Etsy's built-in Shipping Labels tool lets UK sellers buy and print postage directly from an order without leaving Etsy's own dashboard. Like every other major marketplace label tool, the label it generates is a standard 100 × 150mm (4×6") shipping label — so printing it cleanly comes down to your printer setup, not anything specific to Etsy's own system.
Buying a label through Etsy Shipping Labels
From an order's detail page, Etsy's "Buy shipping label" flow uses the buyer's address and the package weight and size you enter to generate postage, usually at a discounted rate compared to buying directly at a Post Office counter. The resulting label PDF downloads in the same 4×6 format covered in our 4×6 label size guide, ready to print on any correctly configured printer.
Printing on a thermal printer instead of a laser or inkjet
Etsy doesn't require a thermal printer specifically — the label PDF prints fine on A4 label sheets through a standard printer too — but a dedicated thermal printer, covered in our thermal printer buying guide, is faster and meaningfully cheaper per label once you're shipping more than a handful of orders a week, since there's no ink or toner to replace and no sheet to trim down to size. Before your first real batch, confirm your printer driver is set to direct thermal media (not thermal transfer, covered in our direct thermal vs thermal transfer guide) and the label size matches your loaded stock exactly.
QR code returns and what they mean for label printing
Etsy's QR code returns option lets a buyer generate a scannable code to use at a Post Office or participating drop-off point, rather than needing you to email them a printed return label. This is entirely separate from your own outbound label printing as a seller — it doesn't change your printer setup or workflow at all, it just gives buyers a lower-friction way to send an item back without a printer of their own.
Batch printing for higher-volume Etsy shops
Etsy supports selecting and printing labels for multiple orders together, which becomes worthwhile once you're processing more than a few sales a day. As with any thermal printer batch job, sending labels in smaller groups tends to be more reliable on USB-connected printers than one very large print run in one go — worth testing your own printer's comfortable batch size ahead of a busy period, covered in general terms in our peak season printing guide.
When to print outside Etsy
Etsy's built-in tool covers most sellers well, but higher-volume shops sometimes buy postage directly through Royal Mail Click & Drop or another shipping platform instead, particularly if they want access to volume-based courier rates or automation rules that Etsy's own tool doesn't offer, covered in general terms in our Click & Drop setup guide. If you do this, you'll need to manually mark the Etsy order as shipped and add the tracking number yourself, since Etsy won't pick this up automatically the way it does with its own label tool.
Sourcing your label stock
Because Etsy's labels are a completely standard format, there's no requirement to buy label stock through Etsy or any bundled supplier — any correctly specified 100 × 150mm direct thermal roll on a matching core size works identically, whether it's printing an Etsy label, an eBay label, or a Click & Drop label.
Frequently asked questions
Does Etsy require a specific label size? Etsy Shipping Labels generates a standard 100 × 150mm (4×6") label for UK sellers, the same format used across Royal Mail, DPD, Evri and every other major UK courier — there's no Etsy-specific size requirement beyond that standard.
Can I print an Etsy label without buying it through Etsy? Yes — many Etsy sellers, particularly higher-volume ones, buy postage directly through Royal Mail Click & Drop or another shipping platform instead of Etsy's built-in tool, then manually mark the Etsy order as shipped with the resulting tracking number.
What is Etsy's QR code returns label? It's a returns option that lets a buyer generate a scannable QR code at a Post Office or participating drop-off point instead of needing a printed physical label themselves — it doesn't change anything about how you print your own outbound shipping labels as the seller.
Same label, whichever marketplace
Our 100 × 150mm direct thermal labels print correctly for Etsy, eBay and Amazon labels alike — no marketplace-specific stock to source.
Shop 4×6 Labels