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My Labels are not Printing!

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ShipWorks Content Team

Updated

Background

There are several things to check when your labels won't print. This article will guide you through the most common troubleshooting steps so that you can quickly get back up and running again. Troubleshooting includes the following steps:

  • Verify that a Windows test page prints

  • Verify that the correct printer is selected in ShipWorks

  • Verify that the correct printing default is selected

  • Verify that the ShipWorks printing rules are correct

If you believe you only need to select your default label printer, you may wish to begin with one of these articles first.

The Process

Print a Windows Test Page

First, let's make sure that it is not an issue with the printer. We will do this by printing a Windows test page. Please, don't skip this step. Even if the printer was printing 5 minutes ago, it is common for printers to stop working.

Assuming Windows 10:

  1. Type Printers and Scanners into the Windows Type here to search field. Then, press Enter.

    Type Printers and Scanners into Windows search field and press Enter.

  2. Select the printer from the list of available printers. Then, click the Manage button.

    Select the printer in the Printers and scanners screen and press the Manage button.

  3. Click the Print a test page link.

    Manage Your Devices screen open with Print a test page selected.

    You may be notified that a test page was sent to the printer.

  4. Click Close.

    A test page has been sent to your printer success message

Did the test page print?

  • Yes. Great! Next, verify that the correct printer is selected in ShipWorks.

  • No. Here are a couple of things to try:

    • Power off the printer. Wait about 10 seconds and turn it back on. Then, try printing a test page again.

    • Reboot your PC. Then, try to print a test page again.

    • If none of these options help, please contact the manufacturer of your printer for support.

Verify the Correct Printer is Selected in ShipWorks

Now that you have successfully printed a Windows test page to your printer, let's make sure that the correct printer is selected in ShipWorks.

  1. Open ShipWorks and go to Manage > Templates.

    ShipWorks toolbar with the Manage section open and Templates selected

  2. Go to the Template Manager, then select the Labels > Thermal template.

    ShipWorks Template Manage open with Thermal selected under the Labels folder

  3. Check the printer for a template. To do this, click the Edit button, then the Settings tab, then the Printing option. Then, select the correct printer from the Printer drop-down menu (select the thermal printer).

    ShipWorks template editor with the Settings tab open and the Printer option set to the connected thermal printer

  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the Labels > Standard template, selecting your standard inkjet or laser printer.

  5. If you print international labels with UPS or FedEx, also check the Labels > Commercial Invoice template, selecting your standard printer.

  6. Try to print a single label from ShipWorks again by either processing a new shipment or by selecting the order you originally attempted to print the label for and reprinting the label.

    To reprint a label, right-click the order and select Ship Orders. Then, on the Ship Order screen, click the Reprint Label button.

Did the label print?

  • Yes. Great! You are all set.

  • No. Let's verify that the correct type of printer is selected for your shipping provider(s).

Verify the Default Printer Type

  1. Go to Manage Shipping Settings.

    ShipWorks Manage tab > shipping settings button

  2. Go to the Shipping Settings screen and select the shipping provider for which you are encountering issues. For this example, we will select USPS.

    ShipWorks Shipping Settings screen with USPS selected

  3. Go to the Settings tab and click the blue link for Defaults - [provider name].

    ShipWorks USPS Settings tab with Defaults - USPS (Stamps.com) highlighted

  4. Go to the Shipping Profile screen and scroll down to the Labels section. Then, select the correct printer type from the Request label format drop-down menu.

    ShipWorks Shipping Profile screen with the Requested Label Format menu open

    • Standard: Select if you print to an inkjet or a laser printer.

    • If you print to a thermal printer, select either Thermal - EPL or Thermal - ZPL (most common).

  5. Click OK.

    If you print labels with more than one shipping provider, you may wish to check the defaults at this time for those providers as well.

  6. Click Close.

  7. Try to print a single label from ShipWorks again by processing a new shipment. If you made changes to the default printer type (from standard to thermal, for example) you will need to process a new shipping label to properly troubleshoot the issue.

Did the label print?

  • Yes. Great! You are all set.

  • No. Let's verify that your shipping rules are correct.

Verify the Printing Rules are Correct

  1. Please follow the steps outlined in this article to verify that the default printing rules are configured correctly. Then, return to this article.

  2. Try to print a single label from ShipWorks again by either processing a new shipment or by selecting the order you originally attempted to print the label for and reprinting the label.

    To reprint a label, right-click the order and select Ship Orders. Then, on the Ship Order screen, click the Reprint Label button.

Did the label print?

  • Yes. Great! You are all set.

  • No. Time to give us a call.

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.

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