Printer Setup and Assignment Guide
Introduction
Shipsidekicks printer setup and assignment feature enables you to configure printers within your organization and route different document types—shipping labels, packing slips, and invoices—to designated printers. This streamlines your warehouse printing workflows and ensures that each document type is printed on the appropriate hardware for your operation.
By configuring printer assignments at the organization level, you can:
Direct shipping labels to specific label printers
Route packing slips to dedicated printers
Send invoices to designated document printers
Support multiple printers per document type for redundancy and load balancing across warehouse facilities
Automate document printing during order fulfillment and scanning processes
This guide walks you through printer setup, configuration, document type assignment, and troubleshooting common issues.
Getting Started: Accessing Printer Settings
To begin setting up printers in Shipsidekick:
Click Organization from the top menu
Navigate to Organization Settings
Locate the printer configuration section (this is where all printer setup and assignments are managed)
All printer configurations are stored at the organization level, meaning each organization maintains its own independent set of printers and document routing rules.
Setting Up Printers
Adding a New Printer
When adding a printer to your Shipsidekick system:
Access Organization > Organization Settings
Select the option to add a new printer
Enter your printer's network details:
Printer name (for internal identification)
Network address or IP address
Port information (if required by your printer)
Verify driver requirements are met on your system
Save the printer configuration
Your printer is now registered in the system and ready to be assigned to document types.
Printer Connectivity Requirements
Shipsidekick supports network printers. Ensure that:
Your printer is connected to the same network as your Shipsidekick workstations
The printer's IP address or network hostname is accessible from your warehouse computers
Any required printer drivers are installed on the computers that will send print jobs
Your network firewall allows communication to the printer's port (typically port 9100 for raw printing, or port 631 for IPP)
Assigning Printers to Document Types
Once you have added a printer, you can assign it to one or more document types. Shipsidekick supports assignment to three document categories:
Shipping Labels
Shipping labels are printed during the order packing and scanning process. To assign a printer for shipping labels:
Go to Organization > Organization Settings
Select the printer you wish to assign
Check the Shipping Labels document type
Save your assignment
When you pack orders using the scan function, shipping labels will automatically print to this designated printer.
Packing Slips
Packing slips contain order details and are printed alongside shipping labels during fulfillment. To enable automatic packing slip printing:
Go to Organization > Organization Settings
Enable the 'Include Packing Slip' option
Assign a printer to the Packing Slips document type
Save your settings
Once enabled, packing slips will automatically print with your shipping labels during order processing.
Invoices
Invoices are financial documents that can be printed separately or as part of order fulfillment. To assign a printer for invoices:
Go to Organization > Organization Settings
Select the printer you wish to assign
Check the Invoices document type
Save your assignment
Automatic Printing During Order Fulfillment
Automatic Printing During Scan/Pack Process
Shipsidekick can automatically print shipping labels and packing slips as you pack orders:
Enable the 'Include Packing Slip' option in Organization > Organization Settings
Assign printers to both Shipping Labels and Packing Slips document types
When you pack orders using the scan function, both documents will automatically print to their designated printers
This eliminates manual printing steps and ensures documents are ready immediately as orders are packed.
Batch Printing Before Picking
If you want to generate labels and packing slips upfront for your picking team before they begin order selection:
Create a mission first
From the mission page, click Batch Buy
Select Print > Slips and Labels
Your team can then start picking with labels and packing slips ready
This workflow allows your picking team to have all necessary documents prepared before they begin selecting items from inventory.
Multiple Printers and Load Balancing
Shipsidekick supports assigning multiple printers to the same document type. This capability enables:
Redundancy: If one printer goes offline, print jobs can be routed to an alternate printer
Load balancing: High-volume printing can be distributed across multiple printers in different warehouse areas
Specialized hardware: Different printers optimized for different label sizes or paper types can be used for the same document category
When multiple printers are assigned to a single document type, the system prioritizes print job submission based on your configuration. Consult your organization's printer assignment settings to understand the priority order for your setup.
FAQ
Can I set up automatic printing of packing slips along with shipping labels during the scan/pack process?
Yes. Enable automatic packing slip printing by going to Organization > Organization Settings and turning on 'Include Packing Slip'. This will automatically print the packing slip with the shipping label when you pack orders using the scan function. Make sure you have assigned printers to both the Shipping Labels and Packing Slips document types.
Can I print packing slips for orders?
Yes, you can automatically print packing slips when shipping orders. To enable this:
Click Organization from the top menu
Go to Organization Settings
Enable the 'Include Packing Slip' option
Assign a printer to the Packing Slips document type
Once enabled, packing slips will automatically print with your shipping labels during order processing.
Can I set up packing slips to auto-print?
Yes. To set up automatic packing slip printing:
Click Organization from the top menu
Go to Organization Settings
Enable the 'Include Packing Slip' option
Assign a printer to the Packing Slips document type
Once enabled, packing slips will automatically print with your shipping labels during order processing.
Can we print shipping labels and packing slips before creating a mission so pickers can have them ready when picking orders?
