4x6, 6x4 and 100 × 150 mm labels: are they the same?
If you print shipping labels you will meet three names for what looks like one label: 4x6, 6x4 and 100 × 150 mm. Here is how they relate, and how to print courier labels on each.
4x6 and 6x4 are the same label
“4x6” and “6x4” both describe a label 4 inches wide and 6 inches long. The only difference is the order: width first (4x6, the usual convention for label rolls) or length first (6x4, common in the UK). On the roll, the label is 4 inches across and 6 inches in the feed direction either way.
| Name | Exact size | In millimetres |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 inch | 4″ × 6″ | 101.6 × 152.4 mm |
| 6 × 4 inch | the same label | 101.6 × 152.4 mm |
| 100 × 150 mm | metric format | 100 × 150 mm |
100 × 150 mm: the metric twin
A 100 × 150 mm label is 1.6 mm narrower and 2.4 mm shorter than a true 4 × 6″ label. The difference is too small to matter on the parcel, and both fit the same desktop printers. Many rolls sold in Europe are 100 × 150 mm; many sold in the US are 4 × 6″.
Printing courier labels
UK couriers and marketplaces generally offer a thermal 6x4 label option in their label settings — for example Royal Mail Click & Drop, Evri, DPD, Amazon and eBay. Select it, rather than an A4 or A5 layout, and the PDF comes out at 4 × 6″.
On a printer loaded with 4 × 6″ labels:
- set the label size in the driver to 4 × 6 in (101.6 × 152.4 mm);
- print at 100 % (“actual size”).
On a printer loaded with 100 × 150 mm labels:
- set the label size in the driver to 100 × 150 mm;
- if the courier’s PDF has no white border, choose “fit to page” so the 4 × 6″ layout is reduced by about 2 % to fit. Barcodes still scan at that reduction;
- if the PDF already has a margin, 100 % usually fits without cutting anything.
Common mistakes
- The courier setting is still on A4: the label comes out tiny or spread over several labels. Switch to the 6x4 / thermal option.
- The driver size doesn’t match the roll: you get a blank label between prints. See troubleshooting.
- The orientation is wrong: the label is printed sideways. Set portrait orientation in the driver, or let the courier’s PDF decide by choosing “auto-rotate”.
How many on a roll?
Rolls of 4 × 6″ or 100 × 150 mm labels typically hold a few hundred labels, depending on core size and the printer’s maximum roll diameter. Use the roll calculator to check a roll before you buy.