How to Print FNSKU Labels Correctly
This guide covers print settings and the Amazon label guidance we used, so you can print labels that scan reliably.
Quick Settings Reference
5 Steps to a Perfectly Printed FNSKU Label
Generate your FNSKU barcode
Use our Generate Amazon FNSKU barcodes to create a Code-128 barcode from your FNSKU code (starts with X00). In Print setup, choose your printer and label, then download the PDF: it is drawn at real label size for that printer (a full A4/Letter sheet if you chose an office printer), ready to print at 100%. A single-label PNG image is also available if your software needs one.
💡 Pro tip: Don't resize the barcode after downloading. The PDF is already the correct size for your label, and resizing changes the bar widths.
Set print scale to Actual Size (100%)
This is the most critical step and the most commonly skipped. In your print dialog — whether Chrome, Adobe Acrobat, or any other software — locate the scale or sizing option and set it to Actual Size, 100%, or No Scaling.
❌ Never use:
"Shrink to fit"
"Fill entire page"
Any percentage below 100%
✓ Always use:
"100%"
"No scaling"
"Real size"
Set your printer to 300 DPI
Open your printer's preferences (not just the print dialog) and check the resolution setting. Amazon's guidance suggests a laser printer at 300 DPI for best results. Many thermal label printers print at 203 or 300 DPI; test-scan a printed label. In our generator, choose the same dpi in Print setup so the barcode is drawn on your printer's dot grid.
For inkjet printers, ensure you're printing in "black only" or "greyscale" mode with no colour dithering. Colour dithering adds tiny coloured dots to black areas that can confuse barcode scanners.
Maintain the quiet zone
The quiet zone is the clear area surrounding a barcode. Amazon's archived item-label specification called for a quiet zone of more than 0.25 in (6.4 mm) at the left and right of the barcode and more than 0.125 in (3.2 mm) above and below it. Test-scan a printed label before labelling stock. If you're placing the barcode in design software, ensure you preserve this margin.
⚠️ Warning: Do not crop the barcode image in Photoshop, Canva, or Word to remove whitespace — you're likely removing the quiet zone too.
Test-scan before applying to stock
Print a test label and scan it with a barcode scanner app (any free app on iOS or Android works for this) before applying a single label to your inventory. The scan should return your exact FNSKU code — nothing more, nothing less.
For a new batch or a new roll of label stock, test-scan 3–5 labels from different positions on the sheet. Print quality can vary across a sheet, especially on inkjet printers where ink distribution isn't perfectly uniform.
Common print mistakes to avoid
Each one is fixable in under 2 minutes once you know it.
Chrome and Safari default to "Fit to page" when you hit Ctrl+P. The dialog makes it look fine because the preview fills the page — but the barcode is actually scaled down. Always check the Scale field explicitly before hitting Print.
Word and PowerPoint rescale images when you insert them. The barcode appears the right size on screen but prints at a different scale. If you must use Office apps, verify the image is exactly the correct dimensions in centimetres/inches using the image size properties panel.
Colour inkjets achieve "black" by mixing cyan, magenta, and yellow inks — this produces inconsistent bar edges at a microscopic level. Always print in "Black ink only" or "Greyscale" mode, which routes through the dedicated black cartridge for sharper output.
Glossy stock can cause glare that makes the barcode harder to scan (our own advice, not an Amazon rule). Amazon's guidance calls for black ink on non-reflective paper. Use white, non-reflective (matte) label stock.
New thermal printers need calibration before first use. Without calibration, the printer doesn't know where the label starts and ends, so it may print partially off-label. Run the calibration procedure in your printer's manual before printing the first real batch.
Print Guide — FAQ
Amazon's guidance gives a label size of 1 to 2 inches tall and 2 to 3 inches wide. Amazon's archived item-label specification gave the narrow bar width by printer resolution: 13.33 mils (0.3386 mm) at 300 dpi and 20 mils (0.508 mm) at 200 dpi. Print the generator's output at 100% scale, then test-scan a printed label before labelling stock.
Yes — colour laser printers are fine if you set them to "Black & White" or "Monochrome" mode. This ensures the toner is applied from the black cartridge only, producing sharp, consistent bar edges. Avoid "auto" colour mode which may blend toners.
Use label sheets within Amazon's 1–2 in × 2–3 in size range (for example a 1 × 2⅝ in US Letter sheet, or an A4 sheet with a similar label size). In our generator, choose Office printer and your sheet in Print setup (if it is listed: A4 with 24, 21, 40 or 65 labels, or US Letter with 30) to download a full-sheet PDF with the labels already in place. Or download a single-label PNG and position it with Avery's free online design tool or Microsoft Word's label template feature. Always verify print scale before the final print run. For other label types, browse all free Amazon FBA label tools.
Screen scanning (using your phone camera to scan a barcode displayed on another screen) is unreliable because screen pixels simulate bars, not print them. Always test-scan from a physically printed label. Also check: is the label applied to a flat surface? Is there any tape over the barcode? Is the printed area clean with no smudges?