The exact steps to set up your printer will vary depending on the printer's make and model. This article provides details for the most common thermal label printer brands - Zebra and DYMO - as well as the basic steps for a standard desktop printer like an inkjet or laser printer.
The process to set up printers for ShipStation on your Mac includes four basic steps:
Connect the printer via USB to the Mac you want to use as your printer workstation.
Download the appropriate printer driver (this step is not necessary for all printer models).
Add the printer to your Printers & Scanners System Preferences.
Configure the printer defaults in CUPS.
Click the heading that matches which printer you'd like to set up for detailed instructions.
Once you've connected your Zebra label printer to your Mac, you'll be able to add it right away to your Printers & Scanners in System Preferences. Most Zebra printers when connected to a Mac will not require installing a driver.
Special Zebra Drivers
Zebra printers provided by your carrier (for example, UPS or FedEx) may require custom drivers, which should be provided by the carrier representative. In some cases, these printers are intended to only work with the carrier's proprietary app (for example, UPS Worldship or FedEx Ship Manager). Check with your account rep for details.
Follow the procedures below to set up a Zebra printer on your Mac:
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Open System Preferences on your Mac and choose Printers & Scanners.
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Click the + sign under the list of printers.
Choose Add Printer, if prompted.
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Select your Zebra printer from the list of printers in the Add pop-up screen.
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Check the Use drop-down menu for the selected driver.
Most Zebra printers will use either the Zebra EPL1 or EPL2 driver. EPL2 is the most common and used for ZP series printers and older GK series printers. Some newer models, like the GX series and refurbished GK series, as well as those ending in the letter -Z, also support the Zebra ZPL driver.
Check your printer model's documentation on the Zebra Support site if you are unsure which to use. If you select the wrong driver, you can change the selection in CUPS, which is detailed under the Set Default Options section below.
Click the Use drop-down menu and choose Select Software if the auto-selected choice is the wrong one.
Type Zebra into the Filter bar of the Printer Software pop-up and select the correct printer option (EPL1, EPL2, or ZPL) from the list.
Click OK then click Add.
Here is a short GIF illustrating how to add a Zebra printer.
Your Zebra is now added to your Printers & Scanners system preferences. You can now set its default options in CUPS.
CUPS is the term used for the printer configuration settings on a Mac that you access through a browser like Chrome or Firefox.
In CUPS you will set your default media size and type so the labels print the correct size and with the best quality.
Open your internet browser (i.e., Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc).
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Copy/Paste or type the following into the URL field and press Enter:
http://localhost:631/printers
If you see a list of your printers, you have successfully accessed CUPS and can skip steps 3 - 6. If you receive a "web interface error" that means your Mac is not yet configured to allow access to CUPS. You'll need to enable this option in the Terminal utility app using steps 3-6 below.
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Open the Terminal applications on your Mac.
Terminal is located in
Applications > Utilities, or you can use your Mac's Spotlight Search.
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Copy/Paste the following command into the Terminal window after the $ prompt:
cupsctl WebInterface=yes
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Press Return on your keyboard.
As long as the next line that appears in your Terminal is another blank prompt, you are good to go! Quit Terminal and return to your browser.
Reload the browser with the http://localhost:631/printers address in the URL.
You should now see a list of your printers.
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Click the name of the Zebra printer you wish to edit. This example uses the Zebra LP2844.
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Click the Administration drop-down menu and choose Set Default Options.
You should now be in General Options.
Note
If you see an Authentication Required pop-up, enter your MacOS admin username and password.
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Set the following options:
Media Size: 4.00x6.00
Resolution: This should match the requirements of the specific Zebra printer. Most will be 203dpi, but some Zebra printers use 300dpi. Check your printer documentation for details.
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Click Printer Settings and adjust the following settings:
Darkness: 25
Print Rate: 2 inches/sec.
These settings can be adjusted as needed to create the best quality label required. The general rule is the slower the print rate, the better the print quality. Test which combination of settings suits your workflow and produces the label print quality you need.
Click Set Default Options.
Your printer defaults are now configured and you can start printing!
You can also print a test label from CUPS to ensure everything is working smoothly. Just click on the Printers tab on the top of the CUPS screen. Go to the Maintenance drop-down menu and choose Print Test Page.
Once you've connected your DYMO LabelWriter to your Mac, you'll be able to add it right away to your Printers & Scanners System Preferences. However, you may need to install the DYMO LabelWriter 4XL driver since it is not preinstalled in the MacOS. Follow the procedures outlined below:
Download the latest DYMO Label driver for Mac from the DYMO support website.
Open the downloaded disk image, DLS8Setup.8.7.x.dmg, from your downloads folder.
Open the DYMO Label .pkg file. This will open the installer.
