What is a shipping label?

An example of a shipping label for ecommerce parcel shipping.

A shipping label is a printed instructional form created by the shipper and attached to a parcel before shipping. It communicates the necessary information for package delivery and tracking.

Shipping labels include the receiver’s address, basic information about the product, package size and weight, delivery instructions, and what kind of services would be needed to complete the delivery to the receiver.

Each label also identifies the package/shipment with a unique tracking number that is both human-readable and also usually represented in 1D or 2D barcodes. Additionally, the label may include a seller logo or other marketing/branded materials.

What are the best ways to print shipping labels?

Two popular forms of printable shipping labels are peel-and-stick and paper slide-in. There are pros and cons to each type.

Peel-and-Stick with Thermal Printer

A thermal printer used for creating and printing shipping labels for ecommerce orders.

Peel-and-stick shipping labels can be easily printed on a thermal printer with sticker paper. You just peel the label right off and stick it on the box. It’s very common and the quickest way to print and apply a shipping label. Some popular thermal printer brands include Zebra, Dymo, and Brother.

Peel-and-stick labels are standard in a warehouse environment where you will be trying to produce a lot of labels very quickly and churn through at a high rate. Thermal printers can be a bit more expensive than inkjet and trickier to set up, but they will save operational costs over time through increased efficiency. Plus, they don’t use ink, so you would eliminate the cost of replacing printer ink.

Paper Slide-In with Traditional Printer

A small business owner printing shipping labels on a traditional inkjet office printer

You can also do paper slide-ins using a traditional inkjet or office printer. In this case, you print the label on a piece of paper to create shipping labels. A clear plastic insert sleeve adheres to the package, allowing the paper label to slide right in.

A traditional printer would be handy in a small business office setting. If you have a printer already set up for other purposes, you can easily use the same setup to print shipping labels. This method can be a cost-effective solution for new shippers if you’re sending out only a few packages every day.

How do you know when to switch from a traditional to a thermal printer?

For ecommerce businesses that frequently create UPS, USPS, or FedEx shipping labels, switching from a traditional printer to a thermal printer can be a game changer for your shipping process. Here are some of the signs that it’s time to upgrade to a thermal printer:

Shipping Volume is Growing

If online retailers experience sudden or steady growth, they should consider switching to a thermal printer. Thermal printers offer faster output than traditional printers and can handle higher volumes. This way, shipments can go out as quickly as possible.

Scheduling Daily Carrier Pickups

Another sign it might be time for a thermal printer is when you are shipping enough volume to require daily carrier pickups. When your shipping operations are busy enough that you have a stack of parcels to ship daily, it’s likely time to upgrade your printer.

Need Greater Accuracy

Misprints and smudged labels from traditional printers may result in shipping delays and customer dissatisfaction. In contrast, thermal printers produce clear, durable labels that minimize errors.

Start Thinking Long Term

Although thermal printers cost more initially, they can lead to significant savings over time. Thermal printing is cheaper than traditional ink and paper, and the printers do not require ink or toner. When considering long-term cost savings, upgrade your printer.

How to get discounts on shipping labels

A piggy bank sitting on a stack of parcels representing discounts on shipping labels

Get the best discounted rates

For small-volume shippers with fewer than 50 shipments per day, the best way to get discounts on shipping labels is to use free multi-carrier shipping software. You can save up to 89% on shipping labels for USPS, UPS, and FedEx.

There is no monthly subscription fee to access these discounts and print shipping labels. The software company negotiates discounted rates with the carriers and passes the savings along to you.

Find the cheapest shipping labels

You can find the cheapest shipping service for every order by using the rate comparison tool within the multi-carrier shipping software platform. The shipping solution analyzes all available carrier services that will meet the delivery requirements. Then, it stack ranks them with the cheapest option on top.

Create shipping labels online in four steps

Small business owner creating shipping labels online and affixing a label to a parcel

You can quickly create and print discounted shipping labels for USPS, UPS, FedEx, and more using a multi-carrier shipping solution. For this example, we will use Descartes XPS free shipping software.

