How to Download and Print a Shipping Label

Only purchase shipping labels for orders you’re ready to ship. Buyers get a shipping notification on the label’s Ship Date

You can download a label as often as necessary until its Ship Date arrives. If you need to download the label after the Ship Date, request a refund and purchase a new label.

Printing and attaching your label to your package has several steps:

How to download a shipping label

To download a shipping label:

  1. Sign in to Etsy.com.
  2. Choose Shop Manager.
  3. Choose Orders & Shipping.
  4. Select the order for the shipping label you want to reprint.
  5. Choose Download Shipping Label.

How to print a shipping label

After you download your shipping label(s), you need to print them.

To print your shipping label(s):

  1. Open the downloaded PDFs.
  2. Select to Print the PDF. This is usually in the File dropdown.
  3. Select the paper size you want to use. If you’re printing on label paper, be sure to select “4 in. x 6 in.” as the paper size in your printer settings.
  4. Check the preview to be sure that the label is formatted correctly. If the label print is distorted, package scanners may not be able to read your label, which may delay your package's delivery.
  5. Choose Print.

Labels must be printed on 8.5" x 11" white paper or self-adhesive label sheets using a high-quality inkjet or laser printer. When using an inkjet printer, 600 dots-per-inch (DPI) is recommended.

Low-quality printers may result in your label being rejected by the carrier.

How to print shipping labels with a 4 x 6 label printer

Only USPS shipping labels can be formatted for 4 x 6 label printers.

We officially support the DYMO LabelWriter 4XL and Zebra GC 420d label printers. However, some members have successfully used other 4 x 6 inch label printers.

To format your shipping labels for the DYMO LabelWriter 4XL or Zebra GC 420d label printer:

  1. Sign in to Etsy.com.
  2. Select Shop Manager.
  3. Choose Settings.
  4. Choose Shipping settings.
  5. Select Shipping Label Options.
  6. Under Downloading labels select Label printers.

How to attach a shipping label

After you print your shipping label(s), you need to attach it to your package.

To attach a paper shipping label to your package, securely attach the label to the top of the package using clear packaging tape. Make sure you don’t block or obscure the label barcode. Labels should be completely visible and can’t be altered or modified in any way.

Certain international shipping labels will be made up of multiple pages. The multi-page form must be attached using an official USPS envelope 2976-E.  

To attach a sticker shipping label to your package, peel the paper backing off adhesive backing on the pages and attach them by placing the adhesive backing to the package.

What if I need to make changes to a label I purchased? 

To reprint a label that needs to be changed or updated:

  1. Cancel the incorrect label by requesting a refund.
  2. After you submit your refund request, choose Print New Shipping Label.
  3. Enter the updated label specifications and purchase a new label.
  4. Select Confirm and Buy. You can send a new shipping notification to your buyer with an updated message and tracking number.

If you have set a Ship Date for a day in the future, the shipping notification will be sent on that date.

What if my label doesn’t print correctly?

Make sure you have an updated PDF reader

Because PDFs usually require third-party software, make sure that you have a PDF reader installed and that it is up to date. There are some PDF readers that can be downloaded for free, like Adobe Reader. If you’re using a Mac, you can open PDFs with the Preview application.

Note: If using Adobe, please be sure that you are running the most up-to-date version of both your browser and Adobe Reader.

Check your Browser Extensions/Add-ons or Settings

Some browser add-ons may cause the PDF to not load or appear corrupted. Check to make sure add-ons like Ad Block are up to date and performing properly.

You may also try temporarily disabling any add-ons to see if this corrects the issue. For instructions, please see the support page for your browser:

Try downloading the label again

Some PDF reader software may interfere with your browser’s normal behavior. If this is the case, try downloading the shipping label to your computer by right clicking the Download Shipping Label button and selecting Save Target As or Save Link As.

Once it's downloaded to your computer, open the document in your PDF reader of choice.

Try a different browser

Some browsers can open PDFs inline using their own software (such as Google Chrome). If you’re having trouble opening a PDF in your browser, try a different browser and see if you have any success.

Make sure that you're using the most up-to-date version of your browser.

Learn more about buying the right postage for your orders.

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