The exact steps to set up your printer will vary depending on the printer's make and model. This article provides details for the three most common thermal label printer brands - Zebra, DYMO, and Brother - as well as the basic steps for a standard desktop printer like an inkjet or laser printer.
The process to set up printers for ShipStation in Windows includes four basic steps:
Connect the printer via USB to the Windows machine you want to use as your printer workstation.
Download the appropriate printer driver (this step may not be necessary for all printer models).
Add the printer to your Devices and Printers Control Panel.
Configure the printer preferences.
Click the heading that matches which printer you'd like to set up for detailed instructions.
Before connecting your Zebra label printer to your Windows workstation, you'll need to download and install the correct driver. Once installed, you'll connect the printer, add it to your Devices and Scanners Control Panel, and configure its preferences.
Special Zebra Drivers
Zebra printers provided by your carrier (for example, UPS or FedEx) may require custom drivers, which should be provided by the carrier representative. In some cases, these printers are intended to only work with the carrier's proprietary app (for example, UPS Worldship or FedEx Ship Manager). Check with your account rep for details.
Follow the procedures outlined below to set up a Zebra printer on a Windows workstation:
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Download the Seagull Scientific Driver for Zebra printers.
The Seagull Scientific Driver is the one we've found to work best across most Zebra label printer models. However, the ZP500, ZP500Plus, and ZP505 models require the driver provided by FedEx directly.
Make sure the printer is connected to the computer via USB and turned on when you install the driver.
Open the downloaded file, Zebra_2018.x.exe, from your downloads location.
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Follow the instructions in the installer.
This support page provides good detailed instructions on the installation.
Once the installer is complete, quit the installer. You can then delete the installer file from your system,
Connect your printer to your Windows workstation and turn it on, if it isn't already. Then, do the following to add the printer to the Control Panel:
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Go to Devices & Printers in the Control Panel.
If you have trouble locating your Control Panel, review Microsoft's Where's the Control Panel? article for instructions on each version of Windows.
Click Add a Printer.
Select your printer from the list of connected printers that appears.
You should now see the printer listed with its name in the Printers section of your Devices and Printers Control Panel. You can now configure the printer preferences.
Unspecified Printer
If you do not see your printer listed with its model number in the Printers section, but instead see an unnamed printer in a section called Unspecified, you will need to install a driver for your printer before you can proceed.
Check the manufacturer's website for the correct driver for the device's make and model, as well as for your version of Windows.
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Right-click the Zebra icon in the Printer list and choose Printing Preferences.
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Set the following options in the Page Setup tab:
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In the Stock section, set the Name to 4 x 6 (4.00 in x 6.00 in).
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Set the following options in the Graphics tab:
Resolution: 203dpi (Some Zebra models may use 300dpi... check your if you are uncertain.)
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Dithering: None
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Set the following options in the Options tab:
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Darkness: Absolute with a value around 13.
While this is the recommended settings, you may find you need to adjust the darkness level slightly depending on your carrier, Windows version, or printer model.
Speed: Adjust as needed to suit your workflow. The general rule is the slower the print rate, the better the print quality. Test which combination of print speed and darkness suits your workflow and produces the print quality you need.
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Click Apply then OK.
This short GIF illustrates the above procedure:
Before connecting your DYMO LabelWriter to your Windows workstation, you'll need to download and install the correct driver. Once installed, you'll connect the printer, add it to your Devices and Scanners Control Panel, and configure its preferences. Follow the procedures outlined below:
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Download the latest DYMO LabelWriter driver here.
The above linked driver is the one we've found to work best. If you've installed the built-in driver, please uninstall it, and download the latest Windows driver from the above link. Make sure the printer is not connected to the computer while you install the driver.
Open the downloaded file, DLS8Setup.8.x.x.exe, from your downloads location.
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Follow the instructions in the installer.
Once the installer is complete, quit the installer. You can then delete the installer file from your system.