Step 1: Log in and import your orders

Create a free XPS account and log in. Once inside the shipping software platform, you can import your orders to ship. Most shippers import their orders directly from their sales channels via pre-built integrations.

This saves time and prevents errors because it allows all the order information from your ecommerce platform or marketplace to populate the correct fields needed to create the shipping labels.

Step 2: Review your order details

Once your orders are imported, go into the “Ship” tab, click the desired order, and do a quick review to ensure no additional information or requirements are needed. For example, sometimes packages require a signature or shipping insurance. Enter any specific information that wasn’t imported from your web store.

Step 3: Select a shipping service

Select a carrier and review the available shipping service options. XPS will automatically show you which ones can deliver to the destination address. You will also see prices and estimated delivery time frames for the services.

Choose a service that will allow you to keep your delivery promise to your customer, such as “free two-day shipping,” which would be the cheapest one to two-day shipping service.

Step 4: Click the “Ship” button and print your shipping label

When all the shipment information looks correct, click the “Ship” button. The information is electronically sent to the carrier, i.e., USPS, which generates the correct shipping label and returns it to XPS Ship. All of this takes under a second.

Then, the shipping label pops up, ready to print. Use your printer to print the label, attach it to the box, and your order is ready to ship!

START NOW

Creating international shipping labels

International shipping label with customs declaration information.

Creating international shipping labels online is very similar to domestic shipping labels. Many new shippers worry about customs regulations and the extra paperwork involved. The main differences are:

Commercial invoices and other required customs documents
HS codes and detailed item descriptions for package contents
Estimating duties, taxes, and fees

This may sound complicated, but shipping software takes the guesswork out of international shipping. It can help you clear these hurdles, prevent problems, and master international shipping.

Learn about International Shipping

FAQs about shipping labels

What is Click N Ship for USPS shipping labels?

Click-N-Ship® is a web-based application designed for residential and small business users to create USPS shipping labels online. You can print labels for domestic Priority Mail Express®, Priority Mail®, and USPS Ground Advantage™ shipments.

In just a few clicks, you can set your shipping preferences and print USPS labels from your home or office. To use Click-N-Ship®, you need a free USPS.com residential or business account, a computer, and a standard printer. (Source)

Best for: Residential or low-volume small business shippers with less than ten shipments per day who prefer to use an office setup for printing labels.
Price: Free

What is FedEx Ship Manager® for FedEx shipping labels?

FedEx Ship Manager is an easy-to-use online business tool for creating and managing shipping labels. You can ship small packages or freight, both domestically and internationally. It also helps with customs paperwork.

You can set your shipping preferences, track packages, and set up recurring shipments for FedEx. You only need a free account and a printer to use FedEx Ship Manager. There’s no need to download any software; you can start printing labels immediately. (Source)

Best for: Businesses of all sizes looking for advanced shipping options across the FedEx service range, especially those using their own negotiated FedEx rates.
Price: Free to use with a FedEx account

What is UPS WorldShip® for UPS shipping labels?

WorldShip® is a desktop shipping software for Windows®, used in over 100 countries and available in various languages. It provides access to the entire range of UPS small package and freight services so you can print shipping labels.

WorldShip can enhance your business operations by integrating with your existing systems. Through ODBC and XML integrations, it can import data from and export shipping information to your essential business systems and databases. (Source)

Best for: High-volume shippers with 10+ daily shipments that need access to the full suite of UPS® services and do not ship with other carriers.
Price: Free (Source)

Key Takeaways

Optimize your shipping label process. Use shipping software to create labels easily with just a few clicks
Choose the right printing method for your shipping labels. Select a thermal printer for high volume or a regular printer for lower volumes
Try Descartes XPS. It’s a free and user-friendly way to create and print shipping labels for USPS, UPS, FedEx, and more.

Mikel Richardson, General Manager of Ecommerce, Descartes

About the Author

Mikel Richardson is General Manager of Ecommerce at Descartes, the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, performance and security of logistics-intensive businesses. As GM, Mikel helps ecommerce brands grow wherever they are in their journey, whether shipping their first order or scaling internationally.

Create Shipping Labels for FedEx, UPS, and USPS in Four Easy Steps

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