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Follow the instructions in the installer.
You will need to enter your MacOS administrator name and password during this process.
Once the installer is complete, you can eject the disk image and put the downloaded installer in the trash.
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Open System Preferences on your Mac and choose Printers & Scanners.
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Click the + sign under the list of printers.
Click Add Printer, if prompted.
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Select your DYMO LabelWriter from the list of printers in the Add pop-up screen.
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Make sure the DYMO LabelWriter is the driver selected in the Use drop-down.
If it is not, click the Use drop-down menu and choose Select Software. You can then select the correct DYMO driver from the list.
Click Add.
Here's a short GIF illustrating how to add the DYMO 4XL.
CUPS is the term used for the printer configuration settings on a Mac that you access through a browser like Chrome or Firefox.
In CUPS you will set your default media size and type so the labels print the correct size and with the best quality.
Open your internet browser (i.e., Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc).
-
Copy/Paste or type the following into the URL field and press Enter:
http://localhost:631/printers
If you see a list of your printers, you have successfully accessed CUPS and can skip steps 3 - 6. If you receive a "web interface error" that means your Mac is not yet configured to allow access to CUPS. You'll need to enable this option in the Terminal utility app using steps 3-6 below.
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Open the Terminal applications on your Mac.
Terminal is located in
Applications > Utilities, or you can use your Mac's Spotlight Search. -
Copy/Paste the following command into the Terminal window after the $ prompt:
cupsctl WebInterface=yes
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Press Return on your keyboard.
As long as the next line that appears in your Terminal is another blank prompt, you are good to go! Quit Terminal and return to your browser.
Reload the browser with the http://localhost:631/printers address in the URL.
You should now see a list of your printers.
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Click the name of the DYMO LabelWriter you wish to edit.
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Click the Administration drop-down menu and choose Set Default Options.
You should now be in the General settings screen.
If you see an Authentication Required pop-up, enter your MacOS admin username and password.
Set the Media Size drop-down to the 4 in x 6 in option.
Set Print Quality to Barcodes and Graphics.
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Click Set Default Options.
Your printer defaults are now configured and you can start printing!
You can also print a test label from CUPS to ensure everything is working smoothly. Just click on the Printers tab on the top of the CUPS screen. Go to the Maintenance drop-down menu and choose Print Test Page.
Before connecting your Citizen CL-E303 printer to your Mac printer workstation, you'll need to download the correct driver. Once you have installed the driver, you can then connect the printer, add it to your System Preferences, and configure its settings.
Follow the procedures outlined below for each step:
Download the driver from the Citizen Support Page on to your printer workstation.
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Open the zip file and then open the driver disk image – ctzcls-cups-1.1.0-0.pdmg.
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Open the installer (ctzcls-cups-1.1.0-0.pkg) and follow the on-screen instructions.
Once installed, choose Move to Trash to place the installer into the trash.
Plug the printer into a USB port on your printer workstation.
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Open System Preferences (from the Apple icon drop-down) and choose Printers & Scanners.
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Click on the + Icon under the printer list.
Choose Add Printer, if prompted.
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Select the Citizen CL-E303 printer from the printer list.
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Select the CITIZEN Barcode Printer driver under the Use drop-down menu, if not already selected.
Note
If this option is not visible, choose Select Software from the Use menu. Then select the CITIZEN Barcode Printer option from the list.
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Click Add.
Proceed to the CUPS setup instructions.
CUPS is the term used for the printer configuration settings on a Mac that you access through a browser like Chrome or Firefox.
In CUPS you will set your default media size and type so the labels print the correct size and with the best quality.
Open your internet browser (i.e., Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc).
-
Copy/Paste or type the following into the URL field and press Enter:
http://localhost:631/printers
If you see a list of your printers, you have successfully accessed CUPS and can skip steps 3 - 6. If you receive a "web interface error" that means your Mac is not yet configured to allow access to CUPS. You'll need to enable this option in the Terminal utility app using steps 3-6 below.
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Open the Terminal applications on your Mac.
Terminal is located in
Applications > Utilities, or you can use your Mac's Spotlight Search. -
Copy/Paste the following command into the Terminal window after the $ prompt:
cupsctl WebInterface=yes
-
Press Return on your keyboard.
As long as the next line that appears in your Terminal is another blank prompt, you are good to go! Quit Terminal and return to your browser.
Reload the browser with the http://localhost:631/printers address in the URL.
You should now see a list of your printers.
Select the CITIZEN printer from the list of printers.
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Click the Administration drop-down and choose Set Default Options .
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Set the default options in the General tab as follows:
Media Size
Width 4, Height 6. Units Inches
Resolution
300 dpi
Do not select 203 dpi. The labels will print too small.
