Can You Print Shipping Labels with Regular Printer and Paper?

TL;DR

• You can print shipping labels with a regular inkjet or laser printer, offering a cost-effective solution for small businesses.
• Regular paper can be used for shipping labels, and applying transparent adhesive tape can protect the printed label.
• Printing on photo paper is possible but more expensive than standard paper.
• If you don’t have a printer, you can ask friends or visit local print shops, or use services like Eurosender that don’t require you to print labels.

Many small-owned businesses that sell products online need to ship their products to their customers. But often think they do not have a special printer to print their shipping labels and wonder if they can print with a regular printer and paper. Well, we have the answers to all these doubts!

People’s most common printers for home use are inkjet or laser printers. These are the most affordable printers with several uses, from printing papers for personal use, to some minor marketing, university or other purposes. If you happen to be one of these people that own an inkjet or laser printer, you will be pleased to hear the following.

You can print shipping labels with a regular printer, whether you have a laser or inkjet! It is important to note that these serve mainly as alternatives to traditional printers only for printing shipping labels. As such, each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

You may also be interested in:

• Shipping with UPS
• Shipping with FedEx
• Shipping with USPS
• Amazon FAQ

Printing shipping labels on a regular inkjet printer

Advantages:

• You can print adhesive shipping label stickers with a regular printer with most of them.
• You do not need to make a significant investment due to their lower prices.
• You get to choose the size that best fits your location.
• You can print in colour.

Disadvantages:

• You would have to be refilling the ink cartridges, which means recurrent costs.
• The freshly printed paper can easily smudge if not appropriately handled.
• If exposed to water, the printed shipping label may get damaged due to the ink quality.

Printing shipping labels with a laser printer

Advantages:

• The shipping label will be clearer due to the printer’s ability to print small and sharp text.
• You will not have to replace the ink cartridges as frequently as the inkjet printer.

Disadvantages:

• Upon purchasing, you may have to pay more than you would pay for the inkjet printers.
• If you are using adhesive shipping labels, you would have to ensure they are compatible with a laser printer.

Read also: All about shipping labels

Can shipping labels be printed on regular paper?

Now that we have established that you can print shipping labels with a regular printer let’s talk if you can print them on a regular paper.

The great advantage of using your home-owned printer is that you can use regular paper to print your shipping label!

Printing your shipping labels with regular paper and a printer is very straightforward. You would have to print the shipping labels the way you would print any other document. You can also print two shipping labels simultaneously on a standard piece of paper.

If you are using regular paper to print your shipping label, you can add transparent adhesive tape over the paper to avoid any damage to the label.

To simplify the process and avoid adding adhesive tape over the paper, you can always purchase the self-adhesive shipping labels and print them directly.

Can I print shipping labels on photo paper?

In general, you can print your shipping label on different papers, including photo paper. If you opt for this option, keep in mind that this may be a costlier alternative. Photo paper is a lot more expensive to purchase than standard printing paper.

But, can I print a shipping label without a printer?

Unfortunately, that is not an option. Many shippers are thinking of handwriting their shipping labels, but this will not be possible since most courier companies require a barcode for tracking. You can find more information here about handwritten shipping labels.

So, you have two options left if you do not have a printer but need to print a shipping label:

• Ask some of your friends if they have a regular printer and if you can print the shipping label on regular paper at their place or look for any printing shops around your neighbourhood.
• And the second better alternative is to purchase a service that does not require that you print your own shipping labels!!

Shipping service with no printer required

Now, if you do not have a printer to print out the shipping labels, check out our solution! At Eurosender, we work with many logistics companies that offer a variety of shipping services. And many of the couriers in various locations do not require that you print out any shipping labels, but instead, the driver will bring the labels with them. So, you would not have to worry about where to print out your label!