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Create Custom Packing Slips

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ShipStation Content Team

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Explains how to create custom templates for packing slips and how to apply custom templates to your orders.

Customized packing slips are a great way to extend your brand beyond your customer's buying experience. You can also use custom packing slips to help organize your pick and pack process.

ShipStation allows you to create as many custom packing slips as you need and apply them at the store or order level. You can even use automation rules to apply packing slips to orders that meet special criteria.

ShipStation allows you to customise your packing slips in two ways:

Basic Packing Slip Customisation

Document Options allow you to choose your packing slip format, the sequence of items that appear on packing slips, and whether your store logo, item prices, item SKUs, and the Scan to View barcode appear on your packing slips.

To access your Packing Slip Document Options:

  1. Go to Account Settings.

    Closeup of ShipStation toolbar with outline marking the Settings icon.

  2. Select Printing from the left-hand sidebar, then choose Printing Setup.

    Settings left-hand sidebar. Under Printing dropdown, red box highlights Printing Setup option.

  3. Click the Document Options for Packing Slips.

    Printing Setup modal that shows the Document Options action marked for Packing Slips

Packing Slip Document Options

Document Options for packing slips allow you to customise parts of your packing slip regardless of your subscription plan.

Packing Slip Setup popup. Format, Order Items by, Store Logo, Item Prices, Item SKUs, Scan to View barcode, & Item Locations.

Packing slip Document Options are account-wide settings.

Option

Details

Packing Slip Format

The printer you use determines the packing slip format.

If you set the Label Layout to include packing slips, you cannot change the packing slip format here.

Available options: 

  • 4" x 6" (thermal printer)

  • 8.5" x 11" (2 per page)

  • 8.5" x 11" (full page)

2-Sided Printing on macOS

Your computer's print settings will impact the way your document prints. If your document prints on both sides after changing printer preferences, 2-sided printing could be active by default. To disable this, we recommend doing the following:

  1. Enable CUPS

  2. Clear cache and cookies

  3. Update your default print settings

Order Items By

Determines the sequence an order's items are listed on the packing slips. 

Order Items By:

  • SKU

  • Name

  • Item Quantity (high to low or low to high)

  • Warehouse Location

  • None: items will be ordered as they appear in the Order Details.

Store Logo

Will add the store logo uploaded in your Store Settings to the packing slip. 

On the default packing slip, ShipStation adds the logo to the top right corner of the packing slip. 

For customized packing slips, the logo will appear where you have designated the [Store Logo] field replacement to appear in the packing slip HTML editor.

Item Prices

Allows you to show or hide item prices on the packing slip. 

For customized packing slips, disabling this option hides any HTML element using the "price" class.

Item SKUs

Allows you to show or hide item SKUs on the packing slip. 

For customized packing slips, disabling this option hides any HTML element using the "sku" class.

"Scan to View" Barcode

Allows you to show or hide ShipStation's Scan to View barcode on your packing slips. 

The Scan to View barcode is a special barcode you scan with a barcode scanner to open the Order Details of that order while in any part of the ShipStation interface. 

Using Scan to Print

If you plan to use the Scan to Print feature, your packing slip must include the Scan to View Barcode.

Item Locations (Not available in ShipStation Legacy.)

This option is only selectable if you have enabled Inventory Tracking.

Allows you to include the product's Inventory Warehouse Location (set in the Inventory tab of the Product Details) on the default packing slip.

Requirements:

  • Applies to the default packing slip only. This setting has no effect on custom packing slips, but you can add the [Product Location] field replacement to achieve the same results.

  • Inventory must be allocated to the shipment for locations to display on the packing slip accurately.

Item Location Field Setting

There are two fields displayed as Warehouse Location in ShipStation:

  • Product Default Warehouse Location (found in the Shipping tab of the product details)

  • Inventory Warehouse Location (found in the Inventory tab of the product details)

This setting will only display the Inventory Warehouse Location. To display the Product Default Warehouse Location instead, you must customise a packing slip and include the [Warehouse Location] field replacement.

Discounts

Allows you to show or hide coupons or discount codes as line items on the Packing Slip.

Zero Quantity Items

This allows you to show or hide line items on the packing slip when the quantity for the item is 0.

Advanced Packing Slip Customisation

For customising packing slips beyond the basics available with Document Options, ShipStation provides a packing slip template and HTML editor so you can design your packing slips exactly as you like.

