Two thermal rolls can look almost the same wound up, but "continuous" and "die-cut" describe fundamentally different manufacturing — and mixing them up with the wrong printer settings is a common cause of labels printing across gaps or in the wrong position.
What continuous roll means
A continuous roll is exactly what it sounds like: one unbroken length of label stock with no pre-cut divisions between labels. The printer's software determines where each label starts and ends, cutting or tearing at a programmed interval rather than a physical mark on the stock. It's common for receipt printing and some product labelling, where label length varies job to job.
What die-cut means
Die-cut labels are pre-cut into individual labels during manufacturing, each separated by a small gap in the backing liner. The printer uses a gap sensor to detect where one label ends and the next begins, covered in our thermal printing glossary, so every label prints in exactly the same position regardless of content length.
Why shipping labels are almost always die-cut
Courier labels need a fixed, predictable layout every time — barcode in the same spot, QR code in the same spot, address block sized consistently — which is exactly what die-cut stock guarantees. A continuous roll would require your print software to calculate exact label boundaries itself, adding a layer of complexity that die-cut removes entirely. This is why every standard 100 × 150mm shipping label roll, including the ones covered in our 4×6 size guide, is die-cut by default.
Sensors and how the printer tells labels apart
Die-cut rolls rely on a gap sensor (sometimes a black-mark sensor on labels with a printed registration mark instead of a physical gap) to detect label boundaries. If this sensor is dirty, miscalibrated, or the wrong sensor type for your specific roll, labels can print straddling two labels rather than centred on one — a jamming and misalignment issue covered in our printer jamming guide.
When continuous rolls make sense
Continuous stock has a place — variable-length receipts, or product labels where content length genuinely varies — but for shipping labels specifically, where every label needs identical, predictable formatting, die-cut is the only format worth buying. If you're buying from a supplier and the listing doesn't specify which type you're getting, it's worth confirming before ordering — see our guide to choosing a UK thermal label supplier.
Die-cut, precisely sized
Every roll we ship is die-cut to exactly 100 × 150mm, so your printer's gap sensor knows precisely where each label starts.
Shop 4×6 Labels