How to use LabelStack

1. Single barcode generation

Open the generator in single mode. Type or paste one value, choose a symbology, and the preview updates immediately as SVG. For EAN and UPC, a wrong check digit is explained before you download. Use SVG for print sharpness; PNG is a high-resolution raster for tools that will not take SVG. “Add to sheet” keeps the code and switches you to the label grid.

Single mode is for a die, a marketplace image slot, or a one-off bin tag. If you have more than a handful of values, use bulk. Do not screenshot the preview; export the file.

2. CSV format for bulk upload

Upload a .csv / .tsv or paste from a spreadsheet. A header row is optional but recommended. Recognized column names (case-insensitive):

• value (required) — also barcode, fnsku, upc, ean
• symbology — code128, ean13, ean8, upca, upce, itf14, code39, fnsku
• name, sku, price, custom

Without headers, column 1 is the value, column 2 is symbology or name, then name / SKU / price. Errors cite spreadsheet row numbers (header = row 1). Save Excel as CSV UTF-8 when you can; European semicolon files are accepted. Quantity is not a column this tool reads — ten units of one FNSKU are ten rows. Example:

value,symbology,name,sku,price,custom
4006381333931,ean13,Haribo Goldbears,SKU-1001,4.99,New
036000291452,upca,Cotton Pads 100ct,SKU-1002,6.50,New
X001ABCDEF,fnsku,Soy Candle 8oz,FBA-8841,18.00,New
1234567890128,ean13,USB-C Cable 2m,SKU-2040,7.25,
04252614,upce,Travel Soap,SKU-009,3.10,New
LOT-44A,code39,Warehouse Bin A,BIN-A,,Aisle 4
96385074,ean8,Mini Lip Balm,SKU-77,2.40,
00012345600012,itf14,Master Carton 12pk,CASE-12,,Pallet 2
SKU-2040,code128,Reorder Tag,WH-12,,
X00000ZYXW,fnsku,Linen Throw Pillow,FBA-2210,24.00,New

Longer version: bulk CSV workflow.

3. Choosing a label sheet template

Pick Avery 5160 (1″ × 2.625″, 30-up), 5163 (2″ × 4″, 10-up), 5167 (0.5″ × 1.75″, 80-up), other US sizes, Amazon FBA 30-up / 2×3, or A4 L7160 / L7163 / L7651. Custom size lets you type page size, label size, margins, columns, and rows. Landing pages can pre-select a template with a ?template=avery-5160 query. Print the PDF at 100% scale on the matching paper (Letter or A4).

L7160 is not 5160 in millimetres. If the wrapper is A4, pick an L7 preset. If you only have A4 in the tray and the liner is Letter, stop and change paper. See Letter vs A4.

4. Customizing label fields

Toggles control whether each sticker shows the barcode, product name, SKU, price, and a custom line (condition, bin, etc.). Optional logo is drawn in the sheet header when the top margin allows it. Drag a table row or a cell onto another cell to reorder before export. The live preview shows one page at a time; page buttons walk the rest.

On Avery 5160, turn Price and long Custom off. A 1″ label holds a title, the bars, and a short SKU. Quiet zone is part of the symbol; crowding it is a no-read. On 5163 you have room for more type. Match the sticker to how people pick, not to every column in the spreadsheet.

5. Exporting

Download PDF sheets walks every page with vector bars (rectangles, not a screenshot). ZIP of SVGs is the un-rasterized codes; ZIP of PNGs is for software that wants pixels. Invalid rows are skipped unless you flip “Include.” There is no watermark and no item cap.

For a packaging die, take SVG. For a marketplace that only accepts images, take PNG, not a JPEG of the screen. For the pack bench, take PDF. Keep the CSV next to the PDF and the shipment ID so a jam is a reprint.

6. Print dialog (Windows and macOS)

The PDF is already Letter or A4. If the driver “helps,” the grid shrinks. Chrome / Edge: More settings → Scale 100, paper Letter (or A4 for L7160). Adobe: Actual size. macOS Preview: 100%, uncheck Scale to fit. If every label misses in the same direction, use the X/Y offset sliders in thousandths of an inch—do not change label width. Full walkthrough: Avery 5160 alignment guide.

Match laser stock to a laser (5160) and inkjet stock to an inkjet (8160). Grey cheap toner and wet inkjet stacks are scan failures, not PDF failures. Laser vs inkjet.

7. When a row is red

EAN/UPC/ITF-14 errors are almost always the check digit. The table shows the expected last digit; you can apply it. FNSKU errors are usually a missing X or a UPC pasted into the FNSKU column. Code 39 rejects characters outside its set. None of those should reach the PDF unless you opt in to include invalid rows. See GS1 check digits and which symbology to print.

8. Proof one page, then run

Print page 1 only on the real stock. Scan top-left, center, and bottom-right. Read the decoded value against the spreadsheet. A phone beep is not a pass if a warehouse gun fails. Then print the rest on the same driver settings. Protocol: test-scan before you print.