Frequently asked questions

Two things:

• A modern desktop browser (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox, Safari). The editor runs entirely in your browser.
• Zebra Browser Print, a free helper from Zebra, installed on the same computer your printer is connected to. It's the bridge between the browser and the printer.

That's it. No account, no install on the editor side, no license.

Yes, completely free. No subscriptions, no free trial that expires, no premium tier. Every feature (templates, batch print from CSV / Google Sheets, multi-DPI, autosave, undo/redo, layers, direct printing) is available without paying or signing up.

No. There's no signup, no login, no email collection. Open the editor and start designing.

The editor itself: no, it runs in your browser. To print to a Zebra printer, you do need Zebra Browser Print installed once, a free helper app from Zebra that handles USB and network communication with your printer.

The first time you load the editor it pulls a few files from the web (the page itself, fonts, the barcode library). After that, designing, saving, undo/redo, and printing all work without internet. Only the Google Sheets batch print feature needs network access to fetch your sheet.

Yes. mylabelmaker is one of the few Zebra label editors that runs natively on macOS, because it's a browser app and Zebra ships a macOS installer for Browser Print. Tested on Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Firefox on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

Yes. The same single browser app runs identically on Windows in Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Firefox. Zebra Browser Print has a Windows installer too.

Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox, and Safari, all on their current major versions. Anything that supports modern JavaScript and Canvas, basically anything from the last five years.

The editor loads on iPad and mobile browsers, but the UI is optimized for desktop pointer-and-keyboard. Designing on a phone is awkward. For batch printing, you'd also need Zebra Browser Print which is desktop-only, so we recommend Mac/Windows for any real workflow.

Anything Zebra Browser Print can talk to over USB or network. Verified working on the popular desktop and industrial Zebra families:

• Desktop thermal. ZD220, ZD230, ZD410, ZD411, ZD420, ZD421, ZD500, ZD510, ZD620, ZD621, ZD621-300, GK420d, GK420t, GX420d, GX420t, GX430t, ZP450.
• Industrial & mobile. ZT200, ZT210, ZT220, ZT230, ZT400, ZT410, ZT420, ZT510, ZT610, ZT620, plus Browser Print's mobile lineup.

Yes. mylabelmaker supports 203, 300, and 600 DPI per printer. The editor rasterizes barcodes and text at the printer's native resolution, so 300dpi and 600dpi printers don't print a fuzzy upscale of a 203dpi bitmap. Pick the DPI in the printer settings popover or click "Auto-detect from printer" to read it directly from the device.

Not today. mylabelmaker outputs native ZPL (Zebra's Programming Language) and uses Zebra's Browser Print bridge. Non-Zebra thermal printers (Brother, Dymo, TSC, etc.) are not currently supported.

Both. Zebra Browser Print discovers USB-connected printers automatically and supports network-attached printers as well.

It's a free download from Zebra. We host the installers on the homepage for convenience:

1. Download the Mac or Windows installer.
2. Run it and follow the prompts.
3. Restart your browser.
4. Plug in your Zebra printer.
5. Open app.mylabelmaker.com and your printer should appear in the dropdown.

If you skip step 3 (restart browser) the editor may not see Browser Print. If the printer still doesn't appear, see Troubleshooting below.

Most cases come down to one of these:

• Browser Print isn't running. Look for the Browser Print icon in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows). If it's not there, relaunch it.
• Browser wasn't restarted after installing Browser Print.
• Printer cable isn't seated, or the printer is off.
• You're on Safari and Browser Print's local TLS certificate hasn't been accepted yet, visit https://localhost:9101 once and accept it.

mylabelmaker also shows a built-in install guide modal automatically when Browser Print isn't reachable, with one-click installer links for Mac/Windows.

Every common Zebra label size from 1"x1" up to 6"x4", including 1"x2", 1"x3", 1.5"x1", 2"x1", 2"x2", 2"x3", 2"x4", 2.83"x4", 3"x1", 3"x2", 4"x1", 4"x1.5", 4"x2", 4"x3", 4"x6", 5"x1", 5"x2", and 6"x2".

Full JsBarcode coverage: CODE128 (A/B/C), CODE39, EAN-13, EAN-8, EAN-5, EAN-2, UPC-A, UPC-E, ITF, ITF-14, MSI (variants 10, 11, 1010, 1110), Pharmacode, and Codabar. Plus native QR codes for URLs, text, vCards, anything qrcode 1.5 supports.

The canvas shows a live "Invalid <format>" hint if your value can't be encoded in the chosen symbology (for example, letters in UPC-A).

Yes. Click Image in the left rail and pick a file. PNG, JPG, GIF, and SVG all work. The image becomes a regular element you can resize, rotate, layer, and arrange alongside text and barcodes.

Yes. The editor keeps an 80-deep undo history with ⌘/Ctrl + Z and redo with ⌘/Ctrl + ⇧ + Z or ⌘/Ctrl + Y. Undo state survives across saves and template loads.

Snap-to-grid (toggle in the artboard toolbar) lets you size the grid and snap elements to it. The editor also draws live alignment guides as you drag, catching element edges, centers, and the canvas edges automatically.

Ten ready-to-use templates, organized by category in the Templates panel:

• Shipping. UPS Ground, Amazon FBA (FNSKU), Shopify shipping.
• Warehouse. Inventory label with SKU barcode, location bin, and quantity.
• Product. Product sticker (2"x2") with brand mark, tagline, and a decorative border.
• Scan codes. QR label (2"x2") with "Scan me" caption.
• Retail. Nutrition facts panel, jewelry tag, shelf tag with UPC.
• Industrial. Cable label (CAT6, patch-panel style) with FROM, TO routing.

