How to Create Shopify Shipping Labels

Shipping labels are a vital part of your eCommerce operation. They ensure packages reach the right customers, keep fulfillment running smoothly, and directly impact customer satisfaction. Fortunately, Shopify makes it easy to create and print shipping labels right from your admin dashboard. But for brands that want more customization, automation, or complex labeling, apps like MarkMagic by CYBRA offer next-level capabilities.

Creating Labels in Shopify

Creating shipping labels in Shopify is straightforward — and that’s a good thing. If you’re a small eCommerce business fulfilling a few orders a day, the platform’s built-in label generation works just fine. But what happens when you grow? What if you need custom branding on your packing slips? What if your warehouse team needs pick lists or compliance labels that meet strict formatting guidelines?

That’s where Shopify’s default tools can fall short. While Shopify provides basic label creation through integrations with carriers like USPS, UPS, and DHL, it isn’t built to handle complex labeling needs. If your business is scaling or working in a multi-channel environment, you’ll want more flexibility — and that’s where solutions like MarkMagic come in.

Here’s a look at how Shopify’s labeling works, why it might not be enough for everyone, and how MarkMagic helps Shopify users print smarter, faster, and with far more control.

Why Shipping Labels Matter in Shopify

Each shipping label contains critical data: delivery address, return address, carrier, tracking info, and order ID. When labels are printed inaccurately or inefficiently, fulfillment mistakes rise. With Shopify’s native shipping label tools, you can generate labels using USPS, UPS, DHL, and other major carriers.

However, for businesses with more complex needs—such as printing branded labels, integrating RFID or barcodes, or using custom templates— MarkMagic provides powerful label design and print automation tools directly inside Shopify.

The Basics: How Shopify Labeling Works

When you fulfill orders in Shopify, you can print shipping labels directly from the platform. Here’s the simple process:

1. Go to Orders – From your admin dashboard, navigate to the “Orders” tab and open any unfulfilled order.
2. Click “Create Shipping Label” – Shopify will pull in shipping details like the customer’s address and available shipping options.
3. Enter Package Details – Input dimensions and weight, then choose a shipping service.
4. Purchase & Print – Shopify calculates the shipping cost. Once purchased, the label is generated and you can print it.

That’s it. Easy. But also… limited.

Why Basic Isn’t Always Best

If you’re growing your Shopify store — or running fulfillment for multiple stores — these limitations can become costly. Here are some common pain points for businesses outgrowing Shopify’s default label tools:

• No Label Logic – You can’t automatically adjust label content based on product type, customer, or destination. For example, if you need to include special handling instructions or regulatory info for certain SKUs, there’s no way to do it natively.
• Manual Workarounds – If you’re exporting order info into spreadsheets to create shipping labels or pick lists in a separate system… you’re not alone. But that’s a red flag for inefficiency and human error.
• Lack of Branding – For businesses that care about presentation, plain black-and-white labels with no branding or custom fields don’t exactly scream premium experience.
• Compliance Challenges – If you work in regulated industries (like healthcare, food & beverage, or apparel), you may need formats that Shopify doesn’t support — like GS1-compliant barcodes, RFID tags, or multilingual labels.

The MarkMagic Solution: Custom Labels Without the Coding

MarkMagic, developed by CYBRA, is a powerful labeling software solution that integrates directly with your Shopify store. It picks up where Shopify’s built-in tools leave off.

Before You Begin: What You’ll Need

To start creating labels in Shopify, make sure you’ve got:

• A Shopify account with shipping set up under Settings > Shipping and delivery
• Shipping origin and package details configured
• A printer (inkjet, laser, or thermal label printer like Zebra or Brother)
• (Optional but recommended): The MarkMagic app for Shopify installed for enhanced label design and batch printing

Using MarkMagic in Shopify

• Design Any Label You Need – MarkMagic comes with a WYSIWYG label and form designer that supports shipping labels, packing slips, pick tickets, invoices, RFID tags, and more. You don’t need to code or write custom scripts — just drag, drop, and print.
• Automate Complex Logic – Need to include different fields based on product type, warehouse, or destination? MarkMagic’s rules-based engine lets you set up conditional printing without custom development.
• Use Your Existing Printers – Whether you’re printing to a Zebra, SATO, Datamax, or even a regular laser printer, MarkMagic supports hundreds of printer types. No need to standardize around one brand or change your equipment.
• Print Multiple Documents at Once – Print a shipping label, branded packing slip, and a warehouse pick list all in a single click. You can even collate them on one sheet to simplify packing.
• Stay Compliant – From GHS shipping labels to GS1 barcodes to RFID-enabled tags, MarkMagic can generate all the industry-standard formats you need to stay compliant and efficient.

Use Case: A Shopify Store That Grew Up

Imagine you run an online apparel store. As you scale, your needs change:

• You fulfill orders from multiple warehouses
• You want each packing slip to include a return label
• You ship internationally and need multilingual invoices
• Some items require RFID tagging to meet retailer compliance

Shopify can’t handle all that out of the box — but MarkMagic can. With its Shopify integration, your data flows seamlessly, and you can auto-generate any label or document you need with just a few rules and templates.

Final Thoughts

Shopify’s built-in label printing is a great starting point. But when your business needs outgrow the basics, it’s time to consider tools that give you control, compliance, and customization.

MarkMagic turns Shopify into a true labeling powerhouse — no clunky exports, no duct-taped spreadsheets, and no compromises on branding or compliance.

If your fulfillment process is starting to feel like a bottleneck, it’s probably time to upgrade your labeling game.