Chapter Three: FSMS Shipping Labels

Chapter Three: FSMS Shipping Labels

Overview

FedEx Ship Manager Server supports a variety of shipping label types, label stock sizes, and label printers to provide flexibility in creating the appropriate label for your shipping needs. In this section of the

FSMS User Guide, we will discuss the following:

• Label types supported by FSMS, including thermal and laser printer labels

• Custom label creation and certification

• Label printers supported by FSMS

FSMS Label Formats

The following table provides a list of the printers and label output types supported by FSMS. In addition to printer support, this table also lists the services and features allowed for each label type.

Label Type

Unimark U550 4x6 Doc-Tab (thermal)

Unimark U550 4x6 Non Doc-Tab (thermal)

Eltron LP2348 4x6 Doc-Tab (thermal)

Eltron LP2443 4x6 Doc-Tab (thermal)

Eltron LP2348 4x6 Non Doc-Tab (thermal)

Eltron LP2443 4x6 Non Doc-Tab (thermal)

Zebra DA402 4x6 Doc-Tab (thermal)

Zebra DA402 4x6 Non Doc Tab (thermal)

PNG (Portable Network Graphic) (Laser)

Valid Services Label Buffer

Express

Express

Express/Ground

Express/Ground

Express/Ground

Express/Ground

Express/Ground

Express/ Ground

Express/Ground

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

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Thermal Labels

You can configure a thermal printer in the FSMS Configuration Utility, or you can specify the printer within the shipping transaction. If the printer is set up in the FSMS Configuration Utility, this printer becomes the default for all thermal labels printed on the meter for which it was configured.

If the printer is specified in the transaction, two fields are required to be passed in the transaction:

• Field 187 (Label Format Value/Printer Type Indicator)

• Field 537 (Label Printer ID)

For more information on fields 187 and 537, please see the FSMS TCR Version 7.6.

Laser Labels

FSMS supports printing labels on a laser printer. You can set up a laser printer in the FSMS Configuration

Utility (see “Label Settings” in Chapter One: Setting Up FSMS), or you can specify the printer within the shipping transaction. If the printer is set up in the FSMS Configuration Utility, this printer is the default for all laser labels produced for the configured meter.

If the printer is specified in the transaction, two fields are required:

• Field 187 (Label Format Value/Printer Type Indicator)

• Field 537 (Printer ID)

For more information regarding these fields, including the input requirements, please see the FSMS TCR

Version 7.6.

*.PNG Labels

FSMS provides .PNG (Portal Network Graphic) images for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground labels by passing a value of “PNG” in field 187 (Label Format Value). This format replaces the previously supported

.GIF format. These images are saved in the C:/FedEx/FedEx_Temp directory (as the default location).

To change this location, you can override with another valid directory path in field 537 (Thermal Label

Printer ID).

Multi-Ply Air Waybills

FSMS supports printing preprinted multi-ply labels for FedEx Express International shipping. This feature is supported by FSMS because some countries do not allow a thermal or laser air waybill package to be processed through their Customs Clearance. The multi-ply air waybill is available in three types:

• 306 – with preprinted tracking numbers

• 307 – without preprinted tracking numbers

• 362 – a French language air waybill without tracking numbers

When using the multi-ply air waybill, you can set up the printer in the FSMS Configuration Utility, or you can specify the printer within the transaction. If the printer is set up in the FSMS Configuration Utility, this printer becomes the default for all multi-ply air waybills produced on the configured meter.

If you specify the printer in the shipping transaction, the following fields are required:

• Field 545 (Form Printer ID)

• Field 546 (Paper Waybill Format)

• Field 547 (Multi-ply Waybill Print Flag)

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If you use multi-ply Form 306 with preprinted tracking numbers, you are also required to pass this tracking number in your shipping transaction using field 1222 (Pre-assigned Tracking Number). If you do not include the Form 306 tracking number in your ship transaction, FSMS assigns another tracking number for the package. Since the FSMS-assigned tracking number is uploaded with your shipping transaction, you cannot track the package using the tracking number printed on Form 306.

For more information regarding the printer transaction fields, see the FSMS TCR Version 7.6. More information regarding pre-assigning tracking numbers is provided in “Pre-Assigning Tracking Number

Request/Reply (004/104)” in Chapter Two: FSMS Transaction Coding in this User Guide.

Before you print multi-ply air waybills, you must configure the printer in the FSMS Configuration Utility.

Follow these steps:

1. Set up IBM

®

2380 Printer.

2. Create a FedEx Form for the IBM 2380 Plus printer driver.

3. Configure the document properties for the IBM 2380 Plus printer driver.

Printing Labels to a File

FSMS allows you to have the label file for FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx International multiple-piece shipments returned to a specific file instead of in the transaction Reply. This feature allows the customer to control label printing and eliminates the need for printing labels on a network.

NOTE:

The Print-to-File label feature applies to Thermal Air Waybills (TAWB) only.

• Fields 1311 (Number of Shipper Label Copies), 1312 (Number of Customs Label Copies), and 1313

(Number of Manifest Copies) request additional label copies (for example, if these labels are needed for International shipping compliance).

