Once your products have barcodes and SKUs, the next important step is printing the labels properly. Correct label printing helps you manage inventory easily, pack orders faster and scan barcodes without issues in stores or warehouses. This guide by our customer support team explains, in simple steps, how to print labels after creating barcodes and SKUs using a Shopify labeling app like Retail Force Barcodes & Labels and shares useful tips to help you avoid common printing mistakes.

Steps to Print Labels After Generating Barcodes and SKUs in Shopify

Here is the complete Workflow for Printing Labels in Shopify, mentioned as:

Step 1: Generate Barcodes and SKUs for Your Products

Step 2: Create Label Templates

Step 3: Print Labels

Step 4: Configure Print Settings

Step 1: Generate Barcodes and SKUs for Your Products

Before you can print labels, it is essential that each product in your Shopify store has a unique barcode and SKU. Barcodes are machine-readable codes that represent product data such as the SKU or product ID and are vital for inventory management, faster order fulfillment, reducing manual errors and smooth integration with POS systems. To generate barcodes efficiently, you can use the Retail Force Barcodes & Labels app which is specifically designed for Shopify stores.

After installing the app from the Shopify App Store and accessing it from your dashboard, you can customize how barcodes are generated. This app allows you to select the barcode format such as General, UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, EAN-8 or ITF-14 depending on your product type and region. You can also prevent duplicate barcodes to ensure each product has a unique code and add a company prefix for globally authorized barcodes. Plus, you can customize the barcode pattern, creating codes that are numeric, alphanumeric or a combination of letters, numbers and custom text to suit your business needs.

Once all the settings are configured, simply save your preferences. With these barcodes generated along with corresponding SKUs, your products are ready for the next step: printing labels accurately and efficiently.

Step 2: Create Label Templates 

After generating barcodes and SKUs, the next step is creating label templates. These templates standardize your product labels, barcode tags and SKUs, ensuring consistency, professionalism and easier inventory management. In Retail Force Barcodes & Labels, access this via Label Templates in the app sidebar.

You can select an existing template or create a new one, customizing key areas like paper brand (Zebra, Dymo, Avery, Brother or custom sizes), label layout, margins, language, text attributes (SKU, price, product name, description, vendor, custom text) and barcode/QR code settings. Real-time previews help prevent misprints and ensure your labels are clear, professional and scan-ready, saving time and keeping your inventory organized.

Step 3: Print Labels

After generating the SKU and barcode, go to the Retail Force Barcode app from your Shopify admin sidebar and click on Print Labels (the 3rd option). On this page, you can see all product details for which you want to print labels including product name, stock quantity, barcode and SKU.

Here you can:

• Select the label design and paper size
• Choose the barcode format (for example, CODE-128)
• Edit label settings before printing, if needed

Next, select the products by checking the box next to each item and enter the quantity of labels you want to print for each product. Once everything is selected and verified, click the “Print Label” button at the top. The labels will then be generated and ready for printing. This step allows you to review, customize and print accurate labels easily before final use.

Step 4: Configure Print Settings

After clicking the “Print Label” button, a print pop-up window will appear.

This screen allows you to finalize your printing preferences before printing the labels.

In this pop-up, you can configure the following options:

• Destination: Select your printer from the dropdown (for example, AnyDesk Printer or your connected printer).
• Pages: Choose All or select specific pages if required.
• Color: Select Black and White or another available color option.

After clicking the print button, your barcode template starts printing if your printer is connected with your PC/Laptop

Print History

After printing, you can track all your label activity in the Print History section.

From the left-hand sidebar, click Print History.

You will see a detailed log of all previous print jobs, including:

• Date and time of each print job
• Template name
• Number of variants
• Number of copies printed
• Print status (Completed or Failed)
• Reprint action button

If a print job fails, you can easily identify it in the list and click Reprint to try again. There is no need to repeat the entire label printing process.

This feature is especially useful for tracking printing activity, managing reprints, and maintaining an organized record of all label printing operations.

More Settings (Expandable Section)

Click More settings to access advanced print options:

• Paper size: Choose Letter or another paper size from the dropdown.
• Pages per sheet: Select 1 to print one label per page.
• Margins: Keep Default or adjust margins if needed.
• Scale: Use Default to maintain correct label size.

Additional Options

• Headers and footers: Keep this checked if required.
• Background graphics: Leave this unchecked unless your label design needs background elements.

Once all settings are reviewed and confirmed, proceed to print your labels with confidence.

Method 2: Print a Label Directly from a Product Page

This is the fastest way to print a label for a single product.

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Products.
2. Open the product for which you want to print a label.
3. Click More Actions in the top-right corner of the product page.
4. From the dropdown menu, select Print Label.
5. A confirmation popup will appear asking if you want to print a label for the selected product.
6. Click Print Label to continue.
7. This will take you directly into the label printing flow, making it the fastest way to print a label for a single product.
8. Review the label details and proceed with printing.

This method is ideal when you need to quickly print a label for an individual product without going through the app's bulk printing workflow.

How Label Printing Apps Make This Easier

Apps like Retail Force Barcodes & Labels simplify the entire process by:

• Linking barcode & SKU data automatically
• Offering pre-built templates (Avery, Zebra, Dymo, etc.)
• Supporting bulk printing
• Saving label formats for reuse
• Reducing human error with previews

This creates a repeatable, scalable labeling workflow for Shopify stores of any size.

Final Thoughts

Printing labels after creating barcodes and SKUs is an important part of managing a Shopify store. When labels are printed correctly, orders are processed faster, inventory stays accurate, barcodes scan easily, and your store looks more professional and organized. By using the right label templates, the correct printer & reliable apps and by always checking the print preview before printing, so you can avoid mistakes and keep your Shopify operations running smoothly.

Updated on: 05/06/2026