Connect your printer to your Windows workstation and turn it on, if it isn't already. Then, do the following to add the printer to the Control Panel:
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Go to Devices & Printers in the Control Panel.
If you have trouble locating your Control Panel, review Microsoft's Where's the Control Panel? article for instructions on each version of Windows.
Click Add a Printer.
Select your printer from the list of connected printers that appears.
You should now see the printer listed with its name in the Printers section of your Devices and Printers Control Panel. You can now configure the printer preferences.
Unspecified Printer
If you do not see your printer listed with its model number in the Printers section, but instead see an unnamed printer in a section called Unspecified, you will need to install a driver for your printer before you can proceed.
Check the manufacturer's website for the correct driver for the device's make and model, as well as for your version of Windows.
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Right-click the DYMO's icon in the Printer list and choose Printing Preferences.
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Set Orientation to Portrait, if it isn't already, then click Advanced.
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Set the following options in the Advanced Settings:
Paper Size: 1744907 4 in x 6 in
Print Quality: Barcodes and Graphics
Click OK.
Click Apply and then OK.
Your DYMO is now ready to print labels from ShipStation!
The following GIF illustrates the above procedure:
Before connecting your Brother label printer to your Windows workstation, you need to install the appropriate driver. Usually, when installing a new device, Windows will automatically download the driver and add the device to the Control Panel.
If this does not happen automatically, follow the instructions below. Skip to the Configure section if the device has successfully installed automatically.
The Brother QL-1100 is Windows Only
The Brother QL-1100 Label Printer is currently only supported in Windows at this time.
If you are a Mac user, we'll add MacOS instructions as soon as a driver has been released and we've tested it successfully with ShipStation.
If the driver does not install automatically when you first connect your printer, follow these steps.
Go to the Brother Support site and select (or search for) the printer model. Follow the prompts to download the driver.
Connect the Brother label printer to your workstation and power it on.
Open the downloaded driver file from its download location.
Double click the .exe file to begin installation.
Select your printer model from the list and click OK.
Once the installer is complete, quit the installer. You can delete the installer file from your system.
From the control panel, right click on the Brother Label printer and select Printing Preferences.
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Set the following options under the Basic tab:
Paper Size: Set the size to 4.07” x 6.4” (Shipping Label) or set to (4” x 6”)
Quality: Set priority to speed if you want to print many quickly or to quality for a slower print.
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Set the following options under the Advanced Tab:
Set the Halftone to For logo and text Binary.
Set the brightness to 13.
While these are the recommended settings, you may find you need to adjust the darkness level slightly depending on your carrier, Windows version, or printer model.
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Set the following options under the Other Tab:
Check this box: Adjust to 4” (101.6mm) shipping label.
Click Apply then OK.
To print labels with your Citizen CL-E303 printer using ShipStation, you'll need to download and install the correct driver, and configure the printer settings.
Follow the procedures outlined below for each step:
Load a roll of labels into the printer and power it on. (Please reference the manual for specific details.)
Connect the printer and computer via USB cord. Then complete the Windows device set-up procedure. At completion, the device should appear as Barcode Printer.
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Download the driver from the Citizen Support Page on to your printer workstation. This driver works for both the Citizen CL-E303 and for the Citizen CL-S700.
Caution
Do not use the driver via a Windows update, like the Citizen CL-S700DT driver. Though it may appear as an option, it will produce an error message instead of printing labels.
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Open the executable (.exe) file Citizen_20149.1_M-0.exe.
This should appear at the bottom-left corner.
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Open the Driver Wizard and follow the on-screen instructions.
Connect your printer to your Windows workstation and turn it on, if it isn't already. Then, do the following to add the printer to the Control Panel:
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Go to Devices & Printers in the Control Panel.
If you have trouble locating your Control Panel, review Microsoft's Where's the Control Panel? article for instructions on each version of Windows.
Click Add a Printer.
Select your printer from the list of connected printers that appears.
You should now see the printer listed with its name in the Printers section of your Devices and Printers Control Panel. You can now configure the printer preferences.
