Half-used sheets
Print on the unused half of a label sheet
Pick which positions on the sheet are still free, and the label is placed there and nowhere else. The peeled positions print blank, so the sheet feeds through with nothing landing on bare backing.
Converted in your browser. Your shipping label is never uploaded.
The half-sheet problem
Adhesive shipping label sheets come two or four to a page. You ship one parcel, peel the top label, and are left with a sheet that is half label and half bare backing paper. Print your next label on it and the label lands on the used half, because that is where every label PDF puts it.
Most sellers throw the sheet away rather than risk it, which means paying for two sheets to ship two parcels that could have shared one. Placing the label in the free position instead is a two second decision that halves the cost.
| Approach | Sheets used per 2 parcels | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Discard the part-used sheet | 2 | None, just waste |
| Print normally and hope | 2 | Toner on the backing, possible fuser mess |
| Place the label in the free position | 1 | None |
How to print on the free position
- 1Look at the sheet in your hand and note which positions still have a label on them.
- 2Drop your label PDF above. Any page size works, and the label is found on the page first.
- 3Choose the sheet you are printing on, matching your stock rather than the PDF.
- 4Check only the positions that are still free. The diagram fills in to match.
- 5Download and print at 100% or Actual Size, with Fit to Page and Auto-Rotate turned off.
Feeding a part-used sheet safely
- Press the remaining label down firmly, especially the leading edge, before feeding.
- Use the manual or single-sheet tray if your printer has one, since it takes a straighter path than the main cassette.
- Feed one sheet at a time rather than adding part-used sheets to a stack.
- If a label edge has lifted or curled, stop. Print on plain paper and tape it on instead.
- Avoid duplex, which sends the sheet back through and gives adhesive twice the chance to catch.
Related tools
If you have a full sheet and several labels to print, put two on it at full size with the two labels per page tool. If your printer takes 4 × 6 rolls rather than sheets, the 8.5 × 11 to 4 × 6 converter is the one you want.
Questions
Can I really reuse a half-used label sheet?
Yes, and it is safe for the printer as long as the remaining label is still flat and fully stuck down. What you must avoid is feeding a sheet where a label is lifting at a corner, because that is what peels off inside the rollers and jams the machine.
Why can't I just print normally and hope it lands right?
Because your label PDF puts the label at the top of the page, which is the half you already used. Printing it again puts ink on bare backing paper, and on a laser printer that toner ends up on the fuser instead of on your parcel. This tool moves the label to the position that is still free.
Which sheet do I choose?
Match the stock in your printer, not the label PDF. Half-sheet means two 8.5 × 5.5 in labels per letter sheet, which is what eBay, PayPal, and Etsy shipping supplies usually are. Quarter-sheet means four narrow labels down the page.
Do I check the position I used or the one that is left?
The one that is left. Checked positions are where labels get placed. Leave the peeled position unchecked and nothing prints there.
Is it safe to run a partly peeled sheet through a laser printer?
Generally yes, but inkjets are more forgiving because they do not apply heat or pressure through a fuser. If a sheet has been sitting in a drawer for months, press the remaining label down firmly first, and if the edges have curled, use plain paper and tape instead.
Can I fit several labels from one PDF onto one part-used sheet?
Yes. Check every position that is still free and the labels fill them in order, top to bottom. Two free quarter positions take the first two labels from your PDF, then the next sheet starts over with all positions available.
Will the label be scaled?
Only if it is larger than the slot. A 4 × 6 label placed in an 8.5 × 5.5 half-sheet slot has to be turned sideways, and at that point it fits with room to spare, so it prints at full size. The preview tells you if anything was reduced.
Is my label uploaded?
No. The PDF is read and rebuilt in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.
Other label tools
- eBay Standard EnvelopeFree eBay Standard Envelope ConverterTurn a 4 × 6 or letter-size eBay label into a #10 envelope you can print directly, with the return address upper left and postage upper right.Convert an eBay label
- Letter to 4 × 6Convert an 8.5 × 11 shipping label to 4 × 6Crop a letter-size label PDF down to a true 4 × 6 for a thermal printer, without screenshots or Fit to Page.Convert to 4 × 6
- Return labelsResize a return shipping label for a 4 × 6 printerPull the label off a full-page return label PDF and print it at full size on a 4 × 6 thermal printer.Fix a return label
- A4 to 4 × 6Convert an A4 shipping label to 4 × 6Crop an A4 label PDF down to a true 4 × 6 (100 × 150 mm) label for a thermal printer.Convert from A4
- Labels per sheetPrint two shipping labels per pageFit two labels on one sheet at full size instead of burning a whole sheet per label.Combine onto sheets