How to install and configure the MachShip Printing Application

What is the MachShip Printing Application

In order to enable automated printing of labels or documents when creating a consignment or manifesting, MachShip has a locally installed application that monitors messages from MachShip to print labels. The application is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions and is only supported on Windows operating systems 10 and 11. The MachShip Printing Application can also be configured to monitor a folder and automatically import or poll in files. 

Step by step guide on how to install and set up the MachShip Printing Application

The following is a step-by-step list of installing and setting up the MachShip Printing Application. 

1. Download the Printing Application

2. Install the Printing Application

3. Create the Printer in MachShip

4. Create the Printer Configuration

5. Create the Printer Configuration Evaluation (if required)

6. Add the Printer Token to the MachShip Printing Application

7. Test the Printing Application 

8. Configure Printer Settings

How to install the MachShip Printing Application

The first thing that you will need to do when looking to install the MachShip Printing Application, you will need to ascertain if your windows operating system is 32-bit or 64-bit. In order to do this:

32-Bit or 64-bit

• Navigate to your PC's control panel. 

• Search for System.

• The section System Type will describe what type of operating system you have. 

Download the Printing Application

Navigate to the Printers Page:

• Go to Admin and Other Options.

• Under the Advanced section select Printers.

 

Alternatively, you can access the page via this link.

Note: Should your user not have the permission to access this page then you will be unable to successfully access this link.

• Select the download link for the relevant MachShip Printing Application.

  

Note: The .exe version will only be accessible for the user who downloads and installs it. 

Once the link is selected the application will begin to download. This will be shown in the bottom left-hand corner like below. 

Install the Printing Application - EXE

Once the download has completed click the downloaded link to install the application. if you receive the following popup (or similar) please click more info.

Then run anyway. Should you have any concerns about the app don't hesitate to contact support@machship.com

 

The application will install and then appear as below:

 

The drop-down will have a list of all printers which are installed on the machine. Select the relevant printer.

How to Setup the MachShip Printing Application

Once the MachShip Printing Application has been installed you will need to create the Printer, Printer Configuration and the Printer Configuration Evaluation in MachShip. This will be what will tell MachShip when, what, and where to print. 

Create the Printer in MachShip

Navigate to the Printers Page:

• Go to Admin and Other Options.

• Under the Advanced section select Printers.

• Select the Add Printer Button.

Alternatively, go to the following link.

Create the Printer:

Provide MachShip with the Printer's Name, Description, and assign to a Company. Note that the name and the description are free text, it is suggested that they indicate what printer you are creating. See the example below: 

If the printer will be required for use by a series of child companies it is suggested that you make it Inheritable.

Once complete Save the Printer.

Once Saved, the printer will appear in the Printer Grid. Here you will be able to see the connection-token. This token will be placed in the field on the application and will maintain a connection between the Printer and MachShip.

Create the Printer Configuration

Navigate to the Printers Page:

• Go to Admin and Other Options.

• Under the Advanced section select Printers.

• In the top right-hand corner select Add Printer Configuration.

Alternatively, go to the following link.

Create the Printer Configuration:

 The Printer Configuration will tell MachShip what labels to print and where to print them. The configuration requires:

• Name
• Description

It is suggested you be as detailed as possible to identify these.

• Company

Choose what Company this configuration will apply to. This company name will define what printers you have access to but also when this configuration will be used. For example: If the company is Acme Broker then this configuration will be used when consignments or manifests are created for Acme Broker. 

• Select the Printer

Based on the company selected if you type in the printer you are accessing, the list of applicable printers will appear. Select the relevant one. 

• Choose the Event Trigger:

This will tell MachShip under what conditions to prompt automated printing.

The options are:

1. Consignment Creation
2. Consignment Edit
3. Manifest

To set the event simply set the trigger to be Yes.  

• Select the type of document and the number of copies of the document. 