Yes. Templates load as fully-editable designs. Change any text, swap fonts, move elements, replace logos, change barcode formats, anything you'd normally do.

You can save any design to the in-browser cache (up to 50 designs, sorted newest-first) via the Save button in the header. You can also export any design to JSON and re-import it later or share it with a teammate.

Three steps:

1. Drop {{column_name}} tokens into any text, barcode, or QR element. Use the Variables rail button or the {{ }} icon inside the barcode/QR inputs to insert them with one click.
2. Open the Variables panel and paste your CSV (or upload a .csv file, or paste a published Google Sheets URL). Data loads automatically.
3. The row navigator appears below the canvas. Step through rows to verify, then hit Print to print one substituted label per row.

Yes. In Google Sheets, go to File → Share → Publish to the web → Comma-separated values (.csv). Paste the URL into the Google Sheet tab in the Variables panel. mylabelmaker fetches it and previews each row live.

Yes. The row navigator below the canvas has an "Edit row" button that opens a popover with one input per column. Typing a new value re-renders the canvas immediately.

No. CSV text and uploaded files stay in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server. The only outbound network call is when you paste a public Google Sheets URL, in which case your browser fetches the published sheet directly from Google.

Yes. The loaded data and the raw input you typed or pasted are cached in your browser. Reload the page and they re-appear in the Variables panel, and the canvas still shows the active row.

Automatically. mylabelmaker autosaves to your browser's local storage on every change (debounced 400ms), so accidentally closing the tab doesn't lose work. The next time you open the editor you'll see a "Restored your last label" toast and your design loads.

Yes. Click the Save button in the header to save the current label to your browser's saved-labels cache. You can keep up to 50 designs there, sorted newest-first. Pick any from the file menu to reload it.

Yes. Options → Export label downloads a JSON file with the full label state (size, elements, background, grid, batch data). Re-import it later via Options → Import label, or send it to a teammate.

Yes. Options → Copy ZPL copies the native ZPL (^XA … ^GFA … ^XZ) for the current label to your clipboard. Paste it into any backend print server, ERP integration, or your own queue.

Yes. Saved labels live in your browser's storage, so they don't follow you across machines automatically. Use Options → Export label on the source computer and Import label on the destination. The exported JSON includes elements, fonts, sizing, and even the batch data if any is loaded.

mylabelmaker is free, browser-based, and runs on Mac/Windows. ZebraDesigner is Windows-only with paid Pro tiers. mylabelmaker covers drag-and-drop design, native ZPL output, multi-DPI rendering, CSV and Google Sheets batch print, templates, autosave, and undo/redo without an install or license. ZebraDesigner has deeper Windows-specific features (RFID encoding, AD integration) if you need them. Full comparison.

For most workflows, yes. BarTender is enterprise software with deep ERP/WMS integration and per-seat licensing in the four-to-five-figure range. mylabelmaker covers about 95% of common label workflows (text, barcode, QR, CSV batch print) at 0% of the cost. Pick BarTender if you need SAP-driven printing at scale; pick mylabelmaker if you're printing 5 to 500 labels a day. Full comparison.

They solve different problems. Labelary is a ZPL preview and linting service for developers who already have ZPL; mylabelmaker is a full drag-and-drop label designer that also prints directly to Zebra hardware. The two pair well: design in mylabelmaker, QA the generated ZPL on Labelary if needed. Full comparison.

No design data leaves your computer. Labels, batch data, and printer settings live in your browser's local storage. The ZPL goes directly to your local printer via Zebra Browser Print. The only outbound call is when you choose to fetch a published Google Sheet, in which case your browser fetches that directly from Google.

mylabelmaker doesn't collect personal data, doesn't require accounts, and doesn't store anything server-side. From a data-protection standpoint there's nothing for us to mishandle, the data simply isn't with us. If you process personal data on your labels (names, addresses, etc.), that data only lives on your device.

Usually this is a DPI mismatch. If your printer is 300 DPI or 600 DPI but the editor is set to 203 DPI, the bitmap gets upscaled and looks fuzzy. Open the printer settings popover (gear icon next to the printer pill) and either:

• Click Auto-detect from printer to let the editor read the printer's DPI directly, or
• Manually pick 300 or 600 from the DPI segmented control.

Most scan failures come down to one of these:

• Wrong symbology. Try CODE128 if you don't know what the scanner expects, it's the most universally supported.
• Too small. Drag the barcode larger; thermal print resolution loses detail below ~0.5".
• Darkness too low. Open the printer settings popover and bump the darkness up (try 12 to 18 on a fresh ribbon).
• Worn ribbon or dirty head. Replace the ribbon and clean the print head with the included cleaning card.

These come straight from the printer. Close the print head latch firmly (you should hear it click on most ZD models) or load fresh label stock and feed the printer until a label aligns with the tear bar. mylabelmaker surfaces the message but can't physically fix it.

You're likely designing on a label size that's larger than what's loaded in the printer. Switch the label-size pill in the artboard toolbar to match the actual stock you have loaded. If you're using a custom size, click Auto-detect in the printer settings popover so the editor reads the printer's PRINT WIDTH and LABEL LENGTH.

Two common causes:

• Wrong media type. Direct thermal printers need direct-thermal labels (no ribbon). Thermal transfer printers need both labels and a matching ribbon. Check that your printer model matches your media.
• Sensor needs calibration. On most Zebra desktops, hold the FEED button while powering on. The printer will run through label stock and self-calibrate.

See "My printer isn't showing up" above for the full list of fixes. The fastest checks: confirm Browser Print is actually running in your menu bar / system tray, restart your browser after installing, and on Safari visit https://localhost:9101 once to accept Browser Print's local TLS certificate.

Email [email protected] with your printer model, OS, browser, and a screenshot if possible. We read every message.