USPS has changed some of the software they provide for users to print their own shipping labels. The prior software had always worked well for me using Safari. I could purchase and print a shipping label directly from their site. When it came time to print, a java applet would load, process my credit card, and send the label directly to my printer.
Doesn’t work like that anymore. Today I found that the website now sends (or tries to) the label directly to your printer without using a java applet. While it is true that many people probably don’t have the required java software on their computer to print the old way, the new way didn’t work at all. I got a nice message saying the data had ben sent to the printer (it had not) and could I confirm it printed okay.
What I thought was interesting was that when I clicked no all it said was to make sure I had Adobe Reader installed… which of course I do along with Apple’s Preview, and the full version of Acrobat. None of that seemed to help. The website offered no other information; they should have at least offered some things to check like their system requirements page, make sure the printer is turned on, etc. They offered nothing.
So I logged back in under FireFox and tried it there. The website again told me that the label had been sent to my printer and asking if it printed okay. Nope. However a file called com.usps.cns.web.pdf.LabelGenerationServlet was downloaded to my Desktop. Of course since LabelGenerationServlet wasn’t a file extension my mac was familiar with it gave up. So I renamed the file to com.usps.cns.web.pdf and opened the file in Preview. Sure enough there was my label. I manually hit print and the label successfully came out of the printer.
Don’t you just love it when people completely break functionality in an effort to make things better? Perhaps these hints will save someone else some trouble.
Tim Flight
Former software regression tester who still thinks like one
Hi Tim,
I can’t believe usps changed their printing system. It used to work flawlessly. I can’t even get a downloaded file like you were talking about. I’ve tried safari, firefox, in jaquar and panther, two different computers.
Did you figure out any other methods. Thanks, and nice site.
I switched to Shipwire.com over the weekend. Sick of waiting for the usps to fix this.
I have also been frustrated by this change. I am running OS X 10.3.9, Safari 1.3. Strangely enough, though, the “new” PDF system works fine on my iBook running 10.3.5, Safari 1.2. Both systems have Java 1.4.2. So I’m wondering what the deal is. There were some changes to PHP with some of the security updates – does USPS use embedded PHP?
Just today I tried to print a shipping label, had the SAME problem as you. I googled it and found your post! Followed your example, found the file in my DOCUMENTS by searching, and FINALLY printed it!! Just wanted to thank you for posting the information! Hope they fix it soon.
I CAN’T OPEN MY LABEL THAT SOME ONE SENT TO ME,HOW DO I OPEN IT AND THEN I CAN PRINT IT OUT
I cant open my label how do i print it