Label Planet
Our troubleshooting tips for choosing the right label templates.
This post is all about troubleshooting hints and tips for finding the right label template based on the most frequently asked questions we get from our customers.
Where Do I Get A Template To Print The Labels I’ve Bought From You?
All of our label sizes have their own template information page, which contains free Word templates and PDF templates for you to download and use. To get to the template information page for your labels you need to:
- Go to our Label Template Home Page; select your label shape and label size
- OR go to the product page for your labels and click on “Label Templates And Printing Information For this Label”
The template download links are listed in the middle of the template page and are purple in colour; we offer a range of different template formats to suit a variety of label designs, including options for Portrait or Landscape templates and Bleed templates. Simply click on the link for the template you want to download!
We have created a short video explaining how to find and download label templates on the Label Planet website.
Alternatively, if your labels have a compatible template code, you can use a template that is built in to your software.
What Software Should I Use To Design My Labels?
It’s up to you. Most people use whatever software they already have installed on their computer but you may want to source new software that is designed for designing and printing labels if you don’t have anything suitable already on your computer.
We don’t recommend any particular software because it’s up to you to decide what you are comfortable with (particularly if you would need to purchase and learn how to use your new software).
Should I Download A Word Template Or A PDF Template?
You should download a template that is compatible with the software that you intend to use to design and print your labels (i.e. that is in a file format that your software can edit). Our Word templates use the .docx file format and can be edited by a variety of word processing software including Word, Pages, LibreOffice etc. Our PDF templates can be used with any graphics package that is capable of editing the .pdf file format (e.g. InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop etc).
When I Download A Template, I Am Asked If I Want To Open Or Save The File – What Should I Do?
We recommend choosing save – you can then use your software to open the saved file so that it can check that it can read and edit the file correctly (and convert the file if necessary) before you start adding your design.
How Do I Open A Word Template On My Mac?
Word templates can be used in Pages, the word processor included with Apple devices. You simply download and save the Word template you need onto your device. You then open Pages, click on File and then Open and browse to the folder where your template is saved (when downloading files from the internet, they are usually saved to the Downloads folder).
Why Can’t I See The Outlines Of My Word Template?
If you open a Word template and you cannot see the outline of the labels, Table Gridlines are turned off. To turn them on, you should left click somewhere in the middle of the page to bring up the Table Tools “Layout” tab at the top of the page. Click on this tab and then click on the “View Gridlines” button on the left hand side of the ribbon at the top of the page.
Please note, Word also contains a tool called Page Gridlines (which adds a grid to your page to help you accurately line up different elements), which is listed under the “View” tab at the top of the page.
Why Don’t Your Word Templates Show Circles/Ovals For Round Labels/Oval Labels?
Word templates are basically a table that represents the layout of a sheet of labels; each cell in the table represents either a label or a blank gap between two labels. This means that Word templates can only represent square or rectangular areas and so – to create Word templates for round labels or ovals labels – a compromise is used. Each label will be represented by a square or rectangular cell in the table whereby the outermost points of the label touches the four sides of the cell.
Why Can’t I Make Changes To My Template?
There are two main reasons why you might not be able to make changes to your template:
- You have downloaded a template from the internet and your software has temporarily put it into a locked protective state for security reasons. Usually there will be a message on your screen to warn you that the file might not be safe (such as the yellow “PROTECTED VIEW” banner that appears at the top of Word documents) and a button for you to press to acknowledge that you want to open and use the file (e.g. “Enable Editing”).
- You may have opened a template in software that can READ the file but not EDIT it – in other words, your software can display what the file looks like but cannot make any changes to it. For example, the free PDF viewer Adobe Reader can display PDF files but you cannot make changes to those files.
Why Has My Word Template Split Onto 2 Pages?
There are a few reasons why a Word template might split across two pages:
- You have accidentally added content above the template. Move your cursor to the top of the page and left click once – if this creates a flashing text cursor, you can use the “Delete” key on your keyboard to move your template back up into place.
- If you have added content to your template, Word may have “helpfully” resized your template to allow your content to fit; double check the size of each label (and gap) in your template to make sure they are still correct.
[Left click once inside a label (or gap), select the Table Tools “Layout” tab at the top of the page, and look for the width and height boxes to see the size of that label (or gap).] - Your software has automatically adjusted the template to suit its own rules and requirements, which may differ from those of Word. For example, Apple’s Pages has a minimum table row height of 2.8mm, which means that any template that uses a smaller row height will automatically be resized to suit the default minimum. You will need to delete the rows that represent the gaps between your labels and increase the height of the labels to accommodate for the gaps.
Why Can’t I Find A Compatible Template Code On Your Website/In My Software?
There are a couple of reasons why you might not be able to find a compatible template on our website or in your software:
- We may not supply that particular size; while we supply a lot of standard label sizes that are the same as those supplied by other manufacturers, we do not supply all of the sizes available from other manufacturers.
- We may not supply that particular size – because it is an American size. America uses a different page size to the UK, which is known as “Letter” (or American Letter), and labels designed for use in the US are supplied on Letter sheets and in measurements of inches – in contrast to UK labels, which are supplied on A4 sheets and in measurements of cm/mm.
- The template code may be for a product that has been discontinued or that wasn’t considered “popular” enough for inclusion in the set of built in templates supplied with your software.
Can You Send Me A Template?
If you are struggling to find, download, or open a template, you can always get in touch with us to let us know and we will email you a copy of the template you need as an attachment.