Buyer guide · for sellers setting up a first packing station
Your First Packing Station
Pirate Ship's own getting-started page is short: any desktop printer on 8.5 x 11 paper works (thermal is optional), any scale that reads ounces works, and you need the dimensions of what you ship.
What decides it for you
- A scale that reads ounces (a kitchen scale that shows ounces works, per Pirate Ship)
- Packaging you can measure: boxes need length, width and height; poly mailers need length and width
- Labels your printer takes, in 4x6 or the size the platform asks for
- A bench layout where scale, printer and packaging sit within one arm’s reach
Mind · Do not buy a thermal printer first if letter paper will do. Pirate Ship says any desktop printer on 8.5 x 11 paper works.
Sources read October 2026:maker pages and platform help pages. Anything we have only seen in a search-result summary is marked unconfirmed, and model names and support pages change, so check the exact model before you buy.
- Packing-Station PicksLay out the bench: scale, printer, supplies and the order you reach for them.
- Best Shipping ScalesCapacity, readability, and whether a USB scale is necessary. A scale that reads ounces is the bar.
- Best Boxes, Mailers and TapePoly mailers vs boxes, tape guns and dispensers, void fill: chosen by weight, fragility and shape.
- Best Labels and Label SuppliesRolls and fanfold, what a label really costs you, and which printers are tied to their own labels.
Worth a look
From the shelf: full rankings live on the rankings page.
- Check the current price on Amazon
Rollo X1038 (Rollo USB)
- Check the current price on Amazon
Rollo X1040 (Rollo Wireless)
- Check the current price on Amazon
Phomemo 241BT
Up front:We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this site. It does not change the price you pay, and it does not change what we write.
20 guides published
19 products linked
Merch for people who pack boxes
Original designs for the packing table, made to order. No maker logos.
First run · in the works
The first designs land soon.
Tees, stickers and mugs for the packing table. See the shop or take the letter and hear first.