Shopify shipping label printing in India is a daily operational task for any merchant dispatching more than 10–15 orders per day, and it is one of the most time-consuming manual steps if not properly automated. At 50 orders a day, printing labels one-by-one — copying details, opening the courier portal, entering addresses, downloading PDFs — can consume 1–2 hours of your team’s time that should be spent on growth. At 200 orders a day, it becomes physically impossible without automation. This guide covers how to automate Shopify shipping label generation and printing for Indian merchants, from Shiprocket’s bulk label tools through thermal printer setup and Shopify Flow automation.
Bulk Label Printing from Shopify Admin
Shopify’s native admin supports bulk order selection and bulk fulfilment, but it does not generate courier-formatted shipping labels for Indian couriers (since Shopify Payments is not available in India). For actual courier labels — the labels that include the courier’s barcode, AWB number, and routing code — you need either a Shiprocket integration or a direct courier app. In Shopify Admin → Orders, you can select multiple orders and click “Create shipping label” but this only works with Shopify’s own carrier services (not available for India). The practical workflow for Indian merchants is: Shopify receives orders → orders sync to Shiprocket → Shiprocket allocates couriers → bulk labels generated in Shiprocket → printed in one batch.
Shiprocket Bulk Label Generation
Once your Shopify orders sync to Shiprocket, navigate to the “New Orders” queue, select all orders you want to process, and click “Process Orders.” Shiprocket auto-allocates couriers based on your configured rules and generates all AWB numbers in one batch. Then select all processed orders and click “Generate Bulk Labels” — Shiprocket produces a single PDF containing all labels formatted for the allocated courier (each courier has slightly different label formats, Shiprocket handles this automatically). You can also generate a consolidated manifest sheet in the same step, which you need to hand to the courier’s pickup executive when they collect your daily shipments.
Thermal Printer vs A4 Label Printing
Indian courier labels are available in two formats: A4 (4 labels per A4 sheet, printed on standard laser or inkjet printers) and thermal label (direct thermal printing on self-adhesive label rolls, no ink required). For merchants dispatching 20+ orders daily, a thermal label printer is a worthwhile investment. The top options in India are the Zebra ZD220, Epson TM-L90, and Chinese alternatives like the HPRT N41 (available on Amazon India for ₹4,000–₹8,000). Thermal printers print labels in under 2 seconds per label with no ink cost, no label sheet wastage, and labels that stick directly to parcels without cutting. The ROI calculation is simple: at 30 orders per day, a thermal printer pays for itself within 2–3 months in time savings alone.
Barcode Scanning for Packing Accuracy
For merchants with SKU complexity (multiple products, sizes, and variants), adding a barcode scanning step to your packing workflow eliminates mis-shipment errors. The process: scan the product barcode when picking, scan the shipping label barcode when packing — if they match the Shopify order, proceed; if not, an alert flags the mismatch. Shiprocket offers a basic scan-and-verify feature in its app. For more sophisticated workflows, apps like ShipStation support barcode-driven packing verification. A USB barcode scanner (HID-compatible, works with any device) costs ₹800–₹2,000 on Amazon India and dramatically reduces mis-ship rates for multi-SKU stores.
Automating Label Generation with Shopify Flow
Shopify Flow (available on Shopify and above) allows you to automate repetitive order management tasks. For label printing, you can create a Flow that: triggers when an order is paid and all items are in stock → automatically tags the order “ready-to-ship” → sends a webhook to Shiprocket’s API to create a shipment request automatically → assigns AWB and courier. This eliminates the need for your team to manually log in to Shiprocket and process orders — the shipment creation happens automatically within minutes of payment confirmation. Combine this with Shiprocket’s auto-label-download feature and your team’s only physical task is printing the pre-generated PDF and sticking the labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size are Indian courier shipping labels?
Most Indian couriers (Delhivery, Blue Dart, Ecom Express) use 100mm × 150mm thermal labels (4×6 inches) or A4 sheets with 4 labels per page. Shiprocket supports both formats and generates the correct format based on your printer setting.
Can I print Shopify shipping labels from my phone?
Shiprocket’s mobile app allows you to create and download labels on a phone, which you can then send to a wireless printer. For high-volume operations, a dedicated desktop or laptop with a thermal printer connected is more efficient than a mobile workflow.
Do I need a manifest sheet even if I use Shiprocket?
Yes. Courier pickup executives in India require a signed manifest (a summary list of all parcels being handed over) regardless of whether you use Shiprocket or a direct courier portal. Shiprocket generates the manifest automatically alongside your bulk labels.
Need help setting up automated label generation, Shopify Flow order processing, or thermal printer integration for your Indian Shopify store? OneOnic’s team builds fulfilment automation workflows that save hours of daily operational time.
Ready to Build a High-Converting Shopify Store?
OneOnic builds Shopify stores for growing Indian brands — from design and development to ongoing growth strategy. Our team has launched 100+ stores across fashion, food, wellness, electronics, and more.
💬 Chat with us now — click the chat icon at the bottom right of this page for instant support.
