Two sides are better than one

Printing shipping labels and packing slips on a single label could save tons of supplies and hours of time. According to Bruce Raming of Premier Print and Services Group, for every 1,000 boxes shipped, the company's Thermal Duplexpackslip requires just one 8.5-pound roll of labels for both shipping labels and packing slips. The typical operation would use 24.7 pounds of material, including shipping labels, packing slip paper, and plastic pouches. Furthermore, the duplex system requires 10 seconds to print and apply, saving an estimated seven man-hours per 1,000 boxes shipped. It also eliminates mismatched packing slips and orders.

The duplex label attaches to cartons with an adhesive around the outer edges of its underside. The shipping label is on top as usual; the recipient tears open a tab and pulls out the packing slip, printed on non-adhesive label stock. The labels can be printed with the Sato America GN412T printer, expected to be released this spring.