Self Adhesive Labels: Which Size and Type for Which Job?
Blank self adhesive labels, day labels, coloured dots, price gun rolls or thermal labels? This guide matches each label type and size to the job - office storage, kitchen rotation, mailing and retail - and shows how many you get per pack and carton.
Self adhesive labels are one of the smallest lines on a stationery order, but they do a lot of work. They mark archive boxes and shelf bins, date the containers in a cafe cool room, carry an address on a parcel and colour-code stock on a shop floor. Buy the wrong size and staff end up cramming a suburb and postcode onto a label built for a file tab, or wasting a big label on a two-letter code.
This guide matches each kind of adhesive label to the job: blank sheet labels for offices and storage, day labels for kitchen rotation, larger labels for mailing, and coloured dots for coding. It also explains when you have outgrown sheet labels and need a price gun or thermal roll instead. It is written for cafes, kitchens, offices, schools and retail shops. For the rest of the stationery cupboard, see our office supplies buying guide.
The short version
- Small white labels (around 2 x 2cm): codes, initials, prices written by hand and small items.
- Mid-size labels (around 5 x 2.5cm): file folders, shelf bins, drawers and storage tubs.
- Large labels (7.5 x 5cm): addresses, box contents and anything that needs several lines - the 80PK 7.5 x 5cm self adhesive labels are the all-rounder.
- Kitchens: day-of-week labels with write-in lines for item, name, date and best before.
- Coding and sorting: coloured dot stickers in mixed sizes.
- High-volume pricing or printing: move from sheet labels to price gun or thermal label rolls.
Office, filing and storage
Storage labels for boxes, folders and shelves
Most office and stockroom labelling is short text written by hand: a client name on a folder, a year on an archive box, a part number on a shelf bin. Blank white labels on sheets are the simplest way to do it - peel, write with a pen or permanent marker, and stick.
- File folders, drawers and shelf edges: the 240PK 5.2 x 2.4cm labels give you 24 labels per sheet and 240 per pack.
- Small items, codes and initials: the 600PK 2.2 x 1.8cm labels suit tool kits, stationery trays and anything with only a short code.
- Not sure yet? The 160PK assorted white labels mix three sizes on every sheet.
- Archive boxes and cartons: go large, so the contents and date can be read from across the room.
Label the shelf as well as the box. When the shelf edge says what belongs there, stock goes back in the right place and gaps are obvious at a glance.
Kitchens and food storage
Day labels for kitchen rotation
In a commercial kitchen, a label is part of the food safety routine, not just tidiness. A day label tells every shift what is in a container, who made it and when it has to be used, so older stock is used first and nothing is left sitting at the back of the cool room.
Our food safety day labels come as a separate roll for each day from Monday to Sunday, with 500 labels per roll. Each 4 x 4cm label has the day printed in a coloured band and write-in lines for:
- Item - what is in the container
- Name - who prepared or opened it
- Date - when it was made or opened
- Best before - when it must be used or thrown out
Keep a roll of each day at the prep station so staff never have to hunt for the right one. Pair the labels with first-in, first-out shelving - our stock rotation and storage guide covers how to set that up. How long each food can be kept is set by your food safety program and local council, so use the label to record it, not to decide it.
Mailing and parcels
Address labels and mailing labels
An address needs room: name, business, street, suburb, state and postcode, and often a return address too. That is why a 7.5 x 5cm label is the practical size for handwritten address labels on satchels, envelopes and cartons. It is also big enough for box contents, "fragile" notes or an order number on outgoing stock.
- Per sheet: 8 labels on each sheet of the 80PK self adhesive labels.
- Per pack: 10 sheets, so 80 labels.
- Per carton: 24 packs, so 1,920 labels.
To work out how much to order, count labels per week rather than packs. A shop sending 40 parcels a week uses a pack every two weeks, so a carton covers most of a year. Stick the label on a flat, clean, dry surface and press it down firmly along the edges before the parcel goes in the mail bag.
If you send the same parcel every day, it can be worth moving to printed labels. A thermal printer with thermal labels prints straight from your order system and saves writing time.
Coloured dot stickers and retail labels
Coloured dot stickers are the quickest way to sort things without writing anything. Shops use them to mark markdowns or stock-take counts, offices use them to flag files by status, and schools and workshops use them to colour-code equipment by room or class. Our assorted coloured dot labels mix sizes and colours in one pack, so you can build a simple code: red for sale, green for counted, blue for reorder.
For gift, market and packaging use, plain white can look too clinical. The brown kraft sticker labels are 4.8cm rounds in four designs, and they suit sealing bags, gift wrap and jars. For more on presentation packaging, see our gift boxes and packaging guide and our glass jars guide.
