Understanding the Critical Elements of a Shipping Label

A shipping label is an identification document attached to packages to ensure that they reach their destination as quickly and efficiently. It displays a lot of key information required to identify the packaging and process it appropriately while in transit or after it reaches the destination. Although pasting the clearly printed shipping labels is critical to ensure efficacious conveyances, it is often one of the overlooked items that lead to logistics disasters. Failure to create and attach appropriate labels can result in delayed or lost packages, which in turn affect the customer experience. Hence, to avoid such situations, make sure that you are doing it properly with the necessary details. What are the crucial elements that go in a shipping label? This post discusses the same in brief.

Elements of Shipping Labels Explained

Shipping labels are designed to be read by both humans and machines to get an order right to the customer’s doorsteps. Though shipping labels are designed in various forms and templates, they generally include the following information:

• Address:

  The most crucial information in a shipping label is the name and address of the seller and recipient including contact numbers. It generally appears on the top section of the label in bold font and large font size.

• Product Details:

  A shipping label also includes details such as length, breadth, height, and weight of the items contained in the package.

• Order Information:

  This includes invoice number, reference number, and PO number.

• Bar Codes:

  There is a MaxiCode and routing code in all shipping labels. A maxi code is a two-dimensional matrix, fixed-size code printed on shipping labels for efficient package sorting. The barcodes are printed clearly in bold so as to allow hassle-free reading in any direction by machines or humans. You can also see white space around each barcode, which is referred to as “Quiet Zone. The sender must make sure that the quiet zone is devoid of any information and is a blank space. This white space is provided to make the barcode easy to read from any direction without any hindrance.

• Tracking Number:

  The customer is provided with a tracking ID by the delivery service providers when they ship packages. This tracking number is clearly printed on the shipping label for the shipper and the recipient to track the item online when in transit.

• Service Icon Block:

  This is mentioned as letters inside boxes like P (Priority Mail), F (First-Class Mail) E (Priority Mail Express), or Empty box — Critical Mail.

• Level of Service:

  It can be standard, Xpress, UPS Ground, UPS Next Day Air as chosen by the carrier depending on the level of urgency.

• Billing:

  The billing method is also one of the crucial pieces of information to be printed on the label. It is usually mentioned as “P/P” (pre-paid), “T/P” (third-party) or “F/C” (freight collect).

• Custom Area for Special Instructions:

  A sender may request a special note or the manufacturer or supplier may add special instruction or note to inform handlers and users of care to be taken while handling or receiving the package. This space on the shipping label can be used to make notes about the proper handling or storing of the package.

So, now you know about the basic yet the most crucial information to be included in a shipping label. It becomes a daunting task for the seller to ship packages to the right customer at a set time without these details properly printed in place. The details you mentioned on the shipping label also can be a good guide for the carrier to guarantee proper and timely delivery of your packages.

As printing this critical information visibly on the label holds high importance, it is always advisable to get them done right from reputed brands like Performance Label Company, which is an expert in printing shipping labels in UV, Laminate, Sheeted, Fanfold, spot color, 4 colors, digital technologies. The company holds three decades of experience in printing various forms of labels specific to the customer’s peculiar requirements. Talk with an expert at the firm and get your shipping labels printed accurately with critical details.

Related Blog Posts:

• The Remarkable Benefits of Custom Shipping Labels
• Introduction to Shipping Labels and their Functionality