Shipping labels are a piece of important information in the shipping process for ecommerce owners.
In addition, online shipping is a cost-effective and efficient way to deliver an order to customers of different locations.
But before you ship products you need to decide how to print labels.
Handwritten labels/printer
If you send out a few shipments a few times a year, during the holidays and events, handwriting the shipping labels is good enough.
It is the most cost-effective way to print shipping labels for both local and international shipments.
If you think writing down the address is a headache or your handwriting is not satisfactory, a home printer will get the job done.
Handwritten/ printer shipping label best practices
Legibility
All information on the shipment box, including names, shipping addresses, and ship date, should be clearly legible.
If you choose to handwrite the information, writing in bold is easy to read and looks better too. For printing, keep the information clear and easy to read as well.
Label protection
Your shipping packages will go through a lot before reaching the customer, so keeping them safe from the elements and damage is paramount.
A clear tape over the labels – handwritten or otherwise is a great way to keep the shipping information safe and protected.
Standard printers
If you have a steady business and you send out shipments on a semi-regular basis, you will need a good quality home or office printer such as an inkjet printer.
The printer will make it easy to print shipping labels for a large number of parcels without a lot of work.
However, a simple computer setup with a computer paper size will suffice for a standard shipping label with a regular printer.
You can usually print up to two postage labels and manually cut and paste them.
Ecommerce owners that ship out sporadically can also benefit from using shipping software to automate the printing and handling of postage as well.
Standard printer best practices
Legibility
Even if you use printers to print labels, the shipping label can be hard to read.
Mail carriers and scanners will find it impossible to read the print on the package and is also a bad reflection for your business.
For the best printing results for shipping labels, select print with a large/bold typeface. Use the same font for the name, address, tracking number, and other details printed on the package.
Label protection
Protecting your shipping labels with clear tape is usually a great way to keep your labels from damage due to handling, rain, and other factors.
Consider using a label sheet.
A label sheet can save a lot of time and effort and time while preparing the packages for delivery.
Label printers
If your business ships out regular shipments with multiple packages, you need more than a regular printer, and you will require a specialized label print such as a thermal label printer.
These specialized label printers can save time and resources while printing the labels. Dedicated label printers also do not require manual feed with label sheets, or ink, toner and ribbon.
Label printers also eliminate the need for protective covers, so you don’t have to worry about the package reaching the destination in pristine condition.
Specialized label printers are definitely an investment since they are not very cheap. However, these dedicated printers create the best labels for the ultimate shipping experience.
Label printer best practices
Get the best software
A label printing software can reduce a lot of manual work and save time and money. You don’t need to concern with things like the right paper size and manually working with a document.
Label printing software can reduce your postage rates which are especially great for international shipping.
The software is also easy to use once you get it installed on your computer. You can also consider creating labels with online tools.
They are usually free and include step-by-step instructions, so they are effortless to use.
Check the labels before posting.
Using a dedicated printer for your order labels can reduce errors, but it pays to double-check the labels before getting shipped.
Make sure that all information, including the shipping date, package weight, carrier information, etc.
Get the shipping label right
Shipping labels are more than getting the name, address, and destination in the correct order. This printed information helps shipping carriers scan, record, and keep track of all packages until it reaches your customer.
Once the package arrives with the customer, a great shipping label wraps up the whole customer experience and leaves a great impression about your ecommerce brand.
Shipping matters for your business, ensure everything meets your needs from the label to the delivery. For more information about shipping read out article “Small business shipping guide“.
Identifying your primary shipping needs will help identify which is the best way to create shipping labels for your orders.
Once you narrow down this detail, you will be shipping packages and deliveries with efficiency, regardless of whether you ship a few parcels in a year or hundreds of parcels in a week.
CanFleet can meet your shipping needs. Speak with one of our representatives today to get started!
