Print Stations & Label Sources
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A Label Source is a paired Chrome Extension. It captures shipping-label PDFs when you purchase or print labels in Shopify admin.
A Print Station is a paired Desktop Utility on the computer connected to your printers. It receives queued jobs and sends them to the printer assigned to its paper size.
Both can run on the same computer, or you can capture labels on one computer and print them on another. Manage them in Printer Setup.
Which do I need?#
| What you want to do | What you need |
|---|---|
| Preview documents and print through your browser | Neither companion app |
| Send Print Chain documents directly to your printers | A Print Station |
| Print documents automatically when a Shopify order event occurs | A Print Station and Automatic Printing enabled |
| Capture and automatically print Shopify shipping labels | A Label Source and a Print Station |
Every plan, including Free, includes unlimited Label Sources and Print Stations. Plans differ by monthly order allowance, with Priority Support on Unlimited. See the Billing FAQ.
Pair a device#
- Open Printer Setup and choose Label Sources or Print Stations.
- Add a record and give it a recognizable name, such as “Shipping Desk” or “Pack Station 1.”
- Click Pair to generate an 8-character code in the format
XXXX-XXXX. Each code is single-use and expires after 15 minutes. - Enter the code in the Chrome Extension popup for a Label Source, or in the Desktop Utility setup window for a Print Station.
- Check the device's status in Printer Setup. For a Print Station, assign printers in the Desktop Utility's Printers card: Label printer, Document printer, and Receipt printer. Leave slots you do not use empty.
Use a separate code for each device. Each Label Source supports one active extension, and each Print Station supports one active Desktop Utility. Pairing a replacement revokes the previous device's access.
See Browser + OS Support for official downloads and compatibility, and the Setup Guide for the overall printing setup.
Manage your devices#
Each row in Printer Setup shows a status: Connected, Attention, Offline, or Not paired. A Print Station also shows the printers assigned to it.
- Set Default makes a Print Station the one that prints when nothing else decides. The default station shows a star beside its name.
- Rename changes the name you see in rules, Print History, and the Chrome Extension.
- Re-pair gives you a fresh code for a replacement computer or browser. Pairing the new one signs the old one out.
- Disconnect signs a single device out. It stops working on its next request and needs a new code to come back.
To sign out everything at once, for example after a computer is lost or a staff member leaves, open Settings → Access control and choose Disconnect all clients. Every Desktop Utility and Chrome Extension then needs a fresh code from Printer Setup.
Choose where jobs print#
Documents: a matching Print Rule can select a Print Station for that document type. When no rule specifies a station, queued documents use the default Print Station. Browser printing uses your browser's printer selection instead.
Shipping labels: open the Chrome Extension popup and use Print shipping labels on to choose a station. Labels use this selection, or the shop's default station when no override is set. Document Print Rules do not route captured shipping labels.
For orders fulfilled from multiple Shopify locations, see Multi-Location Printing.
Keep a Print Station available#
The printer computer must be awake, connected to the internet, and running the Desktop Utility. A station can remain paired while offline; pairing alone does not mean it can print right now. Pending jobs wait for their assigned station to become available.
If a device was replaced, revoked, or disconnected after reinstalling Autoprinter, generate a fresh code and pair it again. For failed jobs, connection problems, or printer assignments, use Printer Troubleshooting.
Need help? Click Need help? inside Autoprinter to open Contact support, or email support@autoprinter.app.