Currently you need to create the mission first, but you can use batch processing to achieve a similar workflow:
Create the mission
From the mission page, click Batch Buy
Select Print > Slips and Labels
Start picking
This allows you to generate labels and packing slips upfront for your picking team before they begin selecting orders.
Are printer assignments organization-specific?
Yes. Printer assignments are organization-scoped, meaning each organization can configure its own set of printers and document routing rules independent of other organizations. This ensures that different teams or business units maintain separate printer configurations.
Can I assign multiple printers to the same document type?
Yes. Shipsidekick supports assigning multiple printers to a single document type. This enables redundancy (if one printer is offline, jobs route to another) and load balancing across warehouse facilities. The system prioritizes print job submission based on your configuration when multiple printers are available.
What happens if a printer goes offline?
Shipsidekick includes graceful fallback logic to handle scenarios where printers may be unavailable or offline. If a primary printer is unavailable and you have multiple printers assigned to a document type, the system will attempt to route the print job to an alternate printer. If all assigned printers are unavailable, the print job may queue or fail—see the Troubleshooting section below for resolution steps.
Troubleshooting
Printer Not Appearing in Settings
Problem: You've added a printer but it doesn't appear in your Organization Settings.
Solutions:
Verify that you have appropriate write access to fulfillment or settings within your organization
Confirm that the printer was successfully saved (check for confirmation messages)
Refresh your browser and navigate back to Organization Settings
Ensure you are logged in with an account that has permission to modify organization-level settings
Print Jobs Failing or Not Reaching the Printer
Problem: Documents are not printing, or print jobs fail silently.
Solutions:
Check network connectivity:
Verify that your printer is powered on and connected to your network
Ping the printer's IP address from a command line to confirm network reachability
Ensure the printer's IP address is correctly configured in Shipsidekick settings
Verify printer is online:
Check the printer's display panel or web interface to confirm it is online and ready
Look for error messages on the printer (paper jams, low toner, offline status)
Restart the printer if it appears stuck or unresponsive
Check driver installation:
Confirm that the appropriate printer drivers are installed on the computers sending print jobs
Reinstall drivers if they are outdated or corrupted
Ensure drivers are compatible with your operating system
Verify printer assignment:
Confirm that the printer is assigned to the correct document type (Shipping Labels, Packing Slips, or Invoices)
Check that the printer assignment was saved successfully
If multiple printers are assigned, verify the priority order
Check firewall and network settings:
Ensure your network firewall allows communication to the printer's port (typically 9100 for raw printing or 631 for IPP)
Verify that no network policies are blocking printer communication
If using a VPN or proxy, confirm it does not interfere with printer access
Printer Offline or Unavailable
Problem: A printer shows as offline or unavailable in Shipsidekick.
Solutions:
Power cycle the printer (turn off, wait 30 seconds, turn back on)
Check the printer's network connection and restart networking if needed
Verify the printer's IP address hasn't changed (some printers may obtain new DHCP addresses)
If the printer is permanently offline, remove it from Organization Settings and add a replacement printer
If you have multiple printers assigned to the same document type, the system will attempt to use an alternate printer
Permission Issues Preventing Printer Configuration
Problem: You receive an error when trying to modify printer settings or assignments.
Solutions:
Verify that your user account has read/write access to organization settings or fulfillment configuration
Contact your organization administrator to request the necessary permissions
Ensure you are logged in with the correct account (you may have multiple accounts with different permission levels)
Check that your session hasn't expired; log out and log back in
Document Routing Not Working as Expected
Problem: Documents are printing to the wrong printer or not respecting your assignments.
Solutions:
Verify document type assignment:
Go to Organization Settings and confirm the correct printer is assigned to each document type
Check that the assignment was saved (look for a success message)
Check document generation pipeline:
Ensure documents are being generated during the correct workflow step (e.g., during order packing for shipping labels)
Confirm that the 'Include Packing Slip' option is enabled if you expect packing slips to print
Review printer priority:
If multiple printers are assigned to the same document type, verify the priority order in your settings
The system routes jobs based on this priority; ensure it matches your intended workflow
Refresh and retry:
Refresh your browser and attempt the print operation again
Clear your browser cache if settings changes don't take effect immediately
Voided Shipments and Credits
Problem: You voided a shipping label but did not receive a credit on your invoice.
Note: Voided shipments are not currently recognized at a parent account level, which means you won't receive credits for voided labels on your invoices. This is a known issue that is being worked on for a fix. If you believe you should have received a credit for a voided shipment, contact Shipsidekick support with details of the voided label.
Best Practices
Test printer connectivity before assigning it to critical document types
Use descriptive printer names in your configuration (e.g., "Warehouse Label Printer 1" instead of "Printer A")
Assign redundant printers to document types in high-volume areas to ensure printing continues if one printer fails
Regularly verify printer assignments after network changes or printer relocations
Monitor print job logs (if available) to identify recurring printer issues
Keep printer drivers updated to ensure compatibility with Shipsidekick and your operating system
Document your printer configuration for your team so everyone knows which printers handle which document types