Etsy Shipping Labels — How to Separate Packing Slips from Labels (2026)

Introduction

Etsy's default PDF download bundles the shipping label and packing slip for each order together. For gift orders, wholesale buyers, or anyone who wants professional packaging, printing the packing slip on the outside label is a dealbreaker.

This guide explains Etsy's PDF structure, why separating matters, and how to do it in bulk for 50–500 orders without touching each file.

For efficient Etsy order dispatch, format 4x6 thermal labels with the Invoice & Label Separator, isolate customer packing slips using the Invoice & Label Separator, and calculate net margins after transaction fees with the Etsy Fee Calculator.

How Etsy Bundles Labels and Packing Slips

When you purchase and print shipping labels from Etsy, you get two options:

Why Separating Matters for Etsy Sellers

"I sell custom jewelry. 40% of my orders are gifts. Once I started separating packing slips, I could print personalized gift messages instead. My reviews mentioning 'beautiful packaging' went from 10% to 35%." — Etsy handmade jewelry seller

Gift orders (critical)

Buyers ordering gifts often select "gift wrapping" or request no prices on packing slips. Etsy does honor these requests on the packing slip — but if the packing slip is printed and stuck inside the package by mistake, the gift recipient sees the price anyway.

Professional packaging

Many Etsy handmade sellers include custom thank-you cards, tissue paper, and branded packaging. A generic Etsy packing slip inside breaks the brand experience. Separating lets you replace the default slip with a custom printed version.

Wholesale buyers

Wholesale Etsy buyers don't want their retail price visible inside the package — they're reselling. Separating packing slips lets you create custom trade invoices.

How to Separate Etsy Labels from Packing Slips

1. From Etsy Seller Dashboard → Orders & Shipping → select multiple orders

2. Click "Download Labels" → choose "Label + Packing Slip"

3. This downloads a combined PDF (2 pages per order) Upload to our Invoice & Label Separator Tool automatically detects Etsy labels vs packing slips based on content Download "Labels PDF" and "Packing Slips PDF" separately Print labels on your shipping printer Print packing slips (or replace with custom cards)

Printing Setup for Etsy Sellers

• Labels: Thermal printer (Dymo 4XL, Zebra ZP450, or ZD220) at 4"×6" Packing slips: Standard letter printer Separate printer queues for labels vs slips saves 5+ minutes per batch

• Labels: A6 thermal or cut from A4

• Packing slips: A4 on standard printer

• Royal Mail labels work well with Zebra ZD220 at 100mm wide paper

• Typically using DTDC, FedEx India, or India Post for international

• Labels are usually A4 or 4"×6" depending on carrier

• Use Etsy Label Cropper for your specific carrier format

US Etsy sellers

UK/EU Etsy sellers

Indian Etsy sellers (shipping internationally)

Cropping Etsy Labels to Exact Size

• Set your crop area once — applies to all pages

• Supports batch processing for 100+ orders

• Download as print-ready PDF at 100% scale

• Works for all Etsy carrier labels (USPS, UPS, DHL, Royal Mail)

Once separated, Etsy labels often have extra white space or are sized for A4 when you need 4"×6". The Etsy Label Cropper is pre-configured for Etsy's standard label zones for US/UK/AU sellers.

Gift Orders: The Complete Workflow

1. Download labels + packing slips combined PDF from Etsy

2. Separate with Invoice & Label Separator

3. Print labels on shipping printer

4. Review packing slips — if buyer selected "gift", Etsy hides prices

5. Print gift packing slips on your regular printer

6. Or: Design custom gift cards to include instead

7. Package with tissue paper, custom card, item — without price visible