Click the flags of the relevant labels to print and the number of copies. 

i.e 

Note that you can select more than one set of labels to print out. For example: I could print both the consignment note and the Dangerous Goods Document with the setup below:

Each Printer Configuration will relate to one Printer. So if you were looking to print the following:

• Item Labels to a thermal label printer
• Consignment note and DG Transport Document to an A4 Printer
• Manifest to an A4 Printer

You would need to have 3 printer configurations as you have 2 different events (Consignment and Manifest) and then the 2 different printer options (A4 and thermal label).

Please note that A4 Item labels are 4 item labels configured to fit on an A4 sheet. If you wish to have 1 item label per A4 sheet then select the Print Item Label option and select an A4 Printer. 

• Select Save Printer Configuration.

If you need to configure the printing to occur under a certain event or evaluation being true please continue and set up a Printer Configuration Evaluation, otherwise, the automated printing will be set up to print at the event specified. 

Create the Printer Configuration Evaluation

Once the Printer Configuration has been saved you will find the page will refresh from the create screen to the edit screen. This will have the added Print Configuration Evaluation section. 

 

• Select Edit Print Configuration Evaluations button.

This will prompt the Edit Print Configuration Evaluations modal to appear as below:

• Set the Evaluation.

The Evaluation will tell MachShip under what circumstances to automatically print. You are able to have multiple evaluation types but they will ALL need to have their conditions met to prompt the printing to occur. 

The Evaluation Types are:

A common setup if you had a communal printer would be Pickup Suburb as below:

Another example set up if you wanted to have anything created from the suburb Cremorne, 3121, by the user demo broker that isn't the carrier Toll would be below:

Set up the evaluation as per your requirements. If you have any issues or queries please contact support@machship.com

• Select Save.

• Select Save Printer Configuration.

 

Add the Printer Token to the MachShip Printing Application

Once the internal MachShip set up has been completed you will need to assign the token to the MachShip Printing Application. This token will set up the connection between MachShip and the printer. The token is located in the Printers Grid on the Printer page. 

• Go to Admin and Other Options.

• Under the Advanced section select Printers.

• Search for the Printer in the Printer Grid.

• Open up the MachShip Printing Application.
  
  
  • If the application has not been closed then it will be running in the system tray. Click on the following:
        
                                               
         
  • If the application does not appear here double click the desktop icon.
    
                                                             

 

• Enter the Token in the Printer Token Box.

If the correct token has been used, the status flag will go to a green tick as below:

The connection has been established. 

Test the Printing Application 

In order to verify the connection between the MachShip Printing Application and the printer, you need to test it. To do this, select the cog on the MachShip Printing Application and select one of the three test print jobs. 

Verify that the label prints out. If this is successful you are ready to begin creating consignments. If for any reason this fails please check that the printer can be accessed via another method on that computer. For example, print out a test Microsoft word document. If this is successful please contact support@machship.com and we will endeavor to troubleshoot the issue. If this test print fails please contact your IT administrator. 

 

How to Configure Printer Settings

In order to ensure that the MachShip labels are set to be the size of the label produced by the printer, MachShip has facilitated the ability to set measurements on a printed document.

To do this, select the cog on the MachShip Printing Application and select Configure Printer Settings.

Paper Sizing is related to the Label size. If these fields are left blank, they will default to the settings on the printer. A standard item label is 15cm x 10cm.

 

Margin Sizing settings allow the ability to specify the margin on the label. For example entering Top:2.5cm, Left:1.5cm, Bottom:2.5cm and Right:1.5cm will condense and center the label. 

 

NOTE: If you set ONLY the Margin Sizing and left the Paper Sizing to blank, your margins will not be the exact values specified as the printer will resize the label to fit on the label.

 

Dithering: If you are seeing that the labels which are being printed are blurry or fuzzy then you will need to adjust the setting known as Dithering on your label printer. 

 

To do this navigate to your printers and scanners section on your PC and select Printing Preferences. The screen should appear as below:

 

Set this to be None and then select Apply.