Shipping Labels

A shipping label is doing three jobs at once. It carries the address, it carries the tracking barcode every hop has to read, and it carries the handling marks that tell someone which way up the box goes. Get any one of them wrong and the parcel stops moving.

We supply shipping label stocks in the formats that parcel, pallet and export work actually uses — white uncoated, triple-proof coated and folded two-panel grades — for direct thermal or thermal transfer printing, in standard sizes or cut to your own layout.

Where Shipping Labels Are Used

Where the label travels with the goods and has to be read at every stop:

• Parcels and courier — address and tracking labels printed at the despatch bench.
• Pallets and cartons — case marks, SSCC and handling labels.
• Export and freight forwarding — shipping marks and documentation labels.
• Warehouse despatch — picking, staging and carrier labels.
• Returns and reverse logistics — return authorisation and routing labels.

Where the label has to survive export conditions and long storage, see Triple-Proof Thermal Labels. For the standard white grade, see White Thermal Labels.

Key Features

One label, three jobs — and the room to do all three

Address, barcode and handling marks compete for the same face, and the stock has to take all three at the size the layout allows. That is why a shipping label is specified from the layout rather than from the material alone. Send us the artwork and we will confirm the stock that holds it.

Size set by your process, not by a fixed format

Common shipping formats exist and we supply them, but the right size is the one your printer, your software and your carton already work with. Standard sizes and custom die-cuts are both available — tell us what the layout has to fit.

Direct thermal or thermal transfer, chosen from the journey

Most parcel labels are printed direct thermal, with no ribbon, because the label only has to be read until it is delivered. Where the label has to survive a long voyage, a humid warehouse or a period in the archive, thermal transfer with a ribbon holds up better. Tell us the journey and we will say which route fits.

Adhesive that holds to real cartons

Recycled board, damp board and cold surfaces are where a general-purpose adhesive lets go at a corner and the label peels in transit. High-tack options are available — tell us what the label goes onto and we will confirm the adhesive together with the stock.

Technical Specifications

• Imaging: direct thermal or thermal transfer
• Face stock: white uncoated; triple-proof coated; folded two-panel; other grades on request
• Adhesive: permanent, with high-tack options for recycled, damp or cold board
• Sizes: standard shipping formats, or custom sizes and die-cuts to your layout
• Formats: rolls or fanfold sheets
• Finish: matt white; other finishes on request
• Print performance: stock and print settings confirmed against your printer and label software

Tell us the layout, the carton and the journey, and we will confirm the stock, the size and the adhesive.

How to Select and Order

• Start from the layout — how much address, barcode and handling information has to fit decides the size, and often the stock.
• Decide the imaging route from the journey — a parcel delivered in days and a label archived for a year do not need the same one.
• Name the carton, not just the label — recycled, damp and cold board change the adhesive, and samples on your own cases settle it fastest.

MOQ, lead time and freight depend on material, size and quantity — send your specification and volume and we will quote.

FAQ

• What size should a shipping label be? The size that fits your layout and your printer. Standard shipping formats are available and we supply them, but the practical answer comes from how much address, barcode and handling information has to sit on the face — and custom sizes are cut to your specification. Send us the layout and we will confirm.
• Direct thermal or thermal transfer? For a parcel delivered in a few days, direct thermal is the usual choice: no ribbon, lower cost, adequate life. Where the label has to survive a long voyage, damp storage or a period in the archive, thermal transfer holds up better. Tell us the journey and we will confirm.
• Will it stick to a recycled or damp carton? That is exactly where a general-purpose adhesive fails, usually at a corner first. High-tack options are available for recycled, damp and cold board — tell us the carton and we will confirm the adhesive.
• Do you supply folded or two-panel labels? Yes — folded stock is available where the label needs a second panel, such as a returns section or documentation that travels with the parcel. Tell us the layout.
• Can I test before ordering? Yes — request samples and run them on your own printer and your own cartons before you commit a specification.

Bofeng New Materials supplies shipping label stocks for parcel, pallet and export work as part of its Eco Labels range. Tell us the layout and the journey and we will confirm the stock.

Get a quote or request samples: jason.zhan@bofmat.com

Related: Triple-Proof Thermal Labels · White Thermal Labels · Folded Thermal Labels