{"id":2163,"date":"2019-10-03T09:38:17","date_gmt":"2019-10-03T14:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipengine.com\/?p=2163"},"modified":"2019-10-03T09:38:17","modified_gmt":"2019-10-03T14:38:17","slug":"label-printing-made-easy-with-3-interchangeable-file-formats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/blog\/label-printing-made-easy-with-3-interchangeable-file-formats\/","title":{"rendered":"Label Printing Made Easy with 3 Interchangeable File Formats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At ShipEngine, it\u2019s our goal to give you everything you need<\/em> to solve even the simplest shipping logistics issue. That is why we\u2019ve introduced a new feature that allows users\u2014merchants or shoppers (making returns)\u2014to access any label, any courier, any time, in the three most established shipping label file formats: png, zpl and pdf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes interchangeable shipping label file formats so groundbreaking? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are currently two issues shippers encounter when generating and printing their labels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. No Easy Way to Convert From Format to Format<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a user preprints return labels in a particular file format, say PNG, to include in the package upon arrival \u2026 but then the shopper emails later requesting a new return label that they can easily print as a PDF using their inkjet printer \u2026 there are few carriers and platforms that allow you to switch the file format mid-way. The fix to this\u2014up until now\u2014has been for businesses to generate a completely new label from scratch, therefore duplicating their labor and label costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. No One \u201cRight Way\u201d to Generate Labels<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Businesses have been unnecessarily restricted by the whims of others, and their preference to include or exclude certain supported shipping label file formats. If you rely on a Zebra thermal printer to accommodate the high volume of labels you print every day, and a certain carrier\/WMS\/business-management platform doesn\u2019t support zpl shipping labels, you\u2019re likely to have to make a sacrifice somewhere. It may mean extra effort spent printing labels so that you can integrate with preferred carriers, or it could mean limiting yourself to a smaller list of compatible carriers, which can end up being a costly decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ShipEngine still stores your generated labels as a pdf by default, but now you have the option to (on the fly and at your convenience) convert your labels into a zpl or png, whether or not the carrier supports this format as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key benefits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n