How to package Print Station orders for shipment
The packing-and-shipping step is where in-house fulfillment turns into real cost savings — but only if it's organized. This guide walks through the operational workflow that keeps your packing table efficient: batch printing, trimming, sleeving, packaging, ShipStation handoff.
1.Print orders in claimed-batch sequence
Print Station's queue is sorted by deadline, but for packaging efficiency, claim and print orders in batches of 10–25 at a time. Printing the whole batch before packaging avoids the context-switch cost of returning to the printer mid-pack.
2.Trim sheet prints to size
If your packages include sheet-print layouts (e.g. a single 8x10 sheet that becomes a 5x7 + four wallets after cutting), trim each sheet on a guillotine cutter or rotary trimmer. Cut all sheets of the same layout in one stack pass — guillotines hold tolerance well for 10+ sheets at a time.
3.Sort prints by subject + order
Lay the printed batch out on a packing table grouped by subject (kid). Within each subject, group by order — the same parent might have multiple orders if they returned to the gallery to add prints. Print Station's "Pack slip" view (in each order's detail) lists what each subject's pack should contain.
4.Sleeve each print
Slide each print into a clear plastic photo sleeve. Standard sleeve sizes match your print sizes (4x6, 5x7, 8x10, etc.); buy them in bulk from a packaging supplier. The sleeve protects against fingerprints in transit and gives the parent a premium-feeling unboxing.
5.Assemble the order into a packaging container
For single-print orders, a rigid mailer (cardboard cushioned envelope) is the standard. For multi-print orders or package-tier orders, a rigid photo mailer box. Include a "thank you" card with the studio brand if you have one — completion-of-order is the right moment for a brand impression.
6.Print and apply the shipping label
In Print Station's Fulfillment lane, click Generate Label. PPS calls ShipStation to produce a shipping label with the parent's address and your studio's return address; print to your label printer (or a regular printer with adhesive label sheets). Apply the label to the mailer.
7.Hand off to your carrier
Schedule daily or every-other-day pickup with your carrier (USPS, UPS, FedEx). For low-volume days, drop at the carrier location. Once the carrier scans, ShipStation pushes the tracking number back into PPS; the parent receives an automated "your order has shipped" email with the tracking link.