# Printing troubleshooting
URL: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/213724603-printing-troubleshooting
Canonical: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/213724603-printing-troubleshooting
Markdown: https://support.starshipit.com/articles/213724603-printing-troubleshooting.md
Updated: 2026-05-07

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://support.starshipit.com/llms.txt).

> Learn how to troubleshoot and resolve common issues with printing.

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## Printing/output errors

These happen **after** a label has been successfully created. The order will **move to the “Printed” or “Shipped” state**, but you won’t see the label come out of your printer, or it prints incorrectly.

### Common examples

* The order shows as *Printed*/*Shipped*, but nothing prints.
* The wrong printer is selected.
* The label prints at the wrong size or orientation.
* The print app or client crashes or freezes.

### Why it happens

These are issues between your computer and the printer (not the courier), for example:

* Printer is offline or not connected.
* Print app/client isn’t running or lost its link to the printer.
* Out-of-date or incorrect printer driver.
* Wrong label size/orientation or media type set in the printer.

**Is your printer online and configured?**

Download the label and print directly from the PDF to your printer. Did it print? If not, its likely an issue with your printer. Try the below steps to troubleshoot.

* Check the printer itself is connected to your computer and is showing as online. You can check if a printer is online in your computers printing settings.
* Double-check the name of the printer. Some printers may create a copy of an existing printer on your system and will include (copy 1) at the end of the name.
* An offline printer in Windows will show as Offline with a greyed-out icon in Devices and Printers.
* An offline printer on MacOS will show as Offline with a red circle next to the text.   
  ![blobid0.png](/uploads/articles/printing-labels-packing-slips/printing/printing-troubleshooting/image_360004540075.png)![Printers.png](/uploads/articles/printing-labels-packing-slips/printing/printing-troubleshooting/image_360004722176.png)
* Check to see if the labels are showing in the printer's queue. If when you print, the labels show in the queue then Starshipit is working correctly as it is successfully submitting labels to your printer queue.
* If you have tried the above but are still having problems getting the label to print, we'd recommend contacting your IT support or the printer company support so they can check what drivers you have set up and whether your computer can properly access the printer.

### Labels aren't printing

The first step is to confirm that your label printer is working.

1. Download a label to a pdf.
2. Print this direct to the printer.
   * Does this print normally? If it doesn't, you will need to troubleshoot the printer and contact the printer's support team for further assistance.
   * If this does print normally, the issue is with the Print App configuration.

To check whether you have the correct printers set up:

* All print app configuration is done in the top left of the application. It is **not** configured through **Settings** > **Printing**.
* Click **Printing** > **Print Settings** and ensure you have label types set up for every courier.

### Labels are printing as PDF and not directly to the printer

If you'd like labels to print directly to a printer, make sure the following setting is disabled under:

* **Printers** > **Disable Print Settings (Enforce Label Download)**

### Label sizes/orientation are incorrect/misaligned

If your label is printing either the wrong size or misaligned, it's likely an issue with the printer configuration and we recommend recalibrating your printer.

Recalibrating the printer allows it to check which paper size it currently has loaded so it can determine where to start and finish printing a label on the roll.

* For Zebra GK420d printers follow [this guide](https://supportcommunity.zebra.com/s/article/G-Series-GK-Models-Calibrating-the-Printer?language=en_US).
* DYMO LabelWriter 4XL watch [this guide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSAA8q-taM8).
* SATO WS4 watch [this guide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gckt_CeZahs).

If you are using **MacOS**, we recommend removing all legacy configurations from Starshipit.

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **Printing** > **Advanced.**
2. Remove all label types by clicking remove.

Check the defined label sizes in the Application Menu Bar:

1. Select **Printing** > **Print Settings.**
2. Click **Edit** next to the label type that is printing the wrong size.
3. Adjust the settings to your requirements.

If you are using **Windows**, you may have an outdated or incorrect version of the software driver for your printer. Please go to your manufacturer's website to find any updates.

### Only DHL labels are the incorrect size

DHL has its own label settings defined in the courier setup. Check that this matches what you are after.