• Field 1282 (Printer Type Indicator) requests that the shipping label print to a file.

• You must use field 537 (Thermal Label Printer ID) to designate the directory to which the label will be saved. The file name for the label is the master air waybill tracking number. All labels associated with a master air waybill are written to the same file name. For example, if you have a master shipment with 20 associated packages, all labels for this multiple-piece shipment are written to the same file.

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Creating Custom Labels

If you need more flexibility for your label format (for example, if you need a packing list and shipping label to print on one document), you may use FSMS to create custom labels.

You can obtain all label data required to create a custom FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, or FedEx Home

Delivery label prior to performing a Ship transaction or at the time of shipment. The following instructions outline the label data retrieval process.

NOTE:

FSMS includes the new 2D label format which standardized the appearance and data content for FedEx Ground and FedEx Express labels. The 2D label format replaces the existing ASTRA barcode with the PDF-417 barcode for all shipping types.

To receive the 2D barcode to create a custom label, the use of two fields is required:

• Field 1282 (Thermal Label Indicator)

• Field 1660 (Custom Label Flag)

Field 537 (Label Printer ID), Thermal Label Buffer file path, *.png image file path, or 2D bar code file path is required to save the 2D bar code string to a location other than the default location,

C:/FedEx/FedEx_Temp.

Whenever field 1282 = B and field 1660 = Y, the 2D bar code string is saved to the default or specified file. These bar code strings are NOT automatically purged and are saved in the file until purged by the user.

Open Shipping

ALL bar code strings required for creating custom FedEx Express or FedEx Ground labels will be returned in the 120 Reply for each transaction under the following conditions:

1. A Create transaction (541 = YNNNNNNNN) is submitted with 1282 = B, 1660 = Y, and the Route flag is set to Y. A pre-assigned TN in 1222 is optional.

2. An Add (541 = NNNYNNNNN) transaction is submitted with 1282 = B, 1660 = Y, and the Route flag is set to Y. A pre-assigned tracking number in 1222 is optional.

3. A Route transaction (541 = NYNNNNNNN) is submitted with 1282 = B, 1660 = Y, and 1222 = a valid tracking number. A pre-assigned tracking number in this case is required to receive bar code data; otherwise, only routing data (Express) or a Time-in-Transit (Ground) is returned.

4. An Edit Piece transaction (541 = NNNNYNNNN) with 1282 = B, 1660 = Y, the Route flag set to Y, and 29 = to the tracking number of the piece being edited. This allows the bar code data to be returned AFTER a Create or an Add in the event any data encoded in the bar codes may have changed, i.e. package weight.

5. FedEx Express COD return bar codes are returned in the 120 Reply of the Confirm. These are the only bar codes returned in a Confirm.

6. The COD return label bar codes (535 COD Return ASTRA) can also be returned in the Reply to the

Confirm IF the COD return tracking number is pre-assigned in field 1224, 1282 = Y, 1660 = B, and the Route flag of the Confirm transaction is set to Y (541 = NYNNNNNNY). FedEx Express only.

7. Bar codes for FedEx Ground Return labels are returned applies if the Create, Route, and Confirm flags are set simultaneously to Y (541 = YYNNNNNNY).

8. This is valid for FedEx Ground, FedEx Express, FedEx International, and U.S. and CA Domestic.

9. 1282 and 1660 must be in the Confirm transaction.

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Sample Transactions:

0,”020”1,”Create and Add First package”11,”Sam’s Publishing”12,”Recipient Name”13,”201 West 103 rd

St”15,”Indianapolis”16,”IN”17,”46290”18,”1234567890”23,”1”25,”Package

CR001”50,”US”498,””541,”YNNNNNNNN”542,”12345”1273,”01”1274,”92”1282,”B”1660,”Y”1670,”300”3

001,”Shipment PO10001”3057,”Package IN001”3062,”2”99,””

0,”020”1,”Add/Rate Second Package”25,”Package

CR002”50,”US”498,””541,”NNNYNNNNN”542,”12345”1273,”01”1274,”92”1282,”B”1660,”Y”1670,”500”3

057,”Package IN002”3062,”2”99,””

0,”020”1,”Edit Second

Package”29,”192746389462591”50,”US”498,””541,”NNNNYNNNN”542,”12345”1273,”01”1274,”92”1282,

”B”1660,”Y”1670,”800”99,””

0,”020”1,”Confirm Open

Shipment”50,”US”498,””541,”NNNNNNNNY”542,”12345”1274,”92”1282,”B”1660,”Y”99,””

0,”020”1,”Create and Add First package, Preassigned Tracking Number”11,”Sam’s

Publishing”12,”Recipient Name”13,”201 West 103 rd

St”15,”Indianapolis”16,”IN”17,”46290”18,”1234567890”23,”1”25,”Package

CR001”50,”US”498,””541,”YNYNNNNNN”542,”23456”1222,”918273670100831”1273,”01”1274,”92”1282

,”B”1660,”Y”1670,”300”3001,”Shipment PO10001”3057,”Package IN001”3062,”2”99,””

