Industry Trends

How to Make a FedEx Shipping Label: A FedEx-Label Ready Guide for Avery Templates (2025)

So you need to print a FedEx shipping label. Maybe you're packing a last-minute order for an Etsy customer, or you're the office manager scrambling to get a contract to a client before the Friday courier cutoff.

Here's the thing: there's no single 'right' way to do this. It depends on your volume, your equipment, and how much time you have. I've been coordinating rush shipments for three years now, and I've probably made every mistake you can make when it comes to labels.

Let me break it into three common scenarios, and you can figure out where you fall.

Scenario A: You Have a FedEx Account and You're Using an Avery 5202 Template

This is the ideal situation. The Avery 5202 is a standard 2" x 4" shipping label, and it's widely compatible with FedEx Ship Manager.

Here's the workflow that works for me:

1. Log into FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com.
2. Create your label as usual. When you get to the print step, select 'Thermal' or '2 per page' printer settings. Do not select 'Full page'—that wastes a lot of label stock.
3. Download the PDF. Open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader (the free one).
4. Go to File > Print. Under 'Page Size & Handling,' select 'Multiple' and set it to 2 pages per sheet. This will fit the label perfectly on your Avery 5202 sheet.
5. Load the Avery 5202 labels into your printer, and print.

Pro tip based on a mistake I made in my first year: Always print a test on a plain piece of paper first. Hold the paper up to the label sheet, hold it up to a light, and see if the alignment matches. I once printed 50 sheets with the barcode shifted 2mm to the left. The post office couldn't scan them. Cost me $30 in reprint losses and a lot of time.

Scenario B: You're Using Avery 8160 (Address Labels) for a Small Package

A lot of small business owners start with what they have. If you only ship a few packages a month, you might be tempted to use Avery 8160 (1" x 2.63") address labels for a FedEx label. I've been there.

Does it work? Technically, yes. But it's not ideal. FedEx labels need a barcode that's at least 1.5 inches wide for most scanners to read reliably. An 8160 label is too narrow. You'd have to resize the barcode to fit, which can make it unreadable.

What I recommend instead: Buy a pack of Avery 5202 labels or Avery 5164 (3.5" x 4") if you're shipping boxes. They're designed for barcode-based labels. Office supply stores sell them in packs of 25, so you don't have to commit to 200 labels right away.

Per USPS guidelines (usps.com, accessed January 2025), barcodes for automated sorting require minimum dimensions. While FedEx uses its own scanners, the same principle applies: a too-small barcode may not scan on the first pass, leading to delays. Source: USPS Barcode Specifications.

Scenario C: It's 10 PM, Your Printer Just Ran Out of Labels, and You Need to Ship Tomorrow Morning

This happened to me in March 2024. I had three rush orders, one of which was a $5,000 custom item for a fashion show. The FedEx pickup was scheduled for 8 AM.

What I did (and what you can do):

1. Use a plain sheet of paper and a glue stick. No, seriously. Print the FedEx label on a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet. Cut it out with scissors (or a paper cutter if you have one). Use a glue stick to attach it to the box. Tape over the barcode area with clear packing tape so the ink doesn't smudge in the rain.
2. Double-check the fold. FedEx labels usually have two parts: the main label and the 'delivery receipt' section. Fold the receipt part along the perforation line, and if you're using plain paper, just fold it manually. Secure with tape.
3. Worst case? Write it manually. If you have no printer at all, write the address clearly in block letters. Add the tracking number in large numbers at the bottom. You can create the label at the FedEx drop-off location the next morning. Not ideal, but it works in a pinch.

Your mileage may vary. This approach worked for us because I had a glue stick and packing tape in my supply drawer. If you don't have those, you're stuck.

How to Decide Which Scenario You're In

Ask yourself these questions:

• How many labels do you print per week? If it's more than 10, buy Avery 5202 labels in bulk. The cost per label drops to about $0.15 when you buy a 100-pack, versus $0.50 for a 25-pack.
• Do you have a dedicated thermal printer? If yes, buy the compatible labels. If not, use an inkjet or laser printer with Avery labels.
• What's your deadline? If you have no time, use the glue-stick method (Scenario C). If you have 24 hours, go buy the right labels (Scenario A or B).

I can only speak to domestic operations here. If you're dealing with international shipping, there are probably customs forms and additional documentation I'm not covering. In that case, I'd look at FedEx's official guide on international labels.

Don't hold me to this, but in my experience, the glue-stick method saves you about 40% of the time compared to driving to a FedEx store at 11 PM. The savings are probably in the $10–$20 range in gas and peace of mind.

This was accurate as of March 2025. Printer compatibility changes, especially with Windows updates, so verify your specific printer model supports the 2-up layout before you run the job.