4×6 shipping labels: roll vs fanfold, which carriers accept what, and how to set the page size in each printer

Buy rolls if your printer has an internal roll holder, and check that the core size and outer diameter fit it. Buy fanfold if your printer feeds from the rear and you want a large stack with no holder. USPS, UPS and FedEx all work with a 4 × 6 inch thermal label and none of them care whether it came off a roll or a stack, so the choice comes down to your printer and how many parcels you ship.

Quick answer

• Rear-feed printer (Rollo, for example): fanfold is the simplest. Rolls also work, set behind the printer or on a holder.
• Desktop printer with an internal holder (Zebra ZD series, for example): a roll up to the printer's maximum outer diameter, on a core it accepts. Fanfold also works through the rear slot.
• Carriers: 4 × 6 inches is the common size for all three. FedEx also uses 4 × 6¾ with a doc tab, and UPS WorldShip supports 4 × 8.
• Page size: set it to 4 × 6 in (often listed as 100 × 150 mm) in the printer driver and in the app you print from.
• Skipping labels: recalibrate the printer, then check the page size.

Roll vs fanfold: the trade-offs

A roll is a strip of labels wound around a core. Fanfold is the same strip folded back and forth into a flat stack. The labels are identical. Only the packaging differs.

Core size and outer diameter

Two measurements decide whether a roll fits: the hole in the middle (the core) and the full width across the roll (the outer diameter, or OD).

As a reference point, the Labels Boss catalog lists 4 × 6 thermal labels in these formats:

One fanfold stack holds as many labels as eight desktop rolls.

Printers with an internal holder

Zebra's ZD220 and ZD421 desktop printers hold the roll inside the case. Zebra's specifications give a maximum roll outer diameter of 5 inches and standard cores of 0.5 inch and 1 inch, with adapters available for larger cores.

That means a 1 inch core, 4 inch OD roll drops straight in. An 8 inch OD roll does not fit inside a 5 inch compartment. Our catalog lists that size for industrial models such as the Zebra ZT series, and it can also sit on an external stand.

These printers also take fanfold. Zebra's ZD421 guide has you feed the stack through the slot at the rear and set the media guides to the label width. Externally mounted rolls feed through the same slot. Zebra's advice is to use a stand that lets the roll turn freely, because a roll that drags or jerks will throw off the print position.

Pick your model on the Zebra-compatible labels page to see only the formats listed for it.

Rear-feed printers without an internal holder

Rollo printers pull labels in from the back, and Rollo's own setup advice keeps the supply outside the printer. Rollo's support pages say both rolls and fanfold stacks work. For rolls, Rollo suggests setting the roll two to three inches behind the printer or using a roll holder to keep it steady.

For this kind of printer fanfold is the low-effort choice. See Rollo-compatible labels for sizes listed for the Rollo USB and Wireless.

Rollo gives a supported label width of 1.57 to 4.1 inches and requires a gap or perforation between labels so the sensor can find each one.

A note on DYMO

The DYMO LabelWriter 5XL takes labels up to 4.53 inches wide, but DYMO states that LabelWriter 550 series printers, the 5XL included, work only with authentic DYMO LW labels. Generic 4 × 6 rolls and fanfold stacks are not an option for that printer.

Which carriers accept what

Carrier documentation specifies the printed label size, not roll or fanfold, so either format is fine.

A doc tab is a strip at one end of the label that carries shipment details for your own records. If your FedEx software is set to the doc-tab format, you need matching stock such as 4 × 6.75 inch thermal rolls.

The practical rule: stock one size, 4 × 6, and set every carrier account and shipping app to it. The full range is on the 4 × 6 labels page, and other formats are under shipping labels.

How to set the page size

Set the label size in two places: the printer driver and the application you print from. If they disagree, the print can be scaled, cut off or split across labels.

Windows

For a Rollo, the manufacturer's steps are:

1. Open Control Panel and go to Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click the Rollo printer and choose Printing Preferences.
3. Click Advanced.
4. Set the paper size to match the label. Rollo lists most 4 × 6 labels as 100 mm × 150 mm.

