Glossary · 21 terms
Shipping Gear Glossary
The words a spec sheet or listing uses, and the ones a listing hopes you never ask about, defined plainly.
Label Printers
- Direct Thermal
- Printing by heat on heat-sensitive label paper: no ink, toner or ribbon.
- Thermal Transfer
- A thermal method that melts ink from a ribbon onto the label.
- 4x6 Label
- The standard shipping-label size: 4 by 6 inches, or 100 x 150 mm.
- Label Maker
- A tape or sticker printer for small labels: a different product from a shipping-label printer.
Labels
- Label Lock-In
- When a printer works best, or only, with its maker's own labels.
- Fanfold Labels
- Labels in a flat stack, folded between labels.
- Roll Labels
- Labels wound on a core.
- Cost per Label
- Your price for a roll divided by the labels on it.
- Core Size
- The diameter of the cardboard core a roll is wound on.
Scales
- Readability (Scale)
- The smallest step a scale shows.
- USB Scale
- A scale that plugs into a computer so software can read the weight.
Packaging
- Dimensional Weight
- A package's billable weight from its size: length × width × height ÷ a divisor.
- Poly Mailer
- A soft plastic mailer: size it by length and width.
- Void Fill
- Padding that stops an item shifting in a box.
Platforms
- PDF Label
- How Pirate Ship delivers a label: a PDF any 4x6-capable printer can print.
Troubleshooting
- Print Dialog Paper Size
- The size setting that decides whether a label prints too big or too small.
- Driver
- The software the computer uses to talk to the printer.
- AirPrint
- Apple's driverless printing from iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- IPP
- Internet Printing Protocol: a network way for a Chromebook to print.
- Bluetooth Printing
- Printing from a phone or tablet over Bluetooth, through the brand’s app. Not available on a Chromebook.
Buying Guides
- Business Account
- A buying account for a business, such as Amazon Business.