Label Planet
Our guide to copy and paste - truly terrific tools for templates!
We’re forever telling customers to use copy and paste – because they make designing and printing label templates much easier, quicker, & more accurate.
View our How To video for a step by step guide to completing label templates using copy and paste in Word.
What Are Copy & Paste?
Copy and paste are TWO of THREE computer functions used to transfer data (the third is cut). By combining Cut + Paste or Copy + Paste data can be transferred from one place to another.
- Cut + Paste removes the data from its original location and transfers it to a new location.
- Copy + Paste leaves the data in its original location and transfers a copy to the new location.
Using Cut or Copy places the data (either the original data or a copy of the original data) into a temporary storage tool on your device known as the “clipboard”.
Why Are Copy & Paste Useful Tools For Label Templates?
Copy and paste have a number of uses (and benefits) when it comes to adding label designs into label templates.
- They can be used to add a design (or elements that will make up a design) from an external source. For example, transferring product information for product labels from a database / website to a template.
- They can be used to quickly (and accurately) complete label templates for sets of identical labels (or labels with a shared design but variable information). One of our top tips is: set up your design in the top left label of your template and use copy and paste to complete your template. Not only is this a much quicker method, compared to adding your design into each label individually, it is also more accurate because you can replicate not only the content of your design but also its exact layout and positioning within each label – meaning that every label is exactly the same (a tricky thing to achieve if you are setting up each label individually), which makes it easier to produce accurately aligned labels when you print your label template.
How Do I Use Copy & Paste To Add Designs To Label Templates?
Most software contains copy and paste icons or menu options. Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcuts or the “drag and drop” method to quickly copy and paste data from one place to another. The process has four steps:
- Select the data you want to copy
- Copy your data
- Select the place in your template where you want to add your data
- Paste your data
You might not always be able to select the exact location in your label template where you would like to add your copied data. In these cases, you have to paste your data and then move it to the correct position.
Icons & Menu Options (Point & Click):
Select your data; individual items can be selected by (left) clicking on them once, multiple items can be selected by holding down the Control key (Windows) or Command key (Mac) on your keyboard as you click on each item, and text / sections can be selected by moving your cursor to the start of your text / top left of your section, holding down the left button or trackpad and moving your cursor to the end / bottom right, and releasing the button or trackpad to highlight your text / section.
You can then click on the icon / menu option to copy your data. Some software includes copy in a pop-up list of options that appear when you (right) click on your data.
Use your cursor to select where you want to add your data and then click on the icon / menu option to paste your data. Again, paste will often be included in the pop-up list of options if you right click in the location where you want to add your data.
Keyboard Shortcuts:
- Windows: select the data you want to copy; press and hold down the Control (Ctrl) key as you press the C key. Select where you want to paste your data; press and hold down the Control key as you press the V key.
- Mac: follow the same steps but press the Command Key (⌘) instead of the Control key.
Drag And Drop:
Some data can be transferred by using your cursor to drag that data from one location and drop it in another; by default, this usually performs the cut and paste function (removing the data from its original location), although you can change this to a copy and paste function (leaving the original data in its original location) by holding down the Control key (Windows) or Option key (Mac) on your keyboard as you drag and drop your data.
Use your cursor to select your data and hold down the left button / trackpad as you move your cursor to the new location (this works more easily if you have your two locations open side by side on your computer screen, although this isn’t necessary). Release the button / trackpad to drop your data into its new location.
Touchscreen Devices:
On touchscreen devices, you can tap (and hold) to select your data and bring up a pop-up list of options. This list may include a select option to select your data before showing cut and copy as options. You can then tap (and hold) where you want to paste your data to bring up the pop-up list again and select paste.
How Do I Use Copy & Paste To Complete Label Templates?
Add your design to the first label, select the entire label, and copy it.
In Word, you must select the entire label, not just the design you have added. This ensures that the formatting and layout options used to create your design are copied along with the basic elements that make up your design.
Select where to paste your design and use the paste icon / menu option / shortcut. Depending on the layout of your labels, you may be able to complete the entire label template at once OR you may have to paste row by row / column by column as follows:
- NO GAPS BETWEEN LABELS: select all your labels and paste your design.
- GAPS BETWEEN COLUMNS OF LABELS: select individual columns and paste column by column OR select all the label columns (NOT the gaps between the columns) and paste your design.
- GAPS BETWEEN ROWS OF LABELS: select individual rows and paste row by row OR select all the label rows (NOT the gaps between rows) and paste your design.
- LABELS WITH GAPS ALL THE WAY AROUND: if your software allows you to select multiple individual locations, select all your labels and paste. Alternatively, paste your design into all the labels in one row or column before copying that row or column. Next select the rest of the rows / columns in your template and paste your row or column of designs to complete your template more quickly.
Be careful with this method as some software will insert your copied row / column of designs as a new row or column, which will ruin the alignment of your template (unless you can – carefully – delete these rows/columns).