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How to Change Label Sizes

Overview

The dimensions of your label play a crucial role in the shipping process. The label size must be sufficiently spacious to encompass all essential courier-required information, including the imperative barcode that needs to be easily scannable. Voila offers remarkable flexibility in fulfilling your specific label prerequisites. Our system is seamlessly compatible with various prevalent and standardised label formats. It empowers you to swiftly and effortlessly generate shipping labels tailored for diverse couriers and available in multiple dimensions.

This documentation will comprehensively illustrate the process of adjusting the label size and initiating the label request. Furthermore, we will address a selection of frequently asked questions about labels and their associated sizes.

Changing Label Size

To modify the dimensions of your labels, you can easily update the "label_size" value within your "create-label" request. To illustrate the process, we will utilise our Playground environment. This exercise will demonstrate how to change the label size and initiate a label request.

The Playground is a tool for facilitating request submissions directly from our application. It grants you insight into the mechanics of communication between your application and Voila. (For a more comprehensive understanding of Playground functionalities, refer to the Help & Documentation page.)

As depicted in the image above, the default setting for "label_size" is "6x4", signifying a label that measures 4 inches in width and 6 inches in length (equivalent to 10 x 15 cm).

If you proceed without any alterations and click "Send Request," the Playground will transmit a request through our Royal Mail test account (as the default Playground configuration is aligned with the Royal Mail endpoint), generating a label.

Clicking "View Label" will display the label generated with the dimensions 6x4.

However, adjusting the "label_size" value to other appropriate formats, such as 4x4 and 8x4, is possible. For more detailed insights, the Setup API Documentation page provides comprehensive guidance on label creation and related subjects.

While we strive to accommodate label size preferences, it's essential to understand that universal support for every conceivable label size across all couriers might not be feasible. While a 6x4 label is widely supported, some couriers might still need to endorse a 4x4 size. If your label requirements deviate from the norm, we encourage you to contact us for personalised assistance.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • Why does the system still generate a 6x4 label after I've adjusted the label size?
    • The system may continue to produce a 6x4 label because the relevant courier might not support the size you entered. Our system generally defaults to supporting 6x4 labels.
  • Could printing the label larger than its actual size pose an issue?
    • Printing the label slightly larger than its actual size should be fine, but it's advised to stay within the dimensions of half an A4 sheet.
  • Is it acceptable to shrink the label during printing?
    • Shrinking the label could affect the functionality of the barcode. However, if your package is too small for the label, you can wrap the label around the parcel without issue. For instance, if you have a 4x4 box and a 6x4 label, you can overlap the 6x4 label along the edge, ensuring that the essential information remains readable and the barcode remains scannable.
  • What do the S17 and S19 labels refer to?
    • The S17 and S19 labels denote integrated labels on an A4 sheet of paper. These labels are designed for companies that require shipping labels for carriers such as Royal Mail or other primary courier services.