Print Labels with Custom Doc Tabs

Background

Use the ShipWorks template editor to customize your Standard label template (the template used to print labels) to accommodate printing to 4" x 8" label stock and to include additional information on the printed label such as a tracking number, ship date, label cost, or even your logo.

This is useful when you have label stock that includes a doc tab on which additional information needs to be printed or if you wish to add branding to your shipping labels.

This article will guide you through how to:

1. Create a 4" x 8" label template.

2. How to include additional information on the label.

Order Number, Tracking Number, and Label Cost
OR your Logo

First Things First

The instructions below will work for any shipping provider that you may use. We will be using FedEx in this example. In addition, this article assumes that:

You are using 4" x 8" label stock that includes either space above the printed label or a doc tab above the printed label.
You are printing to a thermal printer
Your thermal printer is connected to your computer and that you can successfully print to the printer.

The Process

1. Create the 4 x 8 Standard Label Template

The first step is to copy the Standard 4" x 6" label template. The template copy will then be modified to accommodate 4" x 8" label stock. You will be given the option of configuring the 4" x 8" template to include either the Order Number, Tracking Number and Shipping Cost or to brand your labels with your logo.

2. Expand the Labels folder and select the Standard template.

3. Click the COPY button. Then, click OK. A copy of the Standard template will be created and named Standard (Copy)

4. Select the Standard (Copy) template and click the Edit button.

5. Rename the template. For our example we will name the template Standard 4x8.

Add the Template Code

Next, you will add the code that formats the template. You will be supplied with the code to copy and paste into the template editor.

6. Ensure that the Code tab is selected.

7. Click anywhere within the code and press CTRL+A on your keyboard to select all of the code. Then, press Delete on your keyboard. You should now have a blank template like the screenshot below.

8. Choose one of the following options:

I wish to add the order number, tracking number and, shipping cost to my label.
I wish to brand my label with my company's logo.

2a. Include the Order Number, Tracking Number and Shipping Cost

Would you rather include your logo to the top of the label? Skip to Add Code to Include Your Logo.

1. Copy the below code. Select all of the code in the code block and press CTRL+C on your keyboard.

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" xmlns:sw="http://www.interapptive.com/shipworks" extension-element-prefixes="sw">
 <!-- Imports -->
 <xsl:import href="System\Snippets" />
 
 <xsl:output method="html" encoding="utf-8" />
 <!-- Start of template -->
 <xsl:template match="/"><xsl:apply-templates /></xsl:template>
 <xsl:template match="ShipWorks">
 <xsl:variable name="pageFont" select="'font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;'" /> 
 <html>
 <head>
 <title>Interapptive ShipWorks Template</title>
 <style>
 body, table { <xsl:value-of select="$pageFont" /> }
 </style>
 </head>
 <body style="{$pageFont}">
 
<!-- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Go down to line 25 where you can pick and choose what you want in the template XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX -->
 
 
 <xsl:variable name="labels" select="(//Primary | //Supplemental)/Label[@orientation = 'tall']" />
 
 <xsl:for-each select="$labels">
 <TemplatePartition> 
 <xsl:variable name="shipment" select="../../../.." />
 <table width="100%" height="100">
 <tr>
 <td valign="center;" style="text-align:center;">
 
 Order # <xsl:value-of select="//Order/Number" />
 <br />
 Tracking Number:<xsl:value-of select="$shipment/TrackingNumber" />
 <br />
 Shipping Cost: $<xsl:value-of select="format-number($shipment/TotalCharges,'#.##')" /> 
 
 </td>
 </tr>
 </table>
 
 <img src="{.}" style="width:382; height:576;" /><br />
 
 <br />
 
 </TemplatePartition>
 </xsl:for-each>
 </body>
 </html>
 </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

2. Place your cursor into line 1 of the Code tab. Then, press CTRL+V on your keyboard to paste the code into your template.

Perfect! Now, jump to the Format the Template to 4" x 8" section.

2b. Include Your Logo on the Label

Would you rather include the Order Number, Tracking Number and Shipment Cost? See the 'Include the Order Number, Tracking Number, and Shipment Cost' section.

Please have your logo file available.

Before continuing, please ensure that you have your logo image file on your computer and that the image is formatted to the size you wish for it to appear on the printed shipping label. The code in the template points to this image file and includes the image on the printed label.

