LabelStudioFree 4x6 test label for thermal printers
A printable 4x6 inch (and 100 × 150 mm) test label that shows in one print whether a thermal printer is set up correctly: rulers for scale, a frame for cut-off edges, a TOP mark for rotation, a density patch, and a barcode to scan. Free PDF, no sign-up.
Works on Rollo, MUNBYN, Zebra, Xprinter, Jadens, Brother, DYMO 4XL and any other 4x6 printer, from a Mac, Windows or Chromebook.
Print it exactly like a shipping label: paper size set to your roll, scale at 100%. Then check the four numbered points on the label, and scan the barcode with a phone.
How to print it
- On a Mac, open the PDF in Preview, choose File then Print, click Show Details, pick the thermal printer, set Paper Size to 4 x 6 in or 100 x 150 mm and Scale to 100%.
- On Windows, open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader or the browser, pick the thermal printer, set the paper size to 4 x 6 in and choose Actual size, not Fit.
- Measure the ruler with a real ruler. 0 to 3 on the inch scale (or 0 to 80 on the millimetre one) should match exactly.
What the result tells you
| What you see | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 on the ruler measures less than 3 in (for example 2.9 in) | The print dialog scaled the page to fit, or the paper size has margins it shrank the label to clear. | Scale 100% (Windows: Actual size), margins 0. Full fix |
| The whole label is small, in one corner of the roll | The print dialog's paper size is Letter or A4, not your label size. | Pick or create a 4 x 6 in / 100 x 150 mm paper size. Full fix |
| One side of the frame is missing | The custom paper size has margins, and the printer treats them as unprintable. | Set all four margins to 0 in the paper size. Full fix |
| TOP is at the side, or the label reads sideways | Either the page is landscape or the print dialog rotated it. | Check orientation, and turn off auto-rotate. Full fix |
| The square is grey or streaky, fine lines are broken | Print density too low, a dirty print head, or labels loaded upside down. | Raise density, clean the head, flip the roll. Full fix |
| Everything looks right but the barcode will not scan | Slight scaling, low density or dithering has blurred the bars. | Print at 100%, raise density, avoid image-based printing. Full fix |
| A blank label comes out before or after, or the print drifts down | The printer has lost track of the gap between labels. | Recalibrate the printer (usually holding the feed button). Full fix |
If every check passes and the barcode scans, the printer is fine. A real label that still prints wrong is then a problem with the label PDF itself — usually a full A4 or Letter page with the label in one part of it, which the free label cropper fixes.
Once the test label prints right
LabelPrint prints every real label the same way, without the print dialog: it crops each carrier PDF to the label, and sends it to the printer at full size and 100% scale, every time.
Frequently asked
Is the test label free to use?
Yes. Download it, print it as often as you like, share it. No account or email is asked for.
Should I print the 4x6 or the 100 x 150 mm version?
The one that matches the roll in your printer. They differ by 1.6 mm across and 2.4 mm down, which is too little to matter for a shipping label but enough to make the ruler check read slightly off if you print the wrong one.
Which printers does it work with?
Any printer that can print a PDF onto 4x6 or 100 x 150 mm labels: Rollo, MUNBYN, Zebra, Xprinter, Jadens, Brother QL-1100 series, DYMO 4XL and the rest. It is an ordinary PDF — nothing about it is specific to one brand.
Why is the barcode that size?
Its narrowest bar is 0.381 mm (15 mil), exactly three dots on a 203 dpi print head, which is what most thermal label printers have. That keeps each bar on whole dots, the same way a well-made carrier label does, so if this one scans, a carrier label printed with the same settings should too.