Sheet labels vs roll labels: when to switch
Sheet labels suit low and medium volumes where every label is written differently. Once you are applying the same kind of label hundreds of times a day, a roll is faster:
- Pricing stock all day? A price gun with price labels on a roll prints and applies the price in one squeeze.
- Printing barcodes, scale labels or shipping labels? Use thermal labels on a direct thermal printer. No ink or ribbon needed.
- Writing different notes every time? Stay with sheet labels.
You can browse the whole range, including docket books and till rolls, in our docket books and labels collection.
Side by side
Which label for which job?
A quick reference for the main label types DPack stocks, with sizes and pack counts.
| Job | Label type | DPack option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addresses and box contents | Large white sheet label | 7.5 x 5cm, 8 per sheet, 80 per pack | Satchels, cartons, archive boxes |
| Files, drawers and shelves | Mid-size white sheet label | 5.2 x 2.4cm, 24 per sheet, 240 per pack | Folder tabs, shelf edges, storage tubs |
| Codes and small items | Small white sheet label | 2.2 x 1.8cm, 600 per pack | Initials, short codes, small parts |
| Mixed jobs | Assorted white sheet labels | 3 sizes per sheet, 160 per pack | Offices and classrooms that need a bit of everything |
| Kitchen rotation | Day-of-week roll label | 4 x 4cm, 500 per roll, one roll per day | Food containers, cool rooms, prep stations |
| Colour coding | Coloured dot stickers | Assorted sizes and colours | Markdowns, stock-takes, file status |
| Gifts and packaging | Kraft sticker labels | 4.8cm round, 60 per pack, 4 designs | Gift wrap, bags, jars, market stalls |
| Pricing stock at speed | Price gun roll label | Price labels | Retail shelves and counters |
| Printed barcodes and shipping | Direct thermal roll label | Thermal labels, e.g. 58 x 40mm, 700 per roll | Scales, label printers, dispatch |
All the sheet labels and day labels in this table are plain paper labels for writing by hand, made for clean, dry surfaces. For freezer, wet or outdoor use, test a label on the actual container first. Need a mixed order? Call the trade desk on 0416 769 492.
Shop the guide
Labels our trade customers reorder
Wholesale pricing shown ex GST - free Melbourne metro delivery over $150
Addresses and boxes
Files and shelves
Colour coding
Kitchen rotation
Common questions
Self adhesive labels FAQs
What are self adhesive labels used for in a business?
Self adhesive labels are used to name, date and sort things: file folders, archive boxes, shelf bins, food containers, parcels and stock. Blank white labels cover most jobs that are written by hand, day labels cover kitchen rotation, and coloured dots cover quick coding without writing.
What size label is best for addresses?
For handwritten address labels, 7.5 x 5cm is a practical size. It fits a name, street, suburb, state and postcode with room to spare. Our 80PK 7.5 x 5cm labels have 8 labels per sheet and 80 per pack.
How many labels are in a pack and a carton?
The 80PK 7.5 x 5cm labels have 10 sheets of 8, so 80 labels per pack, and 24 packs (1,920 labels) per carton. The 240PK 5.2 x 2.4cm labels have 10 sheets of 24, so 240 labels per pack. The day labels come 500 to a roll.
Can I use plain white labels in the freezer or on wet containers?
These are plain paper labels made for clean, dry surfaces. Cold, condensation and water can stop paper labels sticking, so if you need freezer labels or jar labels for wet storage, test one on the actual container first and write on it with a permanent marker.
What is the difference between sheet labels, price gun labels and thermal labels?
Sheet labels are blank and written by hand, so they suit jobs where every label is different. Price gun labels come on rolls and are printed and applied by a price gun, which is faster for pricing lots of stock. Thermal labels are printed by a direct thermal printer for barcodes, scale and shipping labels. Browse price labels and thermal labels for the roll options.
What are day labels used for in a kitchen?
Day labels show what is in a container, who prepared it, the date and the best before date, with a different colour for each day of the week. Staff can see at a glance which containers to use first, which supports first-in, first-out stock rotation and your food safety program.
Office Supplies Melbourne: The Complete Buying Guide for Businesses and Schools
A plain-English guide to stocking office supplies and stationery for a Melbourne workplace, school or shop - writing supplies, notebooks, desk essentials,...
Glue & Adhesives for Schools, Offices and Trade: An Australian Buyer's Guide
PVA, craft glue, hot melt sticks, super glue or epoxy - a plain-English guide to choosing the right adhesive for your school,...
How to Buy Pens in Bulk: A Guide for Offices, Schools and Events
Ballpoint, gel or rollerball? A plain-English guide to choosing the right pen type and pack size when you buy pens in bulk...