Setting Up Your Zebra Printer

This guide covers setting up a Zebra desktop label printer, printing Shopify shipping labels, and designing your own labels with the free ZebraDesigner software.

For Shopify shipping labels you only need the printer driver. Shopify creates the label for you; the printer just needs to be installed on your computer. ZebraDesigner is for designing your own extra labels, such as product barcodes, return labels or "Fragile" stickers.

1. Set up the printer

  1. Load a roll of labels, connect the printer to your computer by USB and switch it on.
  2. Install the Zebra printer driver (Windows) from Zebra's support site, and select your printer model when asked.
  3. In the driver's printing preferences, set the label size to match your roll (for shipping labels, 102 x 152mm / 4" x 6") and the print method to Direct Thermal.
  4. Calibrate the printer so it detects the gap between labels. You can do this from the driver or from the printer's feed button (see your printer's quick start guide).

2. Print Shopify shipping labels

  1. In Shopify admin, open an order and buy a shipping label as normal.
  2. On the Print shipping label page, find Print options on the right-hand side and click Change format. Choose 4 x 6.
  3. Click Print label. In the print window, choose your Zebra printer and set the paper size to 4 x 6 (102 x 152mm).
  4. You only need to change the format once – Shopify remembers 4 x 6 for your next orders.

3. Install ZebraDesigner Essentials 3 (free)

  1. Download ZebraDesigner 3 from Zebra: ZebraDesigner 3 downloads.
  2. Run the installer. It installs the free Essentials edition, with an optional 30-day trial of Professional. You don't need a licence key for Essentials.
  3. ZebraDesigner runs on Windows only. If you use a Mac, contact us and we'll help you get set up.

4. Create and manage label formats

  1. Open ZebraDesigner and choose New Label. Select your Zebra printer and set the label size to match the roll in the printer.
  2. Add text, barcodes, images or shapes from the toolbar, and drag them into position. The screen shows exactly what will print.
  3. Save each design as its own label file with a clear name, for example Returns-100x150.nlbl, and keep them together in one folder so they're easy to find and reprint.
  4. To change a design, open the file, edit it and save it again. Use Save As to make a variation without losing the original.
  5. Print from ZebraDesigner with File › Print, choosing the number of copies.

Need to connect your labels to a spreadsheet or database, or use RFID? That needs ZebraDesigner Professional, which is a paid upgrade.

Need a hand?

Stuck with setup? Contact the BarcodeGenie team and we'll help, or add a 1-hour video setup call. You can reorder Genie labels any time from our Genie Labels range.