Until it arrives, the PDF belongs to you and prints as many times as the paper jams demand. After it, the file is gone.
Three situations, three routes
Which button you need depends on whether the label itself is still correct. A smudged printout, a jammed printer or a lost file calls for nothing more than downloading the PDF again from the order — same barcode, same postage, same tracking number. A label with wrong details, or one whose Ship Date has passed, cannot be fixed by printing it twice; those go through Etsy's refund flow and a fresh purchase.
| What went wrong | The route | What you end up with |
|---|---|---|
| Paper problem: torn, smudged, lost, never printed | Sign in at Etsy.com → Shop Manager → Orders → open the order → Download Shipping Label, then print the PDF again | The identical label, free of charge, available until the Ship Date arrives |
| Label problem: wrong weight, size or address | Request a refund on the incorrect label, then choose Print New Shipping Label, enter the corrected details and finish with Confirm and Buy | A corrected label with a new tracking number; the old postage comes back through the carrier's refund process |
| Calendar problem: the Ship Date already passed | The download is no longer offered — request a refund for the expired label and purchase a new one from the same order | A fresh label with a current Ship Date, and a buyer notification that follows the new date |
The Ship Date matters beyond the download window: it is the day Etsy sends the buyer the shipping notification for that label. A reprint changes none of that machinery, which is exactly why it is the safe first move — nothing the buyer sees is touched by printing the same file again.
The refund clock runs by carrier
When the fix does require a refund, the request lives in the same place: Shop Manager → Orders (switch to the Completed tab when the order has moved there), then Refund beneath the shipping label number, a reason, and Submit refund request. Etsy's article attaches an age limit to the label that differs by carrier, and one warning worth reading twice: “There isn't a way to undo a request for a shipping label refund.”
| Label type | Refund request allowed while the label is |
|---|---|
| USPS | Less than 30 days old |
| Global Postal Shipping | Less than 30 days old |
| UPS | Less than 15 days old |
| FedEx | Less than 15 days old |
Approval belongs to the carrier, not to Etsy, and the article says refunds generally take 15 to 30 days to complete. The credit appears on your Etsy bill rather than your card, labeled with the carrier's name, and an approval brings an email. A request for a label that actually shipped is simply denied — the carriers check the barcode's scan history before releasing postage.
Getting the second print accepted at the counter
Paper and resolution
Etsy's spec is 8.5 x 11 inch white paper or self-adhesive label sheets, printed on a decent inkjet or laser machine, with 600 DPI recommended for inkjet. A faint or streaky barcode is the main reason a reprint gets waved off at drop-off.
Thermal printers are USPS-only
Etsy supports 4 x 6 label printers solely for USPS labels, naming the DYMO LabelWriter 4XL and Zebra GC 420d. The switch lives under Shop Manager → Settings → Shipping Settings → Shipping Label Options. UPS and FedEx labels stay on letter paper.
When the download refuses
Etsy's own troubleshooting list: update the PDF reader, switch off ad-blocking extensions, right-click the button and save the link directly, or change browsers. The file is rarely gone before the Ship Date — the browser is usually the obstacle.
Two smaller rules from the same pages: tape a paper label flat with the barcode uncovered, and put a multi-page international label into a USPS Form 2976-E customs envelope rather than taping the sheets up individually.
Quote your next box in one screen Reprints on every platform
Where these steps come from
- Etsy Help, How to Download and Print a Shipping Label — the download path, the Ship Date availability rule, paper and printer requirements, thermal printer support, and the troubleshooting list. Read 2026-08-10.
- Etsy Help, How to Refund Shipping Labels Purchased Through Etsy — the refund steps, the per-carrier age limits, the 15 to 30 day processing note, and where the credit lands. Read 2026-08-10.
Etsy revises its help center without notice. If a button has moved since the date above, the order screen in Shop Manager remains the place where every label action starts.
Common questions
How do I reprint a shipping label on Etsy?
Open Shop Manager, choose Orders, select the order and select Download Shipping Label again. Etsy states a label can be downloaded as often as necessary until its Ship Date arrives, and every download is the identical file (help.etsy.com, read 2026-08-10).
Can I reprint an Etsy label after the Ship Date has passed?
No — the download stops being offered once the date arrives. Etsy's route for a passed date is a refund request on the unused label followed by the purchase of a new one from the same order.
Does downloading the label again change the tracking number?
It does not. The download serves the same PDF each time, so the barcode, the postage and the tracking number all stay put. Only a refund-and-repurchase produces a new number, which is why the buyer's tracking link must be checked after that route.
How long do I have to refund an unused Etsy label?
Etsy's refund article, read 2026-08-10, requires a USPS or Global Postal Shipping label to be less than 30 days old and a UPS or FedEx label less than 15. The carrier then approves the refund, generally within 15 to 30 days, and the credit lands on your Etsy bill.
Why does my second printout scan poorly?
Almost always a print-quality problem rather than a label problem. Etsy calls for 8.5 x 11 inch white paper or self-adhesive sheets on a good inkjet or laser printer, with 600 DPI recommended for inkjet, and warns that low-quality output can be refused by the carrier.