Follow the file → stock → preview route
Find the next check for a wrong-size label
Start at 01. Follow the answer to the next check or the linked fix. Use the original carrier file, keeping the full barcode and its surrounding blank space.
Is this the carrier's standalone thermal-label PDF?
No / unsure → fix the fileIf the label shares an A4 page with other paperwork, choose the carrier's thermal output where offered and regenerate it. Otherwise use the intended A4 printing route.
Check the PDF page →Yes → continue to 02The PDF page itself represents the thermal label, rather than an address panel placed inside a larger page.
Check the printer and stock ↓Have you selected the correct printer and its documented stock preset?
No / unsure → fix the presetSelect the actual printer, its supported media and the manufacturer's size setting. Check units, label length and width. Use a custom size only where the model's instructions support it.
Match the driver and media →Yes → continue to 03The loaded stock and selected printing path agree. A model's preset name may differ from the nominal postage-label dimensions.
Check scaling and orientation ↓Is one complete label visible at its intended size in preview?
No → inspect the app and print areaFor a matching standalone file, check Actual size / 100%, orientation and any app crop or resize option. If an edge clips, recheck the file, media preset and printable area before printing.
Review the viewer settings →Yes → print one copyCompare it with the original. Check the whole address, barcode and blank space around it. A correct-looking preview still needs a physical output check.
Check the printed copy →
Use the symptom to find the setting to check
Look at the print preview and the first failed label together. If the preview already shows the wrong layout, correct the file or print dialogue first. If the preview looks right but the physical position moves between labels, check the feed path and media sensing.
| What you see | Likely mismatch | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Entire label is tiny, with a lot of white space | A full A4 page was shrunk to the thermal stock | Check the original PDF page size and choose a standalone thermal file if available |
| Address or barcode is cut off at one edge | Page size, orientation or printable area differs | Match the printer preset to the stock and inspect all four sides in preview |
| Label prints sideways | Viewer or printer is rotating the page | Test auto-rotate and the orientation shown in the preview |
| Same offset on every label | Layout origin, position setting or stock width differs | Compare the preview with a measured sample and check guides and any documented offset |
| Offset grows with each label | The printer may be losing the start of each label | Check the label length and gap or mark sensor mode |
Check the PDF page rather than the white label panel
Download the original file and open it in a PDF viewer. Look for the page dimensions in document properties or the print dialogue. The white rectangle with the address may be only one part of the PDF page. In Royal Mail Click & Drop, the 6×4 thermal output and 6×4 panel on an A4 template are different layouts. A label beside a despatch note should usually go through the A4 route unless you can generate separate thermal paperwork. Royal Mail label sizes
Measure a peeled label face across the feed and along it. The backing may be slightly wider and gaps make the distance between successive leading edges longer than the face. Set the page size and gap or mark options separately where the driver provides both. Compare exact dimensions when a stock name uses “A6” or “4×6” loosely.
Match the driver setting and print preview
- Select the exact thermal printer in the print dialogue. Its list of paper sizes may differ from the A4 printer's.
- Choose the stock size or make the matching custom preset if the manufacturer documents one. Check width and length and whether the setting uses millimetres or inches.
- For a matching standalone file, start with Actual size or 100%. Leave options such as multiple pages per sheet disabled for a one-label page. Adobe distinguishes Actual size, which prints without scaling, from Fit, which can enlarge or shrink a page.
- Check that the preview shows one complete label on one piece of stock. If it is sideways, change the orientation or auto-rotation setting and check the preview again.
- If the source file and actual stock still differ, switch to the matching carrier layout or media. If the available print area clips a matching page, check the printer's documented printable width and margins before committing to a run.
On a phone, import the original PDF using the printer's supported app where required. Check the preview for a crop or resizing setting applied by the app. If possible, compare one job from a computer with the same file and stock. Adobe PDF page scaling
Preset names need a model check. Brother’s QL-1110NWB manual documents dedicated shipping-label presets and a driver adjustment for its DK media. A generic custom 101.6 × 152.4 mm preset is not a universal substitute for the model’s instructions. If the preview and physical output disagree, use its specific troubleshooting procedure before changing scale. Brother QL-1110NWB manual, 4-inch shipping labels and troubleshooting
Print one copy and check the full label
Compare the print to the original PDF. You should see all the text, the full barcode and the blank space around it. Measure the face and see whether the printed content is consistently smaller, cut off or merely shifted. Print a second copy on spare stock if the first one looks right but you suspect the feed is drifting.
Use the provider's reprint or paperwork option for the same valid shipment where available. Royal Mail documents correcting the print settings before reprinting. Apply only one valid copy to the intended parcel. If the first print is full size but the bars themselves are pale or broken, use the print quality guide. Royal Mail printing and reprints
Carrier, viewer and printer guidance
The diagram is a decision aid assembled from these sources, reviewed November 2026. Royal Mail warns that resizing Click & Drop labels can make them incompatible with barcode scanners. A page that fits geometrically is not, on its own, proof of carrier acceptance.
Common questions
Why is my Royal Mail label tiny on a 6×4 thermal printer?
You may be fitting an entire A4 page onto the label. Check the PDF dimensions and whether the postage panel shares a page with a despatch note. If your Click & Drop setup supports it, select the thermal format and generate the paperwork again.
Are A6 and 4×6 paper settings interchangeable?
A6 is 105 × 148 mm. Exact 4×6 inches is 101.6 × 152.4 mm. Match the actual PDF dimensions and your stock, and preview the result to check the full label fits.
Should I select Fit or Actual size for a thermal shipping label?
Start with Actual size or 100% when the carrier page, printer setting and stock match. If the preview clips at 100%, check the paper size, orientation and printable area before relying on Fit.
Why is the first label correct and the rest gradually shift?
Look at the stock and feed settings. Check label length and the selected gap or mark mode, then run the model's documented calibration if needed. A PDF scale change cannot fix poor gap detection.
Can I print a screenshot of a parcel label?
Use the original carrier file where possible. A screenshot can lose detail, crop blank space beside a barcode or change the print dimensions. Print one copy from the PDF and check the entire symbol before applying it.