to a wet climate, use a white polypropylene film: it is waterproof, tear-resistant and the print does not run when the box sits in the rain on a loading bay.
Can I order shipping labels on rolls?
Yes. Labels are supplied on rolls or in sheets — tell us your printer model and the winding direction it needs, and we produce the roll to match. If you are unsure which winding your machine takes, send a photo of the current roll with your request.
Reusing boxes? Blockout opaque labels cover old markings completely.
The last thing your customer touches is a label.
Rolls for the machine, full colour for the box. From 100 labels.