Work out your running costs
Shipping label cost calculator
Compare direct thermal with A4 printing at your own prices and volume. The starting figures are fictional examples, separate from the products below.
Your comparison
Estimated printing costs
Based on the figures above. Recurring costs exclude equipment and postage.
| Cost or output | Direct thermal | A4 printing |
|---|
Monthly and annual figures allocate pack costs across usable labels; actual pack purchases happen in whole packs. First-year totals add the equipment still to buy. Postage, labour, electricity, servicing and finance costs are excluded.
What changes with your volume?
These scenarios keep your pack prices, usable positions and waste assumptions unchanged.
| Usable labels / month | Thermal / month | A4 / month | Equipment payback |
|---|
How the calculator works
Thermal usable labels = labels in the pack × (1 − waste ÷ 100).
A4 usable labels = sheets × usable positions per sheet × (1 − print spoilage ÷ 100).
Cost per usable label = (delivered pack cost + extra consumables for that pack) ÷ usable labels. Multiply pounds by 100 for pence; multiply the unrounded pounds figure by monthly demand for monthly spending, then by 12 for annual spending.
Equipment payback = extra equipment outlay ÷ saving per usable label, rounded up to whole labels. Payback months = that label count ÷ monthly usable labels. A payback needs a running-cost saving; zero monthly volume has no calendar payback.
If thermal equipment costs less but A4 has lower running costs, the result shows when A4 recovers its extra purchase cost instead. Equal running costs cannot recover extra equipment spending.
Count A4 positions once. If you can use only two positions on a four-position sheet, enter 2 positions. Apply print spoilage only to those two. If every position is usable and one in ten prints is spoiled, enter 4 positions and 10% spoilage. For plain A4 paper carrying one parcel label, enter 1 position and include tape or a pouch in extra consumables.
Follow the sheet maker’s handling instructions. Avery advises feeding a sheet through the printer only once; do not assume an unused label can be printed later. Avery printing tips
Compare consistent inputs. Extras cover the same whole pack as the stock price. If you have costs from a partial batch, allocate them consistently before entering a whole-pack estimate. Equipment is a one-off cost; already owned equipment is £0 here. The example prices and waste rates are illustrative assumptions. Enter your own delivered prices and expected usable yield. Fractional usable outputs represent an expected average.
Calculations retain full precision until display. Very small costs use extra decimal places. The example yields 485 thermal and 360 A4 labels, with an £80 extra thermal outlay recovered at 2,082 usable labels.
Start with usable labels rather than the number on the box
Track a typical batch. Note the stock you opened, the tests, reprints and labels that actually went on parcels. Use the same method for both printers. If you buy a whole pack but measure a small batch, allocate the delivered pack cost in proportion to the stock consumed. Keep both totals on the same VAT basis.
Running cost per usable label = (stock used + ink, toner or ribbon used) ÷ usable labels.
Include delivery when it changes what you pay for the stock. Include skipped labels, damaged stock and blank positions you cannot use. Add the cost of attachment materials if your A4 route uses plain paper and tape, and count packing time separately if you want to compare how long each workflow takes.
Work through a thermal and A4 comparison
The amounts below are fictional and match the calculator's starting figures. They are separate from the product examples further down. Both workflows assume the file matches the chosen media. Replace the estimates with your invoices and your actual yield.
| Cost input | Direct thermal | A4 laser sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Stock bought | 500 labels for £11 delivered | 100 four-up sheets for £20 delivered |
| Consumables used | No ribbon | £2 estimated toner for 100 sheets |
| Usable labels | 485 after 3% waste | 360 after 10% print spoilage across four usable positions per sheet |
| Running cost per usable label | £11 ÷ 485 = 2.27p | £22 ÷ 360 = 6.11p |
The example difference is about 3.84p per usable label. A direct thermal batch might lose the first few labels to a format error. An A4 batch might leave empty positions when you print only one or two parcels. Measure your actual yield before using either assumption. Toner yield varies with the machine and page coverage, so use a consistent estimate or track a longer run if the difference matters.
Compare stock that fits the file and the printer you own
For a compatible four-inch direct thermal printer that accepts gap-sensed fanfold, a 500-label stack is a convenient unit to compare. Check the feed path and label dimensions. The pack below is nominal 4×6 inches, or 101.6 × 152.4 mm. MUNBYN rounds the format to 102 × 152 mm in its specifications. MUNBYN fanfold sizes and pack options
Open-format fanfold supply
MUNBYN 4 × 6 inch fanfold shipping labels
A 500-label fanfold pack for compatible direct thermal shipping printers. The folded stack sits behind the printer and feeds without putting a large roll inside the machine.
Keep in mind. Check the actual printer’s width, gap sensing and feed instructions. These open-format labels are a different system from Brother DK holders and DYMO’s Series 5 authenticated rolls.
- 4 × 6 inch format
- 500 fanfold labels
- Direct thermal media
For a laser printer and an A4 layout that fits a four-up parcel sheet, Avery L7169-100 contains 100 sheets and 400 label positions. Each position is 139 × 99.1 mm. Check the carrier file or template alignment on plain paper before using a sheet. A 152.4 mm label side will not fit into a 139 mm position at its original size. Avery L7169-100 dimensions and sheet format
Four labels per A4 laser sheet
Avery L7169-100 A4 shipping label sheets
A four-per-sheet format for an existing laser printer. The Avery template gives each address a defined position on an A4 page, useful when dispatch volume does not justify a separate thermal machine.
Keep in mind. Each label is 139 × 99.1 mm, which differs from an exact 4 × 6 inch page. Use the correct L7169 template and laser-compatible printing instructions rather than stretching a carrier barcode to fill the label.
- 139 × 99.1 mm
- 4 labels per A4 sheet
- 100 laser sheets / 400 labels
Allow for the equipment before switching
If you already own an A4 printer, use the extra outlay for the thermal route, including any required accessory, when comparing your next purchase. If you need to buy either machine, use the difference between the two complete setups. Divide that difference by the running-cost saving per usable label. With £80 extra outlay and the unrounded saving behind the 3.84p example, break-even is 2,082 usable labels, or about 20.8 months at 100 usable labels per month.
For a per-label budget over one year, divide the extra equipment cost by your expected annual usable labels and add the result to the thermal running cost. If the thermal route has no per-label saving, there is no print-cost break-even under those inputs. A smoother packing routine may still matter. Track actual time and reprint rates so you can compare them separately.
Common questions
How do I calculate the cost of one thermal label?
Divide the delivered stock cost by the number of usable labels the pack produces. For example, an illustrative £11 pack yielding 485 usable labels costs about 2.27p each before equipment.
Should I include postage in the printing cost?
Keep postage separate when comparing ways to print the same shipment. Include it only if you also want to calculate the total cost to dispatch each parcel.
Does a direct thermal printer have an ink cost?
It makes the image on heat-sensitive stock without ink, toner or ribbon. Include the stock, waste and any equipment and maintenance costs relevant to your comparison.
How do I count half-used A4 sheets?
In the calculator, enter the positions your workflow can use on each sheet, then apply print spoilage only to those positions. For a four-up sheet used once for two labels, enter 2 positions before spoilage. Follow the sheet maker's handling instructions; Avery advises printing a sheet only once.
How many labels do I need to print before a thermal printer pays for itself?
Divide the extra equipment cost by the unrounded saving per usable label and round up. In this page's fictional example, £80 extra thermal outlay is recovered at 2,082 usable labels. The calculator uses your own inputs; no running-cost saving means no payback of extra equipment spending.