0,”020”1,”Add/Rate Second Package, Preassigned Tracking Number”25,”Package

CR002”50,”US”498,””541,”NNYYNNNNN”542,”23456”1222,”918273670100848”1273,”01”1274,”92”1282

,”B”1660,”Y”1670,”500”3057,”Package IN002”3062,”2”99,””

0,”020”1,”Confirm Open

Shipment”50,”US”498,””541,”NNNNNNNNY”542,”23456”1274,”92”1282,”B”1660,”Y”99,””

0,”020”1,”Create and Add First package, Express COD”11,”Sam’s Publishing”12,”Recipient

Name”13,”201 West 103 rd

St”15,”Indianapolis”16,”IN”17,”46290”18,”1234567890”23,”1”25,”Package

CR001”27,”Y”50,”US”53,”15000”186,”Y”440,”Y”498,””541,”YNNNNNNNN”542,”34567”1273,”01”1274,”01”

1282,”B”1660,”Y”1670,”450”3062,”2”99,””

0,”020”1,”Add/Rate Second Package”25,”Package

CR002”50,”US”498,””541,”NNNYNNNNN”542,”34567”1273,”01”1274,”01”1282,”B”1660,”Y”1670,”500”3

057,”Package IN002”3062,”2”99,””

0,”020”1,”Confirm Open

Shipment”50,”US”498,””541,”NNNNNNNNY”542,”34567”1274,”01”1282,”B”1660,”Y”99,””

Single Shot Transactions:

ALL bar code strings required for creating custom FedEx Express or FedEx Ground labels are returned in the 120 Reply for each transaction under the following conditions:

1. A Route transaction, field 1234 = 2 or 3, is submitted with 1282 = B, 1660 = Y, and 1222 = a valid pre-assigned tracking number.

2. A ship transaction is submitted with 1282 = B and 1660 = Y. A pre-assigned tracking number in 1222 is optional.

3. Single piece transactions only. For single shot MPS shipments, the bar code strings are returned for the first piece only, and the remaining 2D bar codes will be saved to the specified, field 537, or default location.

4. This is valid for FedEx Ground, FedEx Express, FedEx International, and U.S. and CA Domestic.

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Submitting Custom Labels for FedEx Approval

Before you can produce custom labels in a production environment, FedEx must first test these labels to ensure that FedEx can scan them for routing and delivery. The following process is provided for label approval:

FedEx Express Label Approval

Submit custom FedEx Express labels to:

FedEx World Headquarters

Attention: Bar Code/Label Analyst

3630 Hacks Cross Road, Building C

Memphis, TN 38125

You must submit one label sample for each FedEx service (Priority Overnight, International Priority, etc.).

After your labels have been approved, your FedEx Customer Support Representative will contact you so that you can proceed with custom label deployment.

FedEx Ground/FHD Label Approval

Submit custom FedEx Ground/FHD labels to:

FedEx Ground

Attention: Bar Code Analyst

1000 FedEx Drive

Moon Township, PA 15108

You must submit five label samples for each FedEx Ground and/or FedEx Home Delivery service type you want to use. Additionally, ten consecutive incremented labels are required from each production printer you want to use. After your labels are approved, your FedEx Customer Support Representative will contact you so that you can proceed with custom label deployment.

Doc-Tabs

If you use the 4x6 label format supported by FSMS, you may choose label stock that includes a document tab (Doc-Tab) to print additional shipment information on a removable sticky tab. You can configure this shipment information from your shipping data or you may choose to print configurable data that is specific to your shipping needs. Doc-Tabs are set up in the FSMS Configuration Utility in the Doc-Tab window

(see “Doc-Tab Settings” in Chapter One: Setting Up FSMS for instructions). From this window, you may choose to set up Doc-Tab information for FedEx Express, FedEx International, and FedEx Ground/FHD labels.

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Label Reprint

FSMS allows you to reprint MPS labels using either the Label Reprint Utility or the 095 Label Reprint transaction. The Label Reprint function follows these rules:

1. The package for which you are requesting a Label Reprint must be part of an MPS shipment (either

FedEx Express International or FedEx Ground). FedEx Express Domestic shipments are not MPS and therefore cannot be reprinted using either the utility or the transaction.

2. You may reprint a label up to a maximum of 48 hours from the ship date, but the calendar day for the reprint must be no greater than the day after the ship date. For example, you ship a 2-piece FedEx

International package on 12/15/05 at 16:30 (4:30 PM). You have until 22:59 (10:59 PM) of the entire next day (12/16/05) to reprint the label.

3. Future Day shipments may be reprinted using the same reprint time frame. You may reprint a Future

Day shipment label until the ship date. Then, you still have up to a maximum of 48 hours from the ship date/time (up to the next calendar day from the ship date) to reprint the label.

Use the following fields (as part of the 095 transaction) to reprint an MPS label:

• Field 29 (Tracking Number)

• Field 537 (Thermal Label Printer ID) or field 544 (Laser Printer ID)

NOTE:

For more information regarding transaction type 095, please see the FSMS TCR Version 7.6.

NOTE:

For more information regarding label reprint using the FSMS Label Reprint Utility, please see the “Label Reprint Utility” section in Chapter Five: Using FSMS Utilities.

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