How to print food labels at home

Updated 2026-09-12. This page is not legal advice.

What are the two ways to print food labels at home?

Sheet labels on a regular printer, or a roll of labels on a thermal printer. Sheet labels cost almost nothing to start. A thermal printer costs more up front and nothing per label after that.

How do I print on a regular inkjet or laser printer?

Buy a sheet of self-adhesive labels in the size you need. Avery is the common brand, and every sheet has a template number on the box. Lay out your label in any program that can print, set the page to that template, and print one test sheet on plain paper first. Hold it against a label sheet to check the alignment. Common sizes:

Laser printers give sharper small text than inkjets and the ink does not smear if the label gets damp. Laser labels and inkjet labels are not the same product. Buy the one for your printer.

How do I print on a thermal printer?

A direct thermal printer prints black on heat-sensitive label rolls with no ink or toner. Common desktop models come from Rollo, Munbyn, and Jadens. Buy rolls in the size you want. The common sizes are 2 x 2 inch squares, 2 1/4 x 1 1/4 inch rectangles, and 4 x 6 inch shipping size. Export your label as a PDF or PNG at the exact label size and print it from the printer’s app.

Thermal labels fade with heat and sunlight over months. They suit products that sell within weeks. They do not suit a jar that will sit on a shelf for a year.

Which labels hold up in the fridge, freezer, or on oily food?

Plain matte paper labels cost the least. Water makes inkjet ink run on them. Oil soaks into paper and leaves a see-through stain.

Waterproof film labels, made of polyester or vinyl, resist water and oil. They come in an inkjet kind and a laser kind. Buy the kind for your printer. Laser toner does not run when a label gets damp. Inkjet ink can run.

For the freezer, buy labels sold as freezer grade or all-temperature. Regular adhesive can let go in the cold.

For oily foods such as granola, butter cookies, or nut butters, use a film label or a glossy label. You can also put the label where oil does not reach.

Follow one rule for putting labels on packages. Put the label on a clean, dry, room-temperature package, then chill or freeze it. A label put on a cold or wet surface does not stick well. Put the label on the outside of the package, not on the food.

Where can I make and print food labels for free?

You can create free food labels directly in your browser. This site offers the free Ingredient Label Maker and the Nutrition Label Maker. You can also use the cottage food label template or the blank Nutrition Facts label template.These tools require no sign-up. Avery also has free templates for each of its label sheets on its website.

You can print your labels on your own printer at home. A public library or a copy shop can print a sheet if you have no printer. Bring your own label sheets and ask first.

An online label printer or a local print shop makes sense when you need hundreds of the same label. A print shop also makes sense when you want a waterproof label on a roll. Most print shops take a PDF at the exact label size.

What must the label still show?

Printing does not change the rules. The label must still show the product name, the ingredient list by weight, the allergen line, your business name and address, the net weight, and your state’s disclaimer. See your state page for the exact list.

The printable cottage food label template shows all six parts filled in for six foods.

How do I print the Nutrition Facts panel?

Use the Nutrition Label Maker, then print the page. The print view hides everything except the panel. Size it to your label with your printer’s scale setting, and keep the type at or above the FDA minimums, which start at 6 point for the smallest lines on a standard panel.

First you need the numbers. Read how to calculate nutrition facts for a recipe.

For a panel you fill in by hand, print the blank Nutrition Facts label template.