Label Planet
Here’s our short guide to the different ways to set up label templates in Microsoft Word.
There are a number of different ways to set up label templates in Microsoft Word, with each having advantages and disadvantages depending on what you need to do. Here's our guide to the options available and the purposes they each suit best.
1. MAIL MERGE
BEST SUITED TO: Address Labels where the data is extracted from an existing spreadsheet or database.
We’ve written a guide to Mail Merges – which you can read here – but essentially you follow these steps:
- Click on “Mailings”
- Click on “Start Mail Merge” and select “Labels”
- Under “Label Vendor”, select a company (e.g. A4/A5) and then choose the relevant code from the drop down box
- Follow the Step by Step Guide to design the layout and then import the data from your spreadsheet or database
View our How To video for a step by step guide to using Mail Merge to make labels.
2. CREATE LABELS
BEST SUITED TO: creating a full sheet of the same label – simple text only.
- Click on Mailings
- Click on Labels (left hand side in the “Create” section)
- Click on Options to choose an existing vendor code
- Enter your text in the “Address” box and then opt to print a “Full page of the same label”
[You can also choose to print a “Single label” using this method]
View our How To video for a step by step guide to using Word's Create Labels tool.
3. GENERATE A BLANK TEMPLATE FROM AN EXISTING CODE
BEST SUITED TO: using a built-in template when you need the freedom to create different label designs on one sheet or if you want greater control over the design of your labels (including images).
- Follow the steps for option 2 but instead of entering your text in the “Address” box, click on “New Document” to generate a blank template for you to fill in.
4. MAKE YOUR OWN TEMPLATE
If you’re feeling particularly creative or your labels don’t have a compatible existing code, you can always opt to create your own template.
You can do this by inserting a table and adapting the size and position of the table to suit the layout of the labels.
View our How To video for a step by step guide to making a label template in Word.
Alternatively you can follow the steps for options 2 and 3 above, but instead of choosing a label vendor and code, select “New Label” and fill in the dimensions of your labels to generate your own template.
Of course, you can also opt for an alternative option – visit the Label Planet website and download one of our templates for free! You can find our templates on our website here, along with tips and advice for printing labels. Visit our home page to find links to all of our labels and printing resources.