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Create And Print Barcode Labels With Square For Retail

Square for Retail

A suite of tools made just for retailers, so you can sell in-store and online seamlessly.

With Square for Retail Plus, you can create and print barcode labels from the Square Dashboard or your Square Point of Sale. To get started, view the table below that outlines compatible printers as well as supported label sizes.

Note: Barcode creation and printing are only available on Square for Retail Plus. Compare Square for Retail Free, Square for Retail Plus, and Square Point of Sale.

Compatible Printers and Barcode Label Sizes

DYMO Barcode Printers

DYMO Barcode Printers
Square Interface Compatible Printers Label Sizes
Square Dashboard LabelWriter 550
LabelWriter 450
• DYMO Label SDSD11352: 25 mm x 54 mm
• DYMO Label SDSD11354: 32 mm x 57 mm
• DYMO Label SDSD11355: 19 mm x 51 mm
• DYMO Label SDSD30332: 25 mm x 25 mm
• DYMO Label SDSD99012: 36 mm x 89 mm
Note: LabelWriter 550 will only work with DYMO authentic labels. LabelWriter 450 has been discontinued by DYMO. It works with third party labels. Any decommissioned DYMO label sizes can still be printed using browser settings.

Zebra Barcode Printers

Zebra Barcode Printers
Square Interface Compatible Printers Label Sizes
Square Dashboard and
Square Point of Sale
ZD411D
ZD410
Dashboard only -
1 1/2" x 1"
POS only -
25 mm x 25 mm
38 mm x 25 mm
32 mm x 25 mm
56 mm x 13 mm (Jewelry)
51 mm x 25 mm
57 mm x 19 mm

Important to Note

A limited selection of printers and labels are available on Square Shop. Some labels and printers may be out of stock at this time. When deciding which labels and printers to purchase, make sure to check trusted retailers online, such as Amazon, or contact the manufacturers directly.

Printer Setup

Connect your printer to Square Register

Square Register can connect to a printer using a USB cable. The printer will be detected automatically when it is connected to the Square Register. You can save your printer settings and swap between connected printers by setting up a Printer profile on Square Register.

Once the printer connection has been established:

  1. On your Square Register, navigate to Settings > Hardware > Printers. The printer will be listed as ‘connected’ but not ‘configured’.
  2. Tap on the Profiles tab and tap Create printer profile.
  3. Name the printer profile and then tap the Barcode labels option.
  4. Toggle on ‘Use this printer for barcode labels’ for the new printer.

Connect your printer to an iOS device

Printers can connect to iOS devices through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or using an Ethernet or USB cable. Learn how to set up a
Printer profile on iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads, including a connected Square Stand.

Once the connection has been established:

  1. Open the Square Retail POS app on your iOS device.
  2. Navigate to Settings > Hardware > Printers. The printer will be listed as ‘connected’ but not ‘configured’.
  3. Tap Profiles > Create printer profile. Alternatively you can tap ‘Assign’ for the new printer.
  4. Name the printer profile and then tap the Barcode labels option.
  5. Toggle on ‘Use this printer for barcode labels’ for the new printer.

You can use Bluetooth for label printing with a Bluetooth-enabled printer model you can purchase from the manufacturer or a distributor, or a non-Bluetooth printer you can purchase from Square Shop combined with a compatible Bluetooth adapter.

A ‘wireless module’ will be required with your printer to use Bluetooth for label printing. The module can be purchased and added separately. If your printer has the wireless module set up, put it into pairing mode by following the instructions included with your printer, and connect it in the iPad’s bluetooth settings the same way you connect any other Bluetooth accessory. Once that’s done, the Retail app will recognise it automatically.

Connect your printer to Square Dashboard

To get started, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to connect the printer to the computer you use to access Square Dashboard:

Connect Zebra printers

Connect DYMO printers

Connect other inkjet and laser printers

  • To connect other inkjet and laser printers to your computer, follow the manufacturer’s instructions included with your hardware.

Create and Print Labels

Barcode labels can be printed from Square for Retail Point of Sale, Square Register, or Square Dashboard. The Square for Retail Point of Sale app can be accessed directly from iOS devices --your iPhone or iPad-- or Square Stand. Barcode labels can't be created nor printed from Square Terminal.

Access the print queue by navigating to Settings > Hardware > Printers and scrolling to the Queue section. Here, you can choose to retry a printing job or select a different printer to print on.

Square for Retail Point of Sale

You can create and print labels from your Square Retail POS app on your Square Register, Square Stand or directly from your iOS device. Labels can be created and printed from the Inventory section under Purchase orders or Stock overview.

