Using the Dymo Label software

You can use the Dymo Label software to customize and print barcode labels from your desktop. Before you begin, make sure you add barcodes to your Shopify products and export your product information to a CSV file. During your customizations in the Dymo Label software, select the supported style of barcode, Code 128 Auto.

Add barcodes to your Shopify products

You can add barcodes to your products in Shopify by using the following methods:

Install the Dymo Label software

You can install the Dymo Label software on your Mac or Windows desktop from the Dymo website.

Don't connect the printer to your computer until the installer prompts you at the last step of the installation. To connect your printer, follow the quick start guides for the LabelWriter 450 or the Dymo LabelWriter Wireless Printer on the Dymo website.

Export your product information to a CSV file

You can export your product information to a CSV file before you import it into the Dymo Label software.

If you export up to one page of products (up to 50 products), then the CSV file is downloaded by your browser. If you export more than one page of products (51 or more products), then the CSV file is emailed to you. If you aren't the store owner, then the file is sent to the store owner's email as well.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.
  1. Click Export.
  2. From the the Export products to CSV file dialog, choose the products that you want to export:
  3. Select which type of CSV file you want to export:
    • CSV file for Excel, Numbers, or another spreadsheet program. Use this format if you plan to use a spreadsheet program to edit your product CSV file.
    • Plain CSV file. Use this format if you plan to use a plain-text editor with your product CSV file.
  4. Click Export products.

Use the Dymo Label software to customize your barcode labels

You can use the Dymo Label software to design customized layouts for your barcode labels.

Steps:

  1. Open the Dymo Label software, then click the label size you need.
  1. Click the Select layout button to select a starting layout.

  2. For this example, click the blank layout.

  1. Click Insert to view the label objects and clip art that you can add to your layout.

    For this example, we'll design a label with two label objects:

    • a barcode
    • a text field.
  2. Under Label Objects, find the Barcode object, and then click and drag it onto your label preview.

  3. When you have positioned the barcode object, right click it and select Properties from the drop-down menu.

  4. In the Object settings section, select Code 128 Auto from the Symbology drop-down menu and then click Ok.

  5. Under Label Objects, find the Text label object, and then click and drag it onto your label preview.

  6. When you have all the objects you need on your label, you can refine the layout in a few ways:

    Options for layout
    Reposition objectsClick the object and drag its border.
    Resize objectsClick the object and drag one of the small boxes around the border.
    Delete objectsClick the object and press delete on your keyboard.
  7. When you've finished making your label layout, go to the File menu and click Save as Layout.

  8. Give your layout a name, and then click Save.

After you've customized and saved your label layout, you can select which information to add to the label objects from the CSV file you exported from Shopify. When you've added your products' information to the label layout, you are ready to print your barcode labels.

Steps:

  1. From the File menu in the Dymo Label software, hover over Import data and print, and then click New.

  2. When the Getting Started dialog appears, click Next.

  3. Click Browse to choose the CSV file that was exported from Shopify.

  4. Find and double-click the CSV file name (for example, ProductLabels.csv).

  5. Make sure that the label preview shows the layout you designed with the barcode and text label objects. If you want to use a different layout, then click Change layout... to browse the preset and saved layouts, and double-click the one you want to use.

  6. Click Next. You'll see the CSV data appear in the Date fields section below the layout and preview windows.

  7. Check the Use first row as field names checkbox.

  8. Click a text field in your label layout, then click a column header in the Data fields section to populate the text field. For example, click the barcode label object in your label layout, then click the barcode column heading in your CSV data fields.

  1. Repeat as necessary for your other label objects. You can see a preview of your work in the Preview window.
  1. When you've assigned field names to all your label objects, click Next.

  2. Use the checkboxes to select which product barcode labels you want to print.

  3. Make sure the DYMO LabelWriter printer is selected, then click Print.

Update the Dymo Label software

The Retail Barcode Printer app works only with the Dymo Label software version 8.7.3 and up.

To update the Dymo Label software, do the following steps:

Troubleshooting the Dymo Label software

If you're having trouble printing barcode labels with the Dymo Label software, then try these steps after troubleshooting your printer setup:

If you're still having trouble after troubleshooting the Dymo Label software, then contact Shopify Support.

Try to increase width error

If you get a Try to increase width error, then the barcode is too big for the label. You can resize the barcode object on your layout to make the barcode object wider on the label.

If you have made the barcode object as wide as possible and you still view the Try to increase width error, then you need to use a larger label size.

The following maximum number of characters fit on each barcode label size:

  • Large: 40 characters
  • Medium: 22 characters
  • Small: 8 characters
  • X-Small: 12 characters.

If you use letters or symbols in your barcodes, then these characters take up more space on the label than numbers.

Can't scan custom barcode labels

If you can't scan the custom barcode labels that you printed with the Dymo Label software, then check that you selected the barcode column in the CSV file when you printed your customized labels.

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