LabelChop
Free print-scale tool

Shipping label print scale calculator

Check whether an A4, Letter, A6, 4x6 or 100x150mm shipping-label PDF will print at the right size, shrink into a corner or clip on your thermal printer.

Calculate print scaleConvert A4 to 4x6

Fast rule

  • 4x6 or 100x150mm PDFs usually need Actual Size or 100% scale.
  • A4 and Letter PDFs usually need cropping before thermal printing.
  • Fit to page can shrink a correct label or hide a page-size mismatch.
  • One test print is cheaper than wasting a batch of live labels.

Interactive calculator

Compare the PDF page, printer stock and scale setting

Nothing is uploaded. Choose the settings you see in your PDF properties and print dialog, then use the result before printing a live postage label.

Print dialog scale

Result

Convert or crop before printing

Active scale
48.4%
Fit-to-page scale
48.4%
Printed size
101.6 x 143.7mm

An A4 or Letter PDF sent straight to 4x6 stock will usually shrink or clip. Convert the label area to a real 4x6 PDF first.

Shipping label scale settings to check first

The safest print scale depends on the PDF page size. If the PDF is already a 4x6, 6x4 or 100x150mm label page, Actual Size or 100% scale is usually the right starting point. Fit to page can make a correct label slightly smaller than it needs to be.

If the printer driver still says A4, Letter or another office paper size, fix that before changing the scale. The printer paper preset, PDF page and physical label roll all need to agree.

A4 and Letter shipping-label PDFs need a different fix

A4 and Letter shipping-label PDFs are built for desktop printers, not direct thermal label stock. If you send the whole page to a 4x6 printer, the print dialog has to shrink, crop or rotate it.

For one-off files, use the free A4 to 4x6 shipping label converter before printing. If you are unsure what size the PDF actually is, run it through the shipping label size checker first.

What the scale result means for common label problems

A label that prints tiny usually points to Fit to page, a wrong paper preset or an A4 or Letter PDF being squeezed onto 4x6 stock. A label that prints too large or gets cut off usually means the active scale is above the stock size, the paper preset is wrong or the printer needs calibration.

When LabelChop helps with recurring print-scale problems

LabelChop is for sellers who keep getting awkward PDFs from carrier, marketplace or ecommerce workflows and want the crop, resize and print step automated. It watches a folder, detects shipping-label PDFs, converts supported pages to 4x6 / 100x150mm output and prints or saves the result.

Use this calculator when you are debugging one print. Use LabelChop when the same scaling problem keeps showing up every time a new label lands in Downloads.

FAQ

Should I print shipping labels at 100% scale?

For a true 4x6 or 100x150mm PDF, yes. Use Actual Size or 100% scale and make sure the printer paper size matches the label stock.

Why does fit to page make my label too small?

Fit to page scales the whole PDF page into the loaded stock. If the PDF is A4 or Letter, the label area can shrink into a corner.

Can I print an A4 shipping-label PDF on a 4x6 printer?

Not cleanly without cropping or converting first. A4 and Letter PDFs usually need the label area converted to a real 4x6 page.

Does this calculator upload or store my PDF?

No. It is a settings calculator only. Choose the page size and print settings you see, then use the recommendation before printing.