Custom list of items

  1. Go to Inventory > Stock overview and tap Print labels.
  2. Click on the forward arrow to choose a label template with the type of information you want on the label.
  3. Select the label size that best suits the type of product the labels will be applied to.
  4. Choose the barcode type (SKU or GTIN).
  5. Select a template from the options displayed – price, item name, and variation name can be used.
  6. Use the search bar to find and select items to add to the list.
  7. Tap Print in the top-right of the screen.

You can learn more by watching our YouTube video Square for Retail: Label Printing - Print Labels from Custom Item Set.

Receiving stock of a Purchase Order

  1. After receiving stock of items, tap Print Labels to open the Print labels menu.
  2. Click on the forward arrow to choose a label template with the type of information you want on the label.
  3. Select the label size that best suits the type of product the labels will be applied to.
  4. Choose the barcode type (SKU or GTIN).
  5. Select a template from the options displayed – price, item name, and variation name can be used.
  6. Tap Print in the top-right of the screen.

Completed or partially received Purchase Order

  1. Go to Inventory > Purchase orders and tap on the received or partially received Purchase Order.
  2. Tap Print Labels to open the Print label menu.
  3. Click on the forward arrow to choose a label template with the type of information you want on the label.
  4. Select the label size that best suits the type of product the labels will be applied to.
  5. Choose the barcode type (SKU or GTIN).
  6. Select a template from the options displayed – price, item name, and variation name can be used.
  7. Tap Print in the top-right of the screen.

Square Dashboard

You can create, print, and download labels from your computer with Square Dashboard. When you save your labels as a PDF file, you can revisit the file to print more labels in future or send the file to another computer.

Print labels by Category, Purchase Order, or Item list

  1. Go to Items > Items Library.
  2. From the Actions drop-down menu, select Print labels.
  3. Select a label type, location, barcode format and label details.
  4. Choose to print labels by Category, Purchase Order, or Item.
  5. Click Create Labels.
  6. Click Print Labels Now or Download PDF to save the file on your desktop computer or laptop.

Recommended Printer Settings and Troubleshooting

Although conditions will vary depending on your computer and browser, below are some general guidelines to help you format your settings.

Setting Guideline
Printer Select your preferred printer on Square Dashboard using the drop-down menu in the print dialog. On Square Retail POS app, you will need to go into Settings > Hardware > Printers and set up your preferred printer.
System Dialog If you’re running into issues with label alignment or barcode clarity, try using the system dialog instead of the browser dialog.
Paper Size Make sure to select the correct label size. For instance, if you’re using 1/2” x 1- 1/2” labels, you’ll want to select this option before printing.
Scale Make sure your settings are set to scale at 100%. Disable any setting that would Fit to paper size. If you’re still experiencing issues, try using the System Print Dialog and printing at 100% to scale.
Output Resolution The default output resolution is 300 DPI. If your barcode scanner is having difficulty reading the printed label, you may want to adjust the resolution to 300x600 DPI.
Drivers Make sure you have drivers downloaded for your compatible printer. View the Zebra driver list and Dymo driver list.
SKUs SKUs must be under 80 characters.

Windows Troubleshooting

If you are on a Windows computer, and you’re running into any issues, we recommend the following:

  1. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

  2. Once creating your label(s), download the PDF.

  3. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

  4. Make sure to print using the specifications outlined in the table above.

Learn more about using Square for Retail.

FAQ

Why can’t I access Label Printing features?

Label printing is only available to Square for Retail Plus subscribers. Learn more about Getting Started with Square for Retail.

What devices can I use to create and print labels?

You can create and print labels on the following supported devices:

  • Square Register
  • Square Stand
  • Square Dashboard
  • Square Retail POS app on iOS devices - iPhone and iPad

What will the label look like if item details are missing, such as price or SKU number?

Missing information will not appear on the labels. The Square Retail POS app will notify you of missing details before printing. You can test print a label to validate the formatting. Your online Square Dashboard will display a preview of the labels for your approval before printing.

I don’t have SKUs for some of my products. How do I create scannable barcodes?

You will have the option to automatically generate SKU numbers for any items that need them. If you choose not to auto-generate SKU numbers, the labels will be printed without barcodes for those items.

How can I see the print queue?

You can view your printer’s queue by navigating to Settings > Hardware > Printers and scrolling to the Queue section. From here, you can view the print queue and retry any failed print jobs.

The information on my printed labels is uncentered. How do I fix this?

Your printer may need to be recalibrated to correct alignment issues. You can find the instructions to recalibrate Zebra’s label printers on Zebra’s webpage or in the user manual for your device. You can also watch Zebra’s printer calibration video.

My printer shows as connected but when I hit “print” on my Point of Sale or Dashboard, nothing happens. How do I fix this?

Reset your printer to its factory settings by using the steps outlined in its user manual. Once your printer has been reset, connect it to your Square Retail POS app or online Square Dashboard by navigating to Settings > Hardware > Printers.

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