Unspecified Printer
If you do not see your printer listed with its model number in the Printers section, but instead see an unnamed printer in a section called Unspecified, you will need to install a driver for your printer before you can proceed.
Check the manufacturer's website for the correct driver for the device's make and model, as well as for your version of Windows.
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Select the Citizen CL-E303 printer from the printer list and click Manage.
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Click Printing preferences and select the Graphics tab.
Set Dithering to None.
The remaining default settings should already be configured for 4"x6" labels.
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Click Print a test page to create a test label.
Important
Two labels will advance before your test label prints. This happens as the printer calibrates to ensure the label roll is installed properly.
Once the test page prints successfully, you are ready to print labels with your Citizen label printer!
Before connecting your Citizen CL-S700 printer to your Windows printer workstation, you'll need to download the correct driver. Once you have installed the driver, you can then connect the printer, add it to your Printers & Scanners under Devices, and configure its settings.
A significant feature of this larger, industrial unit is the peeler or dispenser. This benefit expedites the labeling process for large-scale operations when shipping batches or multiple shipments. When you print labels, instead of coming out in one long continuous sheet, they come out one at a time. As each prints, the peeler separates the label from its adhesive-protection backing.
Follow the procedures outlined below for each step:
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Download the driver from the Citizen Support Page on to your printer workstation. This driver works for both the Citizen CL-E303 and for the Citizen CL-S700.
Caution
Do not use the driver via a Windows update, like the Citizen CL-S700DT driver. Though it may appear as an option, it will produce an error message instead of printing labels.
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Open the executable (.exe) file Citizen_20149.1_M-0.exe.
This should appear at the bottom-left corner.
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Open the Driver Wizard and follow the on-screen instructions.
Connect your printer to your Windows workstation and turn it on, if it isn't already. Then, do the following to add the printer to the Control Panel:
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Go to Devices & Printers in the Control Panel.
If you have trouble locating your Control Panel, review Microsoft's Where's the Control Panel? article for instructions on each version of Windows.
Click Add a Printer.
Select your printer from the list of connected printers that appears.
You should now see the printer listed with its name in the Printers section of your Devices and Printers Control Panel. You can now configure the printer preferences.
Unspecified Printer
If you do not see your printer listed with its model number in the Printers section, but instead see an unnamed printer in a section called Unspecified, you will need to install a driver for your printer before you can proceed.
Check the manufacturer's website for the correct driver for the device's make and model, as well as for your version of Windows.
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Select the Citizen CL-S700 printer from the printer list and click Manage.
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Click Printing preferences and select the Graphics tab.
Set Dithering to None.
The remaining default settings should already be configured for 4"x6" labels.
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Click Print a test page to create a test label.
Important
Two labels will advance before your test label prints. This happens as the printer calibrates to ensure the label roll is installed properly.
Once the test page prints successfully, you are ready to print labels with your Citizen label printer!
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Download the driver from the Citizen Support Page on to your printer workstation. This driver works for both the Citizen CL-E303 and for the Citizen CL-S700.
Caution
Do not use the driver via a Windows update, like the Citizen CL-S700DT driver. Though it may appear as an option, it will produce an error message instead of printing labels.
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Open the executable (.exe) file Citizen_20149.1_M-0.exe.
This should appear at the bottom-left corner.
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Open the Driver Wizard and follow the on-screen instructions.
Connect your printer to your Windows workstation and turn it on, if it isn't already. Then, do the following to add the printer to the Control Panel:
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Go to Devices & Printers in the Control Panel.
If you have trouble locating your Control Panel, review Microsoft's Where's the Control Panel? article for instructions on each version of Windows.
Click Add a Printer.
Select your printer from the list of connected printers that appears.
You should now see the printer listed with its name in the Printers section of your Devices and Printers Control Panel. You can now configure the printer preferences.
