How to Print Labels in Word (Same, Different or Single Labels)

If you run a small online shop, send out client welcome packs or organise events, a sheet of labels saves hours of handwriting. Word has a dedicated label tool tucked under the Mailings tab, and it knows the layout of most label sheets you can buy, so you don't have to measure anything.

The part that trips people up is matching Word to the exact product on the box. Get that right and the rest is quick. I'll cover a full sheet of the same label, a sheet of different labels, a single label on a used sheet, and what to do in Word for the web, which can't make labels the same way.

Find the product number on your label sheets first

Look on the packaging for the brand and the product number. Word uses those two details to set the size, spacing and number of labels per sheet. If you skip this and guess, the text will drift off the labels as it goes down the page.

Printing a full sheet of identical labels in Word for Windows

This is the one for return address labels or a run of the same product sticker. Microsoft's steps:

1. Open the Mailings tab and select Labels.
2. Select Options, choose your label vendor and product, then select OK. If your product number isn't listed, select New Label to set up a custom size.
3. Type your text in the Address box, or select Insert Address to pull in a contact.
4. To change the font, select the text, right-click and choose Font or Paragraph.
5. Select OK, then choose Full page of the same label.
6. Select Print, or New Document if you'd rather edit and save it before printing.

I'd always choose New Document. It lets you check every label on screen and keep the file for next time.

Printing labels in Word for Mac

On a Mac, Microsoft has you set up the label product before typing anything:

1. Go to Mailings, then Labels, and select Options.
2. Set Printer type, Label products and Product number. Select New Label if yours isn't there.
3. Select OK.
4. Type your text in the Delivery Address box, or use Insert Address for a contact.
5. Select the text and use Font to change its look.
6. Choose Full page of the same label, then select OK.
7. Select Print, or New Document to save it first.

Making a sheet of different labels in Word

Name badges, jar labels with different flavours or product stickers with different titles all need a sheet where each label's unique. Microsoft's method uses a table:

1. Go to Mailings, then Labels, and select Options.
2. Pick your vendor and product number, then select OK.
3. Select New Document. Word opens a document containing a table sized to match your labels.
4. If you can't see the label edges, go to Layout, then Align, and choose View Gridlines.
5. Type each label's text into its own cell.
6. Go to File, then Print, and select Print. Save the file to reuse the layout.

Because each label is a table cell, you can add a logo or change fonts cell by cell. For long address lists, mail merge is the faster option, since it pulls every name from a spreadsheet instead of you typing them.

Printing a single label on a partly used Word label sheet

Half a sheet left over? Don't bin it. In Mailings, then Labels, choose Single label and set the position on the sheet where the label should print. Microsoft's training page gives this for Windows, so feed the partly used sheet in the right way round and print.

Using Avery labels in Word now the wizard's gone

Microsoft says the old Avery step-by-step wizard has been retired. You've still got two routes:

• Go to File, then New, and search for Avery to find matching templates such as return address labels, gift tags and name badges.
• In Mailings, then Labels, select Options and choose Avery US Letter or Avery A4/A5 under Label vendors, then pick your product.

Creating labels in Word for the web

According to Microsoft, Word for the web can't create labels directly. Instead, choose a label template when you start a new document, or select More templates if you can't see the one you need. Fill in one label, then copy and paste it into the rest. It's fine for a quick sheet, but the desktop app is far easier for anything regular.

Why Word labels print out of line, and how to stop it

Problem	What to check
Text creeps down the sheet	The product number in Options doesn't match the box
Label edges are invisible on screen	Turn on View Gridlines under Layout, Align
Your product isn't in the list	Use New Label and enter the sheet measurements
You've wasted a sheet	Print a test on plain paper first, as Microsoft advises

That last tip is the one I'd tattoo on every printer. Microsoft recommends printing to a sheet of plain paper first. I then hold that page against a label sheet up to the light, and only load the labels once everything lines up.

Labels that work for your small business

Clear labels make parcels, samples and event packs look polished, and the words on them matter as much as the alignment. A short, confident line on a product sticker is copywriting in miniature, which I explain in my guide to what copywriting is and how it works. If you want every label, tag and leaflet to sound like the same business, a simple brand voice document keeps everyone writing in one tone.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the labels option in Word?

It's on the Mailings tab. Select Labels, then Options to choose your label vendor and product number.

How do I print different labels on one sheet in Word?

In Mailings, Labels, Options, choose your product and select New Document. Word creates a table sized to your labels, and you type each label's text into its own cell.

Can I print labels in Word for the web?

Not directly. Microsoft says to start from a label template, fill in one label and copy it to the others.

Does Word still have the Avery wizard?

No. Microsoft says it's retired. Search File, New for Avery templates, or choose Avery US Letter or Avery A4/A5 under Label vendors in the label Options.

How do I stop my labels printing out of alignment?

Check that the product number in Options matches the box, and print a test page on plain paper before loading the label sheets.