For other thermal printers, open Printing Preferences for the printer and set the label width to 4 inches and the height to 6 inches in the driver's page or stock settings.

macOS

1. In the app, choose File, then Print.
2. Open the Paper Size menu and pick 4 × 6 in or 100 × 150 mm if it is listed.
3. If it is not listed, choose Manage Custom Sizes, click the plus button, and enter 4 inches wide by 6 inches tall. Name it "4x6".
4. To make it stick, open Printers & Scanners in system settings, select the printer and set its default paper size to the new 4 × 6 size.

If the edges of the label are clipped, Apple's guidance is to set the custom size's non-printable margins to zero.

In the app or carrier software

• PDF viewers and browsers. Rollo warns that apps such as Adobe Reader can override the driver and send a different size. Check the app's own page setup, print at actual size and turn off any fit-to-page scaling.
• UPS WorldShip. Set the stock under Tools, System Preferences, Printing Setup, Label Printer Setup, then choose the thermal size from the Label Stock Dimensions list.
• FedEx Ship Manager. Pick the label format that matches your stock, with or without a doc tab.
• DYMO LabelWriter 550 series. DYMO's software reads the label size from the roll, so there is nothing to set by hand.

If print is the right size but sits off-center, the print alignment help page covers the usual fixes.

Common problems and fixes

The printer skips labels or feeds blanks between prints

Rollo's support page names two causes, and they apply to most thermal printers:

1. The printer has not learned the label. Run the calibration below. This is the usual cause after changing label size, brand or format.
2. The computer is sending the wrong size. When the page size in the driver or the app does not match the label, the printer can feed extra labels. Recheck both settings.

Gap sensing

Thermal printers find the start of each label by looking for the gap between labels, a perforation, or a black mark on the liner. The 4 × 6 rolls and fanfold stacks in our catalog have a 0.125 inch gap and a perforation between labels.

Rollo notes that its sensor needs a gap or perforation, that continuous stock will not align, that clear labels cannot be detected, and that black-mark or punched-hole stock can feed unreliably. If you switch between a gap roll and a fanfold stack, recalibrate even though both are 4 × 6.

Calibration

• Rollo. With labels loaded, press and hold the top button until you hear one beep, then release. The printer moves the label back and forth to measure it and stops with a green light. Rollo recommends unplugging the USB cable first so no print job interrupts it.
• Zebra ZD421 and ZD621. With labels loaded and the printer ready, hold PAUSE and CANCEL together for two seconds and release. The printer feeds and measures a few labels. Zebra calls this SmartCal.

Zebra says you need to calibrate when you load a new type of media, but not when you load another roll of the same labels from the same batch. Press FEED once or twice to line that roll up.

Fanfold wanders or the edges fray

On Zebra ZD printers, readjust the media guide stop to the width of the stack. The same applies to an external roll: keep it directly behind the printer on a stand that turns freely.

FAQ

Are fanfold labels better than rolls?

Neither prints better. Fanfold holds more labels per unit and needs no holder, which suits rear-feed printers and higher volume. Rolls suit printers with an internal compartment.

Do USPS, UPS and FedEx all accept 4 × 6 labels?

Yes. All three document a 4 × 6 inch thermal label. FedEx also has a 4 × 6¾ inch doc-tab format, and UPS WorldShip also supports 4 × 8.

Can I use roll labels in a Rollo printer?

Yes. Rollo supports both rolls and fanfold. Because the printer feeds from the back, set the roll a couple of inches behind it or use a roll holder.

Why does my printer print one label and then feed a blank one?

Either the printer has not been calibrated for the labels loaded, or the page size sent from the computer does not match the label. Recalibrate, then check that the driver and the app are both set to 4 × 6.

What page size is a 4 × 6 label in millimeters?

Drivers usually list it as 100 × 150 mm. The exact conversion is 101.6 × 152.4 mm, and either setting works for a 4 × 6 shipping label.

All label guides