Label Planet
Here's our guide to what is different about UK Labels & US Labels - and why these differences exist.
We often encounter customers who are trying to find a label that measures X inches by X inches and are extremely frustrated that they can’t seem to find a label product that matches AND is available to buy in the UK.
The reason for this is the fact that inches are an imperial measurement and so any labels you find using these measurements tend to be American labels, which are manufactured according to imperial measurements and the American National Standard Institute’s (ANSI) standard for paper size – as opposed to labels manufactured in the UK, which are made according to metric measurements (usually mm) and the International Standard’s (ISO) standard for paper size.
The different measurement systems and paper sizes used by the UK and the US mean that the label products manufactured by these two countries will be formed with different label sizes and layouts. For example, the UK standard page size is A4 (210mm x 297mm), while the US standard page size is American Letter (8.5 inches x 11 inches or 215.9mm x 279.4mm), which means that the label sizes and layouts that can be created on these pages are different.
The good news is that most printers and software are made with a global market in mind, which means they will allow you to switch between UK and US standards – with some software containing built in templates for both UK and US labels. The bad news is that the label products available in the UK tend to be those manufactured according to UK standards, which means that if you absolutely HAVE to use a US label size and layout (for example, if your business software was developed in the US and doesn’t allow you to use UK measurements) you will have to purchase your labels from an American distributor.
If you aren’t tied down to US standards, then the best thing to do is to convert your measurements from inches to mm and then try your search again. While there may not be a UK label product that matches those measurements exactly, you may find that there is a suitable option that is close enough for your requirements.
You can look through all of the label sizes available from Label Planet using our Label Finder.