How to Handle Shipments and Packages

overview efficient shipment and package management are critical parts of running an online print store in onprintshop, packages define how your products are physically packed and shipped, while shipments handle the process of delivering one or more packages to your customers proper configuration ensures accurate shipping costs, smooth order processing, and an improved customer experience purpose this guide explains how to create shipments and manage packages for different products in your onprintshop store you will learn how to define package dimensions, assign products to packages, configure shipping methods, and ensure accurate delivery calculations proper shipment and package setup ensure smooth order processing and accurate shipping costs understanding packages and shipments in onprintshop in onprintshop, a package defines the physical dimensions, weight, and capacity for shipping a product, while a shipment refers to the process of sending one or more packages to the customer key elements include package dimensions length, width, height weight actual product weight plus any packaging weight maximum capacity maximum units of a product that fit in one package shipping methods local, national, or international shipping options assigned to packages example a set of business cards may be shipped in a small 6x4x2 inches package weighing 0 5 lbs, while a photobook may require a larger 12x9x2 inches package weighing 2 lbs prerequisites all products you want to ship are already created and published in the catalog the product options that may impact the shipment packing must be taken care of the physical product options must be configured in the system for creating fixed packaging ensure that each product has accurate weight, dimensions, and unit measurements configured shipping methods, zones, and rates are configured under store configuration > shipping methods step by step configuration you can create shipment packages in three ways by setting up master packages (used across multiple products), product wise packages , or option wise packages the process begins with creating master packages , which serve as reusable templates that define standard box configurations 1\ master packages the first step in configuring shipments and packages is to set up master packages these serve as reusable templates that define key parameters such as weight, dimensions, and material thickness , helping you standardize packaging across multiple products to create a master package, go to admin > store configuration > shipping method > package configuration > manage master packages , click add , and fill in details like product type, package name, weight class, max single package weight, box weight, material thickness , and dimensions for example, you might create a “small card box” master package for standard sized products such as business cards or postcards this box could have a weight class in pounds, a maximum package weight of 20 lbs, a box weight of 0 5 lbs, a material thickness of 0 05 inches, and dimensions of 8 × 5 × 4 inches similarly, for custom size products such as posters or banners, you could create a “large poster tube” master package this could have a weight class in kilograms, a maximum weight of 10 kg, a box weight of 1 kg, a material thickness of 0 1 inch, and dimensions of 30 × 4 × 4 inches — ideal for rolled items or oversized prints once saved, these packages will appear as ready to use templates while setting up product level shipping configurations 2\ product specific packages from the system, you can create fixed or product specific packages to ease the order packing and delivery you can configure shipping packages individually for each product or its specific options this allows precise control over packaging based on product weight, size, and shipping needs if no product level package is configured, the system applies the default shipping configuration or master package setup a summary screen lists all products with their configured packages — the edit icon lets you modify or add packages, the not set icon indicates no configuration (default master package applies), and attributes are displayed if packages are configured based on product attributes learn more about detailed configuration steps on the product wise packages page package configuration with dynamic height dynamic height automatically adjusts the package height based on the ordered quantity, making it ideal for variable products such as business cards, flyers, or brochures this feature ensures efficient use of packaging space and accurate shipping rate calculations to configure, set the height calculation method to dynamic height in the product shipping packages configuration, then specify the material thickness (per unit) and additional height (extra space for packing material) the system will apply the formula — dynamic height = (material thickness × quantity) + additional height — to calculate the appropriate box height for each order for step by step configuration details, refer to the general configuration section package configuration for custom sized products for custom size products , you can choose from two methods to calculate shipping prices for online shipping integrations in the sheet/rigid method, the system determines the box size to be sent in the shipping api call here, the admin can define additional space to ensure the most suitable package is calculated, taking into account factors like material thickness, maximum weight, box weight, and product dimensions in the roll material method, the package’s height and width remain fixed, while the box depth is automatically set to the smaller value between the product’s height and width — ideal for rolled materials like posters or banners 3\ option specific packages after configuring product specific packages, you can further refine your setup by assigning predefined packaging to individual product options this ensures that each option—especially for products like hardware or accessories—has the most suitable packaging automatically selected during shipment in the product options tab, the admin can either assign a common package to multiple product options or define specific packages for each option linked to the selected product for detailed steps, refer to the general configuration docid\ z7s dmdqbawp1qgzkam 4\ package calculator working this section allows you to calculate the most suitable box size and the required number of packages for shipping an order, whether it is for an existing product or a custom one if you choose existing product , you can select the desired product from the select product dropdown list if the selected product has package configurations based on size and product options, then additional options such as dropdowns, radio buttons, or checkboxes will appear for selection after that, you need to enter the order weight and choose the height calculation method — either default or dynamic height if you choose custom product , enter the product weight without selecting from the existing list once the product details are entered, the configured product packages will be displayed automatically you can also add a new package using the +add button if required after completing the setup, click calculate package the system will automatically determine the best fit box size and the number of boxes needed for the shipment, ensuring minimal space waste this feature helps you plan shipments efficiently and accurately based on real time product and order details 5\ package selection working in order after configuring the packages, you can use them while creating shipments in the orders section go to orders > list orders > action menu > order shipment and enter the order number to select the desired order from here, you can update the shipping method and shipping type , enable label generation via api for third party carriers, and update the order status with an option to notify the customer for detailed shipment configuration steps, refer to the order shipment docid\ bbrp7safrzghf10mkfd4t guide advanced tips define accurate product weights and dimensions for correct shipping rates use clear package names (e g , orderid package1 ) for easy tracking test shipments for different product types before going live testing and validation create a test order including different products, package types, and shipping methods verify package assignment to ensure each product is in the correct package check shipping calculations for accuracy based on weight, dimensions, and method generate shipping labels and confirm tracking numbers are correctly assigned review order status in shipments/job board to ensure accurate updates test split shipments to confirm multiple packages can be processed and tracked independently validate editing and returns by reopening packages before dispatch to ensure adjustments update correctly