Printing Shipping Labels

Shipping Labels are defined as labels that are completely or partially supplied by a shipping carrier, such as UPS or FedEx, which include the postage (shipping costs).

Mailing Labels simply contain the recipient's name and address information; they do not contain pre-paid postage. This topic does not describe the process of creating mailing labels.

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Overview

• Stone Edge allows the user to print shipping labels for the major shipping carriers one label/order at a time, or through its Batch Print queue. Shipping scales can be used when the label is printed on an order by order basis, however, scales cannot be used when shipping labels are printed through the Batch Print queue.

• The program will use the weight entered on the product inventory record to calculate the shipping costs when shipping labels are printed in batch mode.  

• Several of the screens where labels can be printed include buttons to get the weight from a scale connected to the local workstation. The Pack & Ship screen can also automatically get the weight from your scale when you close each box. For information about supported shipping scales, see Scales Supported by the Order Manager.

• Stone Edge is able to print either simple thermal shipping labels or integrated packing slip/shipping labels. Stone Edge Technologies sells integrated packing slip/shipping label stock directly on our Web site.

• Shipping labels can be printed internally or externally depending on the way the user configures Stone Edge.

Best Practices

• Be sure accurate weights and product dimensions are specified in all product inventory records to obtain the best shipping rates.
• Define a variety of "boxes" as inventory records so the program can suggest the most advantageous package for orders containing multiple items.  

Printing Shipping Labels Internally

Stone Edge is tightly integrated with Endicia DAZzle for USPS, UPS OnLine Tools, and ShipRush for FedEx/UPS/USPS, and can print shipping labels directly through its Orders, Manual Orders, Pack & Ship and QuickShip screens.

Each of these integrations require the user to have an account with the carrier and to perform a minor configuration tasks in Stone Edge, such as manually setting system parameters or executing a Setup Wizard to populate system parameters with account and preference information. Refer to the Store Setup Wizard - Shipping section.

For more information regarding the direct integrations with shipping carriers, refer to Using Endicia DAZzle, Setting Up UPS OnLine Tools, and  Printing Integrated UPS or Fed/Ex Shipping Labels for more information.

If Z-Firm's ShipRush is used for printing UPS, FedEx or USPS labels, refer to Setting Up ShipRush, and  Printing Integrated ShipRush for FedEx or USPS Shipping Labels.

Once the setup tasks have been completed, Stone Edge directly communicates with the shipping carrier's software to print the shipping label. Tracking information is stored in the Stone Edge tables as soon as the shipping label is printed.

Printing Shipping Labels Externally

Stone Edge supports the use of external shipping application software, such as UPS WorldShip, FedEx Ship Manager, GalaxyShip for USPS, or DHL DB Connect, through a Windows ODBC connection that is established between the two applications.

The user is responsible for creating the ODBC connection, obtaining a license for the external shipping application, as well as installing the software on the workstations where they will be used.

Once the ODBC connection is created and the external shipping software is installed, the user creates an import and export "map", which establishes the relationship between Stone Edge's data fields and those of the external shipping application.

The external shipping application is then able to extract shipping information, such as recipient name, address, etc. from Stone Edge, eliminating the need to re-enter the data in the external shipping software.

Likewise, after the shipping label has been printed by the external shipping application, the tracking information is exported back to Stone Edge, eliminating the need to manually enter the data or import it from a text file.

See the UPS WorldShip, FedEx Ship Manager, GalaxyShip and DHL Knowledge Base articles for more information.

Shippers and Shipping Software Options for Printing Shipping Labels

This table outlines the combinations of shippers and shipping software that can be used with Stone Edge.

It is possible to use ShipRush for FedEx, ShipRush for UPS and ShipRush for USPS in the same Stone Edge store data file.

Some Related System Parameters

Choose the setting that applies to the method in which shipping labels will be printed for each shipping carrier.

Refer to the Knowledge Base topics for the Shipping, FedEx, UPS, USPS parameter groups as well.

Updated: 12/29/08

Modified: 11/3/14

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