Label Manager w/UPS Thermal Printer

[Mike Orlando]

Hello Everyone,

Getting the UPS shipping to be integrated in with 3dcart was a little problematic for me, but I wanted to share what I found and see if anyone else has a better solution.

I am able to click the label manager button on the order and purchase my label. I found that when you click the print label button you get the 8.5" x 11" version with instructions that is meant to be cut out and taped on the box (or use the pouch). You can use this with the peel-n-stick labels that UPS provides free of charge; however some of the instructions to run onto the first label on the sheet so you still have to trim it and the second label is wasted as instructions are printed there as well.

I have a UPS thermal label printer and that is really the way to go: UPS provides the labels, no ink, just peel and stick. I was advised that if I wanted to use my thermal printer to click the get pdf and that document only contains the label (no instructions). You then can use the fix or stretch printer options and configure your page for 4x6" and it will print on the thermal printer. It looks perfect on the print preview, but when you print it you get 1/4 - 1/2" of white space at the top, you can see the top line cross the label where the image starts to print, and at the bottom some of the text runs into the UPS logo and notices that are pre-printed on the UPS supplied labels.

When I have do to solve this is crop each PDF by 0.1" on all sides and that will remove the black line that boarders the image if it really bothers you. Then I have increased the label to 6.20", which makes the dead space at the top smaller and gets the bottom of the label out of the area occupied by the pre-printed UPS information.

Kind of tedious, for just a label here or there. When I have a few at a time to print I buy them through the label manager and then logon to UPS.com and print them from there using their UPS thermal printer plug-in.

Anyone else have the same experience with a better solution?


Mike

[mondo]

Sounds like us you don't have to do a lot of ups labels
We use the free double labels too but have never tried the label manager.
Our labels come up as whole page also but I just highlight the label itself and then select 'print selection' in the print dialog.
It only prints the label on one half and saves the other for a second label

[Mike Orlando]

Good Idea

Never though about using the print selection feature... that's a good idea! At least it saves the other have of the label. I would like to get my thermal printing so I can just click and ship the way it is meant. Like I said, if I have several to do I just login to UPS and print them from their site.

[doberer]

I can't speak the UPS labels but the Fedex labels work perfectly w/o any issues. You may have to open the thermal printer driver and adjust the settings for margin and other properties.

[Mark]

We print from ups website on thermal printer label rolls. We print the label and reciept. We cut the receipt in half and stick to the lower part on the printed invoice and retain for records. However, each shipment uses three labels. The shipping label, the receipt and the terms of use on the third label. Anyway NOT to print that third label that is "wasted" ? We would like to not just throw away every third label. Would make the rolls last 1/3 longer, too! :)

[Mike Orlando]

I am not aware of any way to prevent the 3rd TOU label from printing on your thermal from the UPS web site. It is all controlled by the UPS printer plugin so it not like you can just select the first page only to ge the receipt. I've though of this as a waste too, but then it's UPS paying for the labels.

I print two shipping labels and retain the second for my records. When the UPS popup window comes up that prints the label, I just hit F5 (refresh) and it prints off another one.

Only other thing I can think of is printing a receipt on your regular printer, but that is a waste of your paper and ink.

Mike