Subscription Plan Requirement

You must be on a Accelerate plan or higher to create and edit packing slip templates. 

You can create as many packing slip templates as you need. For example, create a custom template for each selling channel or templates that include discount codes for customers who spend more than a set amount on a single order.

Once you create custom packing slip templates, you must to assign them to your orders. You can do this at the store level or at the individual order level.

Requires HTML

Packing slip templates require some basic HTML knowledge. 

ShipStation does not provide custom HTML assistance. Our support team is available to troubleshoot, but they do not provide design or consultation services. Visit our user forum for custom template help from other ShipStation users.

Access the Packing Slip Template Editor

  1. Go to Account Settings.

    Closeup of ShipStation toolbar with outline marking the Settings icon.

  2. Select Templates then choose Packing Slips from the left-hand sidebar. 

    Settings sidebar. Templates dropdown: red box highlights Packing Slips button.

  3. Select which size template you'd like to edit (either 4" x 6" or 8.5" x 11") from the Type drop-down menu. 

    Be sure to choose the size that corresponds to the packing slip format set in Settings > Printing > Printing Setup (indicated by the word default in parenthesis).

Next, you can choose to do one of three options:

  • Click the +New Packing Slip Template button to create a packing slip from scratch.

  • Click Copy to make a copy of an existing template and edit the copy.

  • Click Edit to edit an existing packing slip.

No matter which option you choose, a window will then display an editor where you can customise your packing slip HTML.

Packing Slip Not Visible in Template Settings

If the Packing Slips option is not visible in your Template Settings, you may be on a Startup plan. You must be on a Accelerate plan or higher to access packing slip templates.

About the Packing Slip Editor

The packing slip editor is divided into four sections. Click a section header to access and edit the HTML for each section of the packing slip.

In the default template, each section contains specific order information: 

  1. Order Header: Store logo, Ship From and Ship To address, Order #, Order Date, customer Username, Ship Date

  2. Order Items Header: Item (Sku), Description, Price, Qty, Ext. Price labels for the Order Items list.

  3. Order Items: A list of the items contained in the order with item SKU, description, item price, quantity, and total price. 

  4. Order Footer: Order Notes, Sub Total, Tax, Shipping, Total, Packing Slip Message, Scan to View Barcode.

Packing Slip editor for 8.5 by 11 default packing slip: section headers and HTML editor annotated.

You can edit each section using HTML and CSS (both inline and using <style> tags). 

ShipStation's packing slips rely heavily on HTML tables for formatting. Some of the table elements are hidden and cannot be edited. If you are experienced with HTML and CSS, download the sample template file at the bottom of this article, open in a browser, and view the source code to understand all elements, style attributes and classes, and the overall structure of the packing slip.

If you are not experienced with HTML and CSS, don't worry! We have several sample HTML articles with commonly requested customizations and step-by-step instructions on how to implement them.

Field Replacements for Packing Slips

Field Replacements are bracketed pieces of text that populate specific information onto a packing slip once it is printed. For example, the field replacement: [Carrier Name] will show as the actual name of the carrier when the packing slip is printed.

Field Replacements can pull information that is specific to stores, orders, shipments, and recipients into the packing slip ShipStation creates. If you want to learn about or change the information contained within each available Field Replacement, review our Field Replacements in Custom Templates help article.

Field Replacements are indicated by the square brackets [ ] surrounding the text in your packing slip editor. You can add field replacements to your template by selecting the desired Field Replacement from the Field Replacements drop-down or by manually typing in the field replacement into the HTML editor.

If typing the replacement, it must be typed exactly as you see it in the list (including spaces and capitals) and enclosed in square brackets.

Packing Slip template editor with Field Replacement section outlined

Packing Slip Editor Notes

  • ShipStation does not currently have a visual editor for packing slips.

  • ShipStation uses a specific toolkit library to convert the HTML into a PDF for printing. The toolkit does not support all HTML tags and also relies on quirk mode. However, the editor will validate your code when you save it.

  • The Packing Slip editor does not support Javascript or any other scripting. If you need to show or hide certain content based on specific criteria, we recommend creating multiple packing slip templates and using Automation Rules to assign the templates to orders based on that criteria.

    You can also create some conditional styling using CSS pseudo-selectors.

  • Use the Download Sample button in the editor to view your packing slip as you work. Your browser will download a PDF of your packing slip with ShipStation's sample packing slip details.

