Device Tags & Warehouse Printing
Print barcode device tags to track physical units through receiving, diagnostics and repair — via thermal print clients or the browser.
Device tags are small barcode labels you stick on a physical unit when it arrives, so it can be identified at every step of warehouse inspection and repair. Each tag carries the RMA number as a scannable barcode, a QR code that opens the RMA detail page, and key context — customer, order number, and (where available) item name, SKU and serial number.
Tags are generated in ZPL (Zebra Programming Language) for thermal label printers, and can also be printed from the browser for non-thermal setups.
What's On a Tag
- RMA number — as text and a Code 128 barcode
- QR code — scanning it opens the RMA in the ReturnMate admin
- Customer name and phone, order number
- Item name / SKU, serial number and location where available (varies by label size — smaller labels carry less detail)
- Received date
Printing a Device Tag
Open the RMA
On the RMA detail page, click the Print Device Tag button in the command bar. The Print Device Tracking Tag modal opens.
Choose how to print
- If a print client is active for your location, the primary button is Send to Printer — the tag is queued as a ZPL print job and prints on the location's thermal printer. A Browser Print option remains available as a fallback.
- With no print client connected, the button is Print, which opens a print-formatted tag in a new browser window.
Attach the tag
Stick the tag on the unit (or its bag/box) before it moves into inspection, diagnostics or repair.
Browser printing opens the tag in a popup window — if nothing appears, allow popups for the ReturnMate admin in your browser.
Configuration
Default label size — Settings > Labels & Device Tags
Under Settings > Labels & Device Tags, set the Default Label Size used whenever a device tag is generated. Supported sizes:
| Size | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard 4×6" | 101 × 152 mm | Default — full detail, barcode + QR |
| Zebra 2.25" × 1.25" | 57 × 32 mm | Compact |
| Zebra 2" × 1" (single) | 51 × 25 mm | Compact single label |
| Zebra 2" × 1" split | 51 × 25 mm ×2 | Two labels per tag: barcode label + details label |
| Zebra 1.25" × 1" | 32 × 25 mm | Smallest — RMA number and barcode |
| Dymo 30252 | 28 × 89 mm | Address label stock |
| Dymo 30256 | 59 × 102 mm | Shipping label stock |
| Dymo 30323 | 54 × 101 mm | Shipping label stock |
| Dymo 30334 | 25 × 54 mm | Multi-purpose stock |
The generated ZPL works with Zebra thermal printers (GK420d, ZD420, ZD620, etc.), Dymo LabelWriter printers (450, 550, etc.) and any ZPL-compatible label printer.
Per-location printers — Settings > Print Clients
If you run print clients (the ReturnMate desktop app paired to your thermal printers), configure them under Settings > Print Clients:
- Physical location — device tag print jobs for RMAs at a location are routed to that location's client.
- Default printer for this location — when multiple clients share a location, the default receives jobs first.
- Device tag size — a per-client override of the shop-wide device tag template ("— Use shop default —" unless this location's printer needs a different size). When a job is dispatched to a client with an override, the tag's ZPL is rebuilt in that client's size automatically.
See Print Clients & Labels for pairing and transport-mode setup.
How It Works Behind the Scenes
- Printing generates and stores the tag on the RMA; when sending to a print client, it's queued as a
DEVICE_TAG_ZPLprint job. - The QR code always links to the RMA detail page, so anyone in the warehouse can scan a unit and land on its full history.
- On multi-item RMAs, tags can carry item-specific details (item name, serial number) for the unit they're attached to.
Permissions & Plan Requirements
- Any signed-in staff member can print device tags from an RMA.
- The Settings > Labels & Device Tags and Settings > Print Clients pages are Admin-only, like other settings pages.
Limitations
- Device tag templates are fixed per label size — the layout and fields aren't customisable.
- Browser Print renders an HTML version of the tag; exact output depends on your desktop printer and browser print settings, so thermal printing via a print client is recommended for consistent results.
- Tags are per-RMA/unit tracking labels — they are not carrier shipping labels. Carrier label formats are configured separately per print client.
Troubleshooting
"Please allow popups to print" — the browser blocked the print window. Allow popups for the admin domain and try again.
Send to Printer fails or nothing prints — check the print client's status under Settings > Print Clients (it must be Active) and that it's assigned to the right location. In POLL transport mode, jobs are picked up within a few seconds.
Tag prints at the wrong size — check both the shop default (Settings > Labels & Device Tags) and the per-client Device tag size override (Settings > Print Clients); the client override wins for jobs sent to that client.