1. Copy the below code. Select all of the code in the code bloack and press CTRL+C on your keyboard.

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" xmlns:sw="http://www.interapptive.com/shipworks" extension-element-prefixes="sw">
 <!-- Imports -->
 <xsl:import href="System\Snippets" />
 
 <xsl:output method="html" encoding="utf-8" />
 <!-- Start of template -->
 <xsl:template match="/"><xsl:apply-templates /></xsl:template>
 <xsl:template match="ShipWorks">
 <xsl:variable name="pageFont" select="'font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;'" /> 
 <html>
 <head>
 <title>Interapptive ShipWorks Template</title>
 <style>
 body, table { <xsl:value-of select="$pageFont" /> }
 </style>
 </head>
 <body style="{$pageFont}">
 
<!-- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Go down to line 25 where you can pick and choose what you want in the template XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX -->
 
 
 <xsl:variable name="labels" select="(//Primary | //Supplemental)/Label[@orientation = 'tall']" />
 
 <xsl:for-each select="$labels">
 <TemplatePartition> 
 <xsl:variable name="shipment" select="../../../.." />
 <table width="100%" height="100">
 <tr>
 <td valign="center;" style="text-align:center;">
 
 <img src="imagelocation"></img>
 
 
 </td>
 </tr>
 </table>
 
 <img src="{.}" style="width:382; height:576;" /><br />
 
 <br />
  
 </TemplatePartition>
 </xsl:for-each>
 </body>
 </html>
 </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

2. Place your cursor into line 1 in the Code tab and press CTRL+V to paste the code into your template.

Next, we will point the code to your logo image file.

3. Scroll down to line 31 of the code. It should say <img src="imagelocation"></img>.

4. Replace imagelocation with the actual location of your logo image (be sure to leave the quotation marks in the code). For example:

If your logo is on your computer's hard drive, the code would like similar to: <img src="C:\Users\IT\Pictures\Logos\SW_Logo_Small_Black and white.png"></img>
If your logo is stored on the internet, the code would look similar to: <img src="http://www.yoursite.com/logoimage.png"

Special Characters in a URL Can Cause Errors

If your logo image is stored online and the URL includes any special characters (such as &,=, or !) you might get an error.

Running into an error because of a special character in your image URL? Please go to http://tinyurl.com/ and generate a URL without these characters and try again.

3. Format the Template to 4" x 8"

Now, let's format the template so that the label prints with the additional information or your logo onto your 4" x 8" label stock.

1. Click on the Settings tab. Then, select Labels.

2. Click on the Custom Label Sheet button. Then, click New.

3. Name the sheet 4x8. Then, set the following options.

Sheet Size: Custom
Dimensions: 4.00" x 8.00"
Label Dimensions: Height: 8.00" x Width: 4.00"
Leave all other fields as the default settings.

4. Click OK and then Close.

5. Click on the Choose button and select Custom > 4x8.

4. Select the Printer

Now, we need to select the thermal printer to which you will have your labels print.

1. Select the Settings tab. Then select Printing.

2. Click the Printer: drop-down menu and select the thermal printer to which you wish to have your labels print.

The source may change automatically to say Manual. That's OK, this is normal.

3. Click the Save button. Then, click Close.

5. Set the Default Label Format to Standard

The template that we created in the above steps will only work with an image of the shipping label. So, we need to tell our shipping provider to send us a Standard label rather than a Thermal label. Here's how:

1. Click on the Manage tab and then the Shipping Settings button.

2. Select the shipping provider for which you wish to print the 4x8 inch labels.

For this example we will be using FedEx. However, the steps are the same for each shipping provider.

3. Select the Settings tab. Then click on the blue link for Defaults - [provider name]. The Shipping Profile screen will open.

4. Scroll down, if needed, to the Labels section and select Standard as the Requested Label Format. Then, click OK.

6. Set the Default Print Rule

Next, we need to tell ShipWorks to print the label using the template we created.

1. Click on the Printing tab.

2. Locate the line that reads Otherwise Always print with Standard in the Labels section. Then, click the Standard drop-down menu and select the Labels > Standard 4x8 template.

3. Click the Close button.

Things To Know

Labels processed as EPL or ZPL thermal labels cannot be previewed or reprinted using the Standard 4" x 8" template you just created.
Labels processed and printed after configuring the Standard 4 x 8 template will appear like the below images:

For labels with a logo:

Labels with Additional Information:

You're all set. Your labels will now print to 4" x 8" label stock.

Still Need Help?

Please feel free to reach out to one of our awesome Technical Support Representatives in St. Louis. We are happy to help.

Attachments

Printing_Labels_with_Custom_Doc_Tabs.pdf
800 KB Download

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