Reproducible exercise
Exercise: six source pages, one duplicate, five parcels
The fictional batch contains A, B, C, C, D, E. Both C frames are identical. Identify the duplicate, keep five distinct references and verify their order rather than relying on filenames.
Fictional teaching files. No customer data, valid postage or carrier certification. Do not use them for a shipment. Downloads do not send any of your documents.
- Import the demonstration batch and compare the detected count with its six source pages. Use manual crop if this fictional format is not detected correctly.
- Compare both DEMO-C references and keep only one after checking their contents. Never remove a real label merely because its recipient resembles another.
- Arrange A, B, C, D, E in the preview, checking positions from left to right and top to bottom.
- Expect A, B, C, D on the first sheet and E on the second. The teaching reference illustrates this order but does not claim to reproduce the export engine exactly.
| Symptom | What to check | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Two items show DEMO-C | Compare frame contents and references | Remove only the confirmed redundant copy |
| Four items remain instead of five | A distinct reference was removed | Check the A to E list before export |
| Parcel order differs from sheet order | A position was moved | Match each reference before cutting and handle parcels one at a time |
Five labels need at least two four-slot sheets, saving three sheets against one per label. Deliberately empty positions can increase the sheet count: check the actual output, not just this theoretical minimum.
Exercise added : . Physical printing and carrier scanning are not validated by these examples.
1. Prepare parcels before PDFs
Close and weigh parcels, then arrange them in a simple physical order. Name files with an internal reference that does not unnecessarily expose recipient data, such as 001-order.pdf. Alphabetical order will then remain predictable.
Confirm that service and purchased weight match each parcel. Label2A4 does not alter postage data or validate weight. Correct page layout cannot repair a label bought with incorrect shipment information.
2. Import originals and inspect detection
Import original PDFs together when their sequence is controlled. The tool looks for useful areas using code and visual-content clues, then proposes a crop. Some files contain an advert, receipt or customs pages, so not every page should automatically occupy a label position.
Review each thumbnail. A parcel label needs its complete code, readable number and expected address blocks. Use a carrier profile or manual crop when needed. Print mandatory supporting papers separately in the format requested by the carrier.
- Imported file count matches the order count.
- No file was added twice by mistake.
- Every selected thumbnail is a parcel label.
- Invoices and customs forms remain separate.
3. Order the sheet before export
Move labels to mirror the physical parcel order. A simple convention is top left first, top right second, bottom left third and bottom right fourth. Do not change the sequence after applying labels has started.
Carrier-based grouping can simplify drop-off, while strict order-number grouping can simplify packing. Choose one repeatable rule that another person can understand without guessing.
4. Recognise a true duplicate
Two differently named files can contain the same downloaded label. Compare the printed tracking number, not only filenames or logos. Conversely, two pages in an international shipment may share a reference while serving different purposes.
Return to the source order when uncertain. Never use two copies of one active carrier label as if they represented two separate parcels.
5. Cut and match immediately
Print the test sheet, cut it while keeping the preview orientation, and place each piece directly on its parcel. Avoid an intermediate pile. Read the name, destination town and final tracking characters before attaching it.
In a team, a second person can cross-check order reference, recipient and service. That short check is cheaper than handling a parcel sent to the wrong customer.
6. After attachment and drop-off
Remove old codes and hand each group to the correct carrier network. Keep receipts or digital proof of drop-off under the carrier's rules; a PDF label alone is not necessarily evidence that a parcel was handed over.
For paper tracking, record labels and actual sheets. Forty labels filling ten sheets means thirty sheets avoided compared with one sheet per label. This is a paper-use calculation, not a certified carbon assessment.