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **Couriers** > **DHL Express Settings**
2. Set **Format** for **Outbound Labels** to your desired size
3. Select the **Advanced** tab
4. Select **Resize 100x200 labels** to **100x150** if you are using 100X150mm labels and unselect it if you are using the larger label type.

### Labels and packing slips are in the same PDF

There is a setting available in Starshipit to control whether the packing slip should be included in the labels. To configure this:

* Go to **Settings** > **Printing** > **Advanced**.

You have two options:

1. Remove the **Packing Slip** label type. Your packing slips will then print out of the same printer that the courier labels have been set to.
2. Change the Print Method to **Download PDF**. Your packing slips will print out on a separate PDF to the labels. This means that you can set your packing slips to print from a different printer to the courier labels.

### Error: Could not find the Label Type for courier:-1

This error generally occurs when you are trying to bulk print an order that doesn't have a courier assigned to it.

* If you look at the order in the orders grid, check that it has a courier showing in the courier column and a service code displaying in the Product field
* If this is blank, set up a [Starshipit Rule](/articles/notifications-branded-tracking-rules-child-accounts/business-rules/rules-overview) or [set a default courier service](/articles/couriers/set-up-your-courier/set-a-default-courier-service) to automatically assign a courier when the order imports

### Why am I seeing an illegal character error 100141 when generating a label?

If you have any illegal characters or empty spaces in your fields such as the address line, removing this should resolve this issue. You can fix this by:

1. Copying the address into a plain text editor like Notepad to strip formatting.
2. Retype the address manually.
3. Check to see if you can identify any invisible characters.

### Label cutting off on Windows (branded labels)

You may need to offset your label in the printer settings.

1. On Windows, go to your **Printers & scanners** settings
2. Find your label printer and click **Manage**
3. Add spacing to the unprintable area – You may need to test print your label a couple of times to get the spacing right.

### Which printing setup are you using?

Starshipit has two printing workflows. Understanding which one you are using is the key to resolving most printing issues. Only use one at a time — running more than one concurrently can cause conflicts.

| Setup | What it means | Platforms | Set up guide | Troubleshooting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Desktop App (standalone)** | You open the Desktop App and print from it directly. Printer settings are configured inside the app, not in Settings > Printing. | Windows, Mac | [Set up Desktop Print Application](/articles/printing-labels-packing-slips/printing/set-up-desktop-print-application) | [Troubleshooting the Print App](/articles/printing-labels-packing-slips/printing/troubleshooting-the-print-app) |
| **Desktop App — Print Client mode** | You print from a web browser. The Desktop App runs silently in the system tray and routes jobs to your local printer. | Windows only | [Print Client mode setup](/articles/printing-labels-packing-slips/printing/set-up-desktop-print-application) | [Troubleshooting the Print App](/articles/printing-labels-packing-slips/printing/troubleshooting-the-print-app) |
| **Legacy Print Client** | You print from a web browser. The Print Client app runs in the background and routes jobs to your local printer. | Mac, older Windows setups | [Set up the Print Client (Legacy)](/articles/printing-labels-packing-slips/printing/legacy-set-up-the-print-client) | [Print Client troubleshooting (Legacy)](/articles/printing-labels-packing-slips/printing/legacy-troubleshooting-print-client) |

## Courier API errors

These errors happen **before** a label is created. You’ll usually see a **pop-up** right after clicking *Print*. Because the courier rejected the request, the order **stays in “Unprinted.”**

### Common examples

* “You are unauthorised to access this courier”
* “Missing shipment details”
* “Invalid service code”
* “Account number not recognised”
* “Sender suburb required”

### Why it happens

These messages come directly from the courier’s API. Starshipit tried to create a label, but the courier refused because:

* Courier credentials are invalid/expired or the account isn’t authorised for that service.
* The order is missing required info (e.g. weight, suburb, phone, service).
* The selected service isn’t available for the destination or isn’t enabled on your account.

### What to do

1. Read the full pop-up message — it usually says what’s missing or invalid.
2. Check **Settings > Couriers** to confirm credentials and enabled services.
3. Review the order for missing/invalid data (address, suburb, phone, weight, service).
4. Search the Starshipit Knowledge Base for the exact error text, if applicable.
5. Retry printing after fixing the details.
6. If it persists, contact Starshipit support or your courier and include the full error message.