Templates: from Excel to Word in a Mail Merge

We’ve had a few enquiries asking for the simplest way to set up labels using text from an Excel spreadsheet.

Most people who are printing labels from Excel are trying to create address or product labels, with each row in the spreadsheet needing to be transferred onto one label. The easiest way to accomplish this is to create the labels using Microsoft Word’s “Mail Merge” function. The template for the labels will be created in Word, but the data used to populate the labels will be drawn directly from the Excel spreadsheet.

This does tend to be slightly easier if you are using labels with a compatible template code, as these are built in to the Mail Merge function, but you can also use your own bespoke template to complete the mail merge.

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide.

Watch a video: this advice is also available in video format.
View our step by step How To video to learn how to use mail merge to make labels.

• Open a blank Word document
• Start the Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard

(For Word 2007 and after, click on the “Mailings” tab at the top of the page, click on “Start Mail Merge”, then select “Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard” from the list. For earlier versions of Word, click on the “Tools” menu, select “Letters and Mailings” and then click on “Mail Merge”.)

The Wizard will then guide you through the necessary steps, which are as follows:
1. Select Document Type
Select “Labels”!
2. Select Starting Document

• If you have a compatible template code select “Change document layout”, then click “Label options”. Select the correct option under “Label vendors” (e.g. A4/A5), then select the relevant code from the list of product numbers.
• If you don’t have a compatible code, then you need to “Start from existing document”. For this you can either use a template that you have created yourself OR you can download (and save) one of our templates which are available on our website.

3. Select Recipients
This is where you link in your Excel spreadsheet. Select “Use an existing list”, then browse to find where your spreadsheet is saved.
4. Arrange Your Labels
This is where you set out what information should be taken from your spreadsheet and how it should be laid out. For example, if you are creating address labels, you can select “Address Block”, and then match up the fields that need to be on the label with the column in your spreadsheet that has this information.
5. Preview Your Labels
Double check that everything is as it should be!
6. Print Your Labels
Get printing! If you are unsure about the process, or if you’re worried you might have made an error, try test printing the first page or two, just to double check that everything will print as you want it to.

Remember:

1. Your template and your Excel spreadsheet are linked so you need to keep both files safe.
2. When you update your Excel spreadsheet, the changes will be applied the next time you open your template.
3. You can relink your template and spreadsheet (or link your template to another spreadsheet) by clicking on Mailings and choosing "Select Recipients".
4. If you come back to a saved template that has been merged with a spreadsheet, you need to click on Mailings and "Finish & Merge" to view all of your printing options. If you try to use File > Print, you will only be able to print the one page of labels visible on your screen.