ShipHero's Packing App is designed to simplify the setup and configuration of your packing workstations. It allows ShipHero to communicate directly with your local printer and scale, making the process more efficient than the usual Workstation setup because all print requests happen locally.
It is important to note that the Packing App only changes how we print the different types of PDFs. Any other core functionality—such as generating labels, quoting, scanning a barcode, or allocating orders—is handled by the same system as if you were using your browser at shipping.shiphero.com. Therefore, errors related to these functions are typically not caused by the Packing App itself.
Getting Started with the Packing App
The app's latest version (v0.8.6 and newer) includes significant improvements: faster printing speeds and automatic updates, ensuring you're always running the most current version.
Follow these steps to download, install, and configure your Packing App.
1. Download and Install the App
The Packing App is currently available for both Windows and macOS. Updated apps can be downloaded from the My Account > Apps page. There are 3 different application for the operating system on your destop:
- Windows
- Intel Macs
- Apple Silicon (M chips)
NOTE: If you are using Windows, you may receive a warning that the app might be malicious software. Please dismiss this warning and install it anyway. The application is signed, and the warning is a general Microsoft caution because the app is new.
2. Select Your Printer
Once you have installed and launched the application, you'll be prompted to select your hardware.
- Choose your printers from the menu.
This selection is saved locally to your packing station, meaning you won't need to change it unless you replace your hardware.
3. Test Printing and Navigation
Currently, there is no dedicated "test print" feature. To test your setup, try shipping an order, printing an invoice, or printing an item barcode from the packing screen.
Packing App vs. Workstation App: What's the Difference?
The Packing App is not a complete replacement for the Workstation App. They serve different printing needs and maintain independent configurations. Please review our article, How to Set Up a Workstation, for more information about the Workstation App.
| Feature | ShipHero Packing App | ShipHero Workstation App (Print Listener) |
| Main Goal | Streamline and simplify packing setup and local desktop printing from the Packing App interface. | Serve as a bridge/listener for the web and mobile apps to communicate with local hardware (printers/scales). |
| Recommended Use | General printing of labels and invoices from a desktop using the Packing App interface. | Necessary for printing from the ShipHero Mobile App or from other parts of the web application. |
| Printing Method | Communicates directly to local printer and scale, often considered more efficient for the packing process. | Mediates the communication between the ShipHero cloud/apps and the local hardware. |
Troubleshooting
This section addresses common issues and provides steps for general troublehsooting of the Pakcing App.
I plugged in the printer/scale, and it does not appear in the menu. What do I do?
If your new hardware isn't showing up, navigate to Utilities > Reload Hardware to refresh the list of available printers and scales. If it still doesn't appear, ensure the hardware is correctly configured on your computer's operating system.
Why do I see Printer A for labels on stations.shiphero.com but Printer B on the Packing App?
The Packing App is currently independent of the configuration on stations.shiphero.com. It ignores those settings, meaning each application may have a different configuration.
The scale stopped working! What should I do?
Scales can occasionally freeze. Depending on the model, unplugging the scale and plugging it back in may resolve the issue.
How do I get the logs for this application so I can share them with ShipHero Support?
To easily access the application logs for troubleshooting, navigate to Utilities > Open Log Directory.