Apply Custom Packing Slip Templates

After you have created custom packing slip templates, you can apply them to orders in a few ways.

  • Apply the template at the store level. This method will apply the same template to all orders importing from that selling channel. 

  • Apply the template at the order level. This method allows you to change the template used on individual orders while leaving the store's default template in place. 

  • Apply the template using Automation Rules. Use Automation Rules to apply a template to an order when it imports if the order meets certain criteria. For example, apply a template that includes a coupon code if the order exceeds a monetary threshold.

Apply Template to a Store

To ensure all orders that import from a specific store use the same packing slip template, assign the template in the store's Packing Slips setting.

  1. Go to Account Settings.

    Closeup of ShipStation toolbar with outline marking the Settings icon.

  2. Select Selling Channels from the sidebar, then choose Store Setup.

    Settings page selections, with outline marking the Selling Channels Store Setup option.

  3. Click the Actions menu Actions menu next to the store you want to update, then choose Edit Store Details.

    Store Setup page with arrow pointing to the ellipsis icon and dropdown menu showing Edit Store Details option highlighted

  4. Go to the Packing Slips tab.

    Settings > Store Set Up > box highlights Packing Slips tab

  5. Choose the template from the Packing Slip Template drop-down menu.

    ShipStation will only show the template format that you set in Printing Setup > Document Options.

  6. Click Save Changes.

Repeat the above steps for each connected store. The selected template will then apply to all new orders when they import from the store.

Previously Imported Orders Will Not Be Affected

Orders that have already imported will not be affected by this change. To change the template used on orders that have already imported, Apply the template to Individual Orders instead.

Apply to Individual Orders

You can change the packing slip template used for each shipment on an order either in the Order Details screen (for a single order) or using a bulk action (for multiple orders).

Order Details

Apply a specific packing slip template to a single shipment:

  1. Open the Order Details screen for the selected order. Then, select the Shipment to which you wish to apply an email template.

    A new shipment tab has been created and selected.

  2. Expand the Customer Communication section.

    The customer communications section is shown with the expand/collapse button highlighted.

  3. Select the Packing Slip template you wish to use for the selected shipment.

    ODET_SEL_PackingSlipTemplate_MRK.png

ShipStation will now use the selected template for the shipment when you print the packing slip.

Bulk Action

To change the packing slip template for multiple orders at once:

  1. Go to the Orders tab.

  2. Select the orders you wish to apply the new template to in the grid.

  3. Click the Bulk Update menu and choose Packing Slip Template.

  4. Select a template from the Packing Slip Template drop-down menu.

    Bulk update: ​​Packing Slip Template​​ pop-up. Shows Select Template drop-down. Counts how many orders this applies to

  5. Click Update Selection.

ShipStation will update the templates for the selected shipments and use those templates when you print the packing slips. 

Apply Template in Print Screen

If you need to apply a specific template to an order but did not update in the Order Details prior to selecting Print, the ShipStation Print pop-up allows you to change the packing slip template directly in the print screen.

Just select the new template from the Template drop-down menu before you print or download the packing slip.

ODET_PRT_ChangePSTemplate.gif

Notes About Custom Packing Slips

  • Resize Store Logos: By default, the 8.5" x 11" packing slip templates set a max-width of 300 and a max-height of 80 pixels, and the 4" x 6" packing slip templates set a max-width of 150 and a max height of 60 pixels to your store logo image.

    For methods to resize your store logo image, review the How do I adjust the size of my logo? article.

  • Product Bundles:

    To have Product Bundles appear on a packing slip, use the [Sku] field replacement.

  • The [Store Logo] field replacement, when added to the URL http://images.shipstation.com/ in an <img> tag, will include the image uploaded to your Store's Branding tab in ShipStation to your packing slip. However, you can also use externally hosted image URLs in an <img> tag. Please note that ShipStation may be limited by the image host's response time.

  • Large logo files: ShipStation must query our databases for all the data to include on each packing slip. If image files are too large (whether hosted in ShipStation or externally), this can cause ShipStation to generate the packing slip before the full image has loaded.

  • ShipStation does not cache packing slip PDFs. This means ShipStation generates a new packing slip PDF every time you select the option to print a packing slip. This allows ShipStation to always print the most up-to-date information on the packing slips.

  • To troubleshoot common issues with ShipStation's packing slips, please review our Packing Slip Troubleshooting Guide.

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