Installation
This section covers the installation of the DPD Label Print desktop application for Windows. It is not applicable to Online Label Print, which is browser-based — just log in at your DPD-provided URL, no installation required.
Before you begin
Verify your system meets the requirements:
- Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016+
- 5 GB free disk space — the installer itself needs 293.8 MB, the rest is headroom for your shipment data
- Administrative rights on the machine
Decide two things before you start. The two are independent — any combination works, and both are fixed at installation time:
- whether Label Print runs as an application or as a Windows service
- whether it stores data in SQLite or PostgreSQL
Changing either afterwards means reinstalling.
Download
Download the installer from:
http://label-print-api.dpd.ch/api/v1/public/installers/latest
That link always serves the current version. Run the downloaded file — right-click → Run as administrator if prompted.
The setup wizard
1. Installer language
The first dialog asks which language the setup wizard should use. This affects the installer only — the application's own language follows your browser by default, and can be changed in the application itself.
2. Welcome
A standard welcome page. Click Next to continue.
3. Components
Choose which shortcuts to create:
| Component | Effect |
|---|---|
| Start Menu Shortcuts | Creates shortcuts in the Start menu |
| Desktop Shortcut | Creates a shortcut on the desktop |
Both are optional — clear either one if you do not want it.
4. Installation mode and port
Choose how Label Print should run:
| Mode | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Run as application (desktop mode) | You start Label Print yourself, and it stops when you close the launcher window. Suitable for a single workstation. |
| Run as Windows service | Label Print runs whenever the machine runs, started and stopped by Windows. Required for shared server use. |
Port — the port the backend listens on, 8082 by default. Change it only if something else on the machine already uses that port.
Service account — these two fields appear only after you select Run as Windows Service, which is why they are absent from the screenshot above:
- Leave both the account and password fields empty to run the service under the built-in NETWORK SERVICE account. This is the normal choice.
- Enter a Windows account and password only if the service needs network resources under a specific identity — a network folder for file imports, for example.
5. Database
Choose where Label Print stores its data:
| SQLite | PostgreSQL | |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Local file in the data directory | Separate database server |
| Setup | None — this is the default | Requires a PostgreSQL server, prepared in advance |
| Performance at scale | Up to roughly 10,000 shipments per month | No practical limit |
Either database works with either installation mode, and both support several people sharing one installation — SQLite can back a Windows service used by a team, and PostgreSQL can back an application-mode install. The choice is about data volume, not the number of users.
SQLite is the default. Its data directory defaults to C:\ProgramData\DPD\LabelPrintClient\.
PostgreSQL is recommended for large data volumes. Create the database and its user before running the installer:
CREATE DATABASE labelprint;
CREATE USER labelprint WITH PASSWORD 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE labelprint TO labelprint;
PostgreSQL 16 or later is recommended. Enter the connection details in this step of the wizard.
The database type is fixed at installation time. There is no way to switch between SQLite and PostgreSQL afterwards — changing it means reinstalling.
6. Install location
The default installation directory is C:\Program Files\DPD\LabelPrintClient. The installer shows the space it needs (293.8 MB) against what is available.
Click Install and wait for it to finish.
First launch
The DPD Label Print App window appears and starts the backend.
Once the status reads Backend is ready:
- Open in Browser opens Label Print at
http://localhost:8082— or whichever port you chose - Exit stops the backend and closes the runner
In application mode the backend is a local process — keep the launcher window open while you work, because closing it stops the backend. In Windows service mode this does not apply: the service runs independently, and you can open the address in a browser at any time.
The application runs entirely on your local machine. The browser is just the interface — no data is sent through your browser to external servers (only directly from the backend to DPD).
Activate your account
DPD provides an activation code, a user ID and a password. The activation code is entered once, on the first run, before anyone can log in.
- On the login screen choose the Account activation tab
- Paste the code — it is in the e-mail DPD sent you
- Click Activate
After "Activation successful" the screen returns to the normal login form. Log in with:
- User ID — for example
AB12345 - Login — your user name, for example
admin - Password
If activation fails, Login Issues lists each error message and what it means.
First-time setup
Work through these once, after signing in for the first time.
- Review the default settings — the weight, references, service and sender data that every new shipment starts from → Default Settings
- Check users and access — who can sign in, and which services and pick-up addresses they may use → User Administration
- Add a printer and send a test print → Printer Settings
- Set up imports, and a watched folder or FTP source if shipments arrive automatically → File Imports, Data Sources
- Set up automatic shipment export, if another system collects your shipment data → Automatic Shipments Export
- Create your first shipment, print the label, then print a manifest → Create a Shipment, Manifests
Running as a Windows service
Choosing Run as Windows service during installation lets several people share one instance, one database and one set of settings.
Use it when:
- several staff members need Label Print at the same time
- you want shipment history and settings in one place
- Label Print should keep running when nobody is logged in
- the application should be managed by IT rather than by its users
Windows Server
├── DPD Label Print backend (Windows service, port 8082)
├── Database (SQLite or PostgreSQL — either works)
└── Users connect via browser → http://<server-ip>:8082
Each user opens http://<server-ip>:8082 in a browser. Nothing is installed on the workstations.
Firewall — the installer adds a Windows Firewall rule for the port you chose. If it is missing, add it manually, replacing 8082 with your port:
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="DPD Label Print" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=8082
User accounts — create them in Settings → User Management.
Recommended hardware
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Dual-core | Quad-core |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 20 GB | 50 GB (for large shipment history) |
| OS | Windows Server 2016 | Windows Server 2019/2022 |
Working offline
With SQLite, Label Print keeps working without an internet connection for:
- creating shipments and printing labels — labels are generated locally
- storing shipment history
Once a connection is available again it automatically:
- transmits pending shipments to DPD
- downloads updated routing data and configuration
Where things live
| What | Default path |
|---|---|
| Application | C:\Program Files\DPD\LabelPrintClient |
| Data, including the SQLite database | C:\ProgramData\DPD\LabelPrintClient\ |
| Logs | C:\ProgramData\DPD\LabelPrintClient\logs |
The log folder is the first place to look when something fails at start-up, and the first thing DPD support will ask for.
Uninstallation
Go to Windows Settings → Apps → DPD Label Print Client → Uninstall.
Or run:
"C:\Program Files\DPD\LabelPrintClient\uninstall.exe"
Your data stays in C:\ProgramData\DPD\LabelPrintClient\ — uninstalling does not delete shipment history or settings.
Next steps
- Create a Shipment — create and print your first label
- Server Migration — move an existing installation to new hardware
- Updates — how the built-in updater works