Unspecified Printer
If you do not see your printer listed with its model number in the Printers section, but instead see an unnamed printer in a section called Unspecified, you will need to install a driver for your printer before you can proceed.
Check the manufacturer's website for the correct driver for the device's make and model, as well as for your version of Windows.
In most cases, your standard desktop printer, whether laser or inkjet, will not require installing additional drivers. You'll just need to plug it in, turn it on, and set your preferences. Should you need a driver, the procedure below will indicate at what point you may need to install it for your device.
Connect your printer to your Windows workstation and turn it on, if it isn't already. Then, do the following to add the printer to the Control Panel:
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Go to Devices & Printers in the Control Panel.
If you have trouble locating your Control Panel, review Microsoft's Where's the Control Panel? article for instructions on each version of Windows.
Click Add a Printer.
Select your printer from the list of connected printers that appears.
You should now see the printer listed with its name in the Printers section of your Devices and Printers Control Panel. You can now configure the printer preferences.
Unspecified Printer
If you do not see your printer listed with its model number in the Printers section, but instead see an unnamed printer in a section called Unspecified, you will need to install a driver for your printer before you can proceed.
Check the manufacturer's website for the correct driver for the device's make and model, as well as for your version of Windows.
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Right-click your printer icon in the Printer list and choose Printing Preferences.
The location of the preferences you'll need to set will differ depending on the make and model of your printer. Here are a few examples:
Figure 9. HP Laserjet Preferences
The paper size, source, and type options are in the Paper/Quality tab.
Figure 10. Brother Laser Printer Advanced Options
Paper size and other settings are located in the Advanced section of printing preferences.
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Set the paper size to the option closest to 8.5" x 11".
This should correspond to the A4 option.
Set Print Settings for Graphics or Barcodes and Graphics.
Set the Print Quality to 300dpi. This should match the dpi set in your ShipStation Label Document Options.
Apply and save your changes.
If your standard desktop printer contains multiple trays, you can add another instance of your printer to your printer workstation Control Panel and assign a specific tray to each instance. In this way you can use different types of paper for different documents and set ShipStation to automatically print selected documents with the paper used in each tray.
For example, in Tray 1 you might use Avery half-sheet labels to print two labels per page and in Tray 2 use plain paper to print your packing slips. Or you may have ShipStation integrated labels in Tray 1 to print the label and packing slip for a shipment on a single sheet, and plain paper of a different color in Tray 2 to print pick lists.
Whatever your scenario, you'll need to take the following actions:
In this procedure, you'll be adding a copy of your printer to your Devices and Printers Control Panel. Each instance of the printer can then have its own preferences and properties.
First, open the Printer Properties of the instance already added and make note of which port the printer uses. You'll need this information later.
Other Versions of Windows
The following instructions are specific to Windows 10. The exact steps in other versions of Windows may vary slightly, but the settings you are looking for should be similar.
Click Add a Printer in the Devices and Printers Control Panel.
Click The printer that I want isn't listed.
Choose Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings. Then click Next.
Select the port from the Port drop-down menu that matches the existing instance of your printer. Then click Next.
Select the make of your printer in the Manufacturer list. Then choose the model of your printer in the Printers list. Click Next.
Choose Use the driver that is currently installed. Then click Next.
Enter a name for this instance of the printer. Click Next.
The new instance of the printer should then be added to the Printers section of your Devices and Printers Control Panel. In Windows 10, both instances will be contained within a single printer icon. You can then right-click the icon and choose which instance to modify.
Next, you'll need to assign a tray to each printer instance.
Right-click on the printer in the Devices and Printers Control Panel.
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Choose Printer Preferences. Then choose which instance you'd like to modify.
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Select a tray from the Paper Source drop-down menu.
This option is most commonly in the Paper/Quality tab.
Click OK.
Repeat steps 1 - 4 for the other instance of the printer to assign it another tray.
Each instance of the printer will appear in ShipStation (and other apps you print from) as a unique printer.
You can also give each instance of the printer a unique name so your staff always knows which printer is which.
