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A label is created when you send a shipment — that is the step that books the parcel with the carrier. Until then the Documents tab is empty. After a successful send, the shipping label (and any other documents the carrier or a shipping rule generated) appear on the shipment so you can view, download, or print them. This walkthrough uses the screens in the Zippendo dashboard. For field-level document types and printer jobs, see Documents and labels and Printers.
You need a pending shipment with a carrier and product, plus at least one sender address. Create the shipment first — Create a shipment.

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Buy a label

Open Shipments, find the pending row, and open it. The header action is Send Shipment.
Pending shipment detail with the Send Shipment button in the headerPending shipment detail with the Send Shipment button in the header

Send Shipment books the parcel and creates the label

1

Open the pending shipment

Go to Shipments and click the row. Status should be Pending.
2

Click Send Shipment

Zippendo books the shipment with the carrier. A success toast reads Shipment sent successfully. Status changes to Dispatched, and Send Shipment disappears.
3

Open Documents

Click the Documents tab. The shipping Label is listed with its format (usually PDF), label size (for example A4), and created date.
Sending a shipment is what uses a billable unit on your plan. See Credits below.
From an order that already has sendable shipments, the header action is Send order. That books every Pending or Error shipment on the order in one request — the same booking path as Send Shipment.
Order Shipments tab with Send order in the header and a pending shipment cardOrder Shipments tab with Send order in the header and a pending shipment card

Send order books every sendable shipment on the order

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View and download

On Documents, each row is a document. Row click opens the viewer. The row menu has View, Download, and Print.
Shipment Documents tab showing a Label row with PDF format and Print AllShipment Documents tab showing a Label row with PDF format and Print All

Documents lists the label after a successful send

View opens a modal titled with the document type (for example Label). The subtitle shows format, label size, and date (for example PDF • A4 • 10 Sep 2026). PDFs render in the modal; image formats render as a picture.
Document viewer modal titled Label showing a PDF preview of the shipping labelDocument viewer modal titled Label showing a PDF preview of the shipping label

View opens the Label modal. The PDF preview shows the carrier, shipment reference, and tracking number.

Download saves {type}.{format} (for example label.pdf) through the browser. You can print that file from the system print dialog — that is browser / OS printing, not a Zippendo print job. On an order’s Shipments tab, the card menu can also download each Label (by format, such as PDF) and other documents.

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Formats and other documents

The Format column shows what the carrier or Zippendo produced: pdf, png, jpg, zpl, or svg. ZPL is printer instructions, not a page you preview in the browser — download it for a Zebra-compatible printer. When they exist, the Type column uses these labels:
  • Label
  • Customs Invoice
  • Commercial Invoice
  • Proforma Invoice
  • Packing List
  • Certificate of Origin
  • CN22 Customs Declaration
  • CN23 Customs Declaration
  • Other
Packing lists and invoices are generated when the matching shipping-rule options are on (Generate Packing List, Generate Proforma Invoice, Generate Commercial Invoice). Some carriers return their own customs forms with the label instead. If Documents only shows Label, nothing else was generated for that shipment.
The dedicated Labels sidebar page is not a working label inbox. Use the shipment Documents tab (or the order shipment card) to get files.
Print and Print All do not open the browser print dialog. They create print jobs for the Zippendo Printer Client — a desktop app that receives jobs over a WebSocket and prints on a local Label or Document printer.
1

Install the client

Open Printers and use Download Printer Client (macOS Apple Silicon, macOS Intel, or Windows). Sign in from the app and register each local printer. Approve it in Zippendo so status is Active. Field-level desktop app: Set up the printer client.
2

Print from the shipment

On Documents, click Print All, or Print on one row. Labels go to a label printer; packing slips and invoices go to a document printer.
3

Pick printers if none are set

If the shipment (or its shipping rule) has no printer, Print Documents asks you to choose. The help text reads Select which printer(s) to use for this shipment’s documents.
Print Documents modal asking for a label printerPrint Documents modal asking for a label printer

Print All opens Print Documents when no printer is configured

A success toast is 1 print job created (or the plural). Failures toast 1 document failed to print — usually because no active printer of that type exists. On a pending shipment you can set printers early under Printer settings → Configure. Empty copy: No printers selected yet — add them so Zippendo knows where to send labels and documents. In the modal, Labels route here when the shipment is sent from Zippendo.
Printer settings modal with label and document printer fieldsPrinter settings modal with label and document printer fields

Configure printers on a pending shipment

Printers page with stats, Download Printer Client, and Zebra ZD421 PakkebordPrinters page with stats, Download Printer Client, and Zebra ZD421 Pakkebord

Printers lists registered devices and Download Printer Client

Open a printer and click the Jobs tab. Stats are Pending, Processing, Failed, and Completed. Retry a failed job from that list. The connection shows Offline when the desktop app is not connected — jobs stay queued.
Printer detail for Zebra ZD421 with a jobs listPrinter detail for Zebra ZD421 with a jobs list

Jobs tab lists pending and completed print jobs

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Rotate wide labels

There is no rotate control on the label viewer. Rotation is a printer setting: Edit the printer and turn on Rotate wide pages to portrait. Hint: Turns landscape (wide) pages 90° when printing — useful for wide carrier labels on portrait label rolls.
Edit Printer modal with Rotate wide pages to portrait switchEdit Printer modal with Rotate wide pages to portrait switch

Rotate wide pages to portrait on the Edit Printer modal

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Auto-print when a shipment is sent

On a shipping rule, open Automatic Printing:
  • Auto-Print Labels — Automatically print shipping labels when a shipment is sent. Pick a Label Printer.
  • Auto-Print Documents — Automatically print documents (invoices, customs forms) when a shipment is sent. Pick a Document Printer.
Shipping rule form Automatic Printing section with Auto-Print Labels enabledShipping rule form Automatic Printing section with Auto-Print Labels enabled

Automatic Printing on a new shipping rule

The printer must be Active. If auto-print does not fire, check the rule, the printer connection, and Printer jobs.

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When send fails

If the carrier rejects the booking, the shipment status becomes Error. The header action changes to Retry Send. An error banner titled Shipment failed to send lists the localized reason and the error code. Use Request Logs when you need the carrier request and response for support.
Shipment error banner Shipment failed to send with Retry Send in the headerShipment error banner Shipment failed to send with Retry Send in the header

Retry Send after a carrier validation error

Fix the data (address, product, credentials) and click Retry Send. More triage: Labels not generating. Zippendo does not offer void-label or cancel-label on the shipment. You can Delete a shipment that is still pending. After dispatch, treat the label as live with the carrier — reprint from Documents if you need another copy.

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Credits and usage

Each successful send counts as a shipment on your plan. Settings → Pricing shows Current Usage: Shipments this period and how many of the included allowance you have used. Overage, if enabled, bills extra shipments; if it is off, sending pauses at the limit.
Settings Pricing Current Usage with Shipments this periodSettings Pricing Current Usage with Shipments this period

Current Usage counts sent shipments, not downloads

Downloading or reprinting an existing label does not buy another label. Sending (or Retry Send that succeeds) does.

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Next

Create a shipment

Get a pending shipment ready before you send.

Tracking

Follow the parcel after dispatch and share the carrier tracking link.

Shipping rules

Auto-print labels when a matching shipment is sent.

Auto-print labels

Rule and printer checklist when labels should print without a click.
Field-level: Set up the printer client · Add a printer · Printer jobs · Auto-print · Shipment printer settings