Standard Operating Procedure

How to Print FNSKU Labels Correctly

Amazon’s scanners move fast. A label can be “correct” but still fail if it’s scaled, dithered, smudged, or printed on the wrong stock. Follow this workflow for thermal and A4 printers to keep labels crisp and scan-ready.

Path A: Thermal printers (the pro way)

Best for Zebra, Rollo, MUNBYN, and similar. Aim for solid bars, correct label size, and zero scaling.

  • Label sizeSet the printer driver to match your roll (example: 60 × 30mm). If unsure, check the Label Size Guide.
  • ScalingPrint at 100% (Actual Size). Never “Fit” or “Shrink”.
  • DitheringSet dithering/halftone to None. You want clean, solid black bars.
  • DarknessIncrease density/darkness to avoid grey bars. Typical range is 8–10 depending on printer.
  • SpeedReduce print speed if edges look rough. Slower often equals sharper.

Path B: A4 sheet labels (the home office way)

Best for inkjet/laser printers on 44-up or 21-up sheets. Your main enemy is scaling and misalignment.

  • ScalingChoose Actual Size or 100%. Never “Fit to Page”.
  • Paper typeSelect Labels or Heavy paper in printer settings to reduce smudging.
  • AlignmentDo a test print on plain paper first, then hold it behind the label sheet to check alignment.
  • Ink/tonerKeep black above ~20%. Faded bars often fail scanning even if the text looks readable.
  • Cover retail codesIf you’re using FNSKU, make sure it fully covers any UPC/EAN. See FNSKU vs UPC vs EAN.

The “Perfect Print” checklist

Before you click Print, confirm these settings. This is where most sellers lose scan rate.

Scale100%Actual Size
Fit / shrinkOFFNo “Fit to page”
DitheringNoneNo halftone
Resolution300+ DPISharper bars

The #1 mistake: printing at 95%

“Fit to page” can shrink the barcode by a few percent. That changes bar width, squeezes the quiet zone, and makes it harder for automated scanners to read. Always print at 100%.

The “phone test” before you ship

Print one label and scan it with your phone on the desk. If your phone struggles, Amazon’s scanners will struggle too. Fix it before the box leaves the warehouse.

Ready to print with confidence?

Use the wizard to confirm the correct barcode, generate labels locally in your browser, and use the 2D tool for box content labels. If something goes wrong at intake, jump to the rejection fixes page.