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Select the Printer Settings tab. Set Print Speed to the maximum: 6 inches/sec.
Leave everything else as the default selection.
Click Set Default Options.
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Click the Maintenance drop-down and and select Print Test Page to create a test label.
Note
Two labels will advance before your test label prints. This happens as the printer calibrates to ensure the label roll is installed properly.
You are now ready to print labels with your Citizen label printer!
Whether a standard desktop printer is "plug and play" with your Mac will depend on the make and model of the printer, if the printer requires a driver, and if that driver is pre-installed on your Mac or not. The setup procedure below will indicate at what point you may need to install a driver for your device.
Connect your printer to your Mac via USB, then do the following:
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Open System Preferences on your Mac and choose Printers & Scanners.
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Click the + sign under the list of printers.
Click Add Printer, if prompted.
Select your printer from the list of printers in the Add pop-up screen.
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Check the Use drop-down menu to see if your Mac has auto selected the correct driver.
Note
If the name of the driver does not match the model of your printer, you may need to install a printer driver before proceeding. Check the documentation for your make and model of printer on the manufacturer's website, then download and install the correct driver for your printer.
Once installed, your Mac should then auto select the correct driver in the Add pop-up screen.
Click Add.
Your standard printer is now added and ready to use. In most cases, the default settings do not need to be adjusted on standard printers to accommodate printing in ShipStation. If you want to check and adjust the printer defaults for your standard printers, you should do so through the Mac CUPS option.
Your next step is to ensure your ShipStation label format is set correctly. Review the ShipStation Print Settings article for details.
If your standard desktop printer contains multiple trays, you can add another instance of your printer to your printer workstation System Preferences and use CUPS to assign a specific tray to each instance. In this way you can use different types of paper for different documents and set ShipStation to automatically print selected documents with the paper used in each tray.
For example, in tray one you might use Avery half-sheet labels to print 2 labels per page and in tray two use standard letter or A4-sized paper to print your packing slips. Or you may have ShipStation integrated labels in tray one to print the label and packing slip for a shipment on a single sheet, and a different color of standard paper in tray two to print pick lists.
Whatever your scenario, you'll need to take the following actions:
To differentiate between trays on a single printer, you'll need to add another instance of the printer to your Printers & Scanners System Preferences.
Open your Printers & Scanners System Preferences.
Click the + sign under the list of printers.
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Select your printer from the list.
Your Mac should auto select the correct driver.
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Click Add.
A message should appear that states "Printer Name already exists. Would you like to create a new printer?"
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Click Continue.
The second instance of your printer should appear in the printer list with the number 2 after it.
Next, you'll access CUPS and assign trays to each instance of the printer.
CUPS is the term used for the printer configuration settings on a Mac which you access through a web browser like Chrome or Firefox.
Open your internet browser (i.e., Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc).
-
Copy/Paste or type the following into the URL field and press Enter:
http://localhost:631/printers
If you see a list of your printers, you have successfully accessed CUPS and can skip steps 3 - 6. If you receive a "web interface error" that means your Mac is not yet configured to allow access to CUPS. You'll need to enable this option in the Terminal utility app using steps 3-6 below.
-
Open the Terminal applications on your Mac.
Terminal is located in
Applications > Utilities, or you can use your Mac's Spotlight Search. -
Copy/Paste the following command into the Terminal window after the $ prompt:
cupsctl WebInterface=yes
-
Press Return on your keyboard.
As long as the next line that appears in your Terminal is another blank prompt, you are good to go! Quit Terminal and return to your browser.
Reload the browser with the http://localhost:631/printers address in the URL.
You should now see a list of your printers.
To assign a tray, do the following:
Click the name of the printer you wish to assign a tray to.
Click the Administration drop-down menu and choose Set Default Options.
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Click the Media Source drop-down menu and select which tray you wish to assign to this instance of your printer.
Click Set Default Options.
Repeat steps 1-4 for any additional instances of the printer and assign the appropriate tray.
Each instance of the printer will appear in ShipStation (and other apps you print from) as a unique printer.
You may want to customize the names of the printers so it is more obvious to your warehouse staff which printer is which.
To modify your printer names, stay in CUPS and do the following:
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Click Printers in the top toolbar.
This should return you to your list of printers.
Select the printer you'd like to rename.
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Click the Administration drop-down menu and choose Modify Printer.
The following screen displays your connections to your local and network printer. Do not make any changes here.
Click Continue.
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Enter your custom name into the Description field. You can also enter a location for the printer in the Location field.
Click Continue, then click Modify Printer on the next screen without making any additional changes.
Repeat the above steps for any printer you wish to rename. The description is how the printer name will display in your Printers & Scanners System Preferences, as well as in your ShipStation print screens.