How to Make Labels in Microsoft Word

Understanding Label Basics in Microsoft Word

Labels in Microsoft Word are small pieces of text or images that you print on adhesive sheets designed to stick to envelopes, packages, name tags, file folders, or other surfaces. Microsoft Word comes with built-in label templates that make creating professional-looking labels straightforward. These templates are pre-designed to match common label sheet sizes manufactured by companies like Avery, which is the industry standard for label sheets in the United States.

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When you use Word's label feature, you're not creating individual labels one at a time. Instead, you set up a template that can repeat the same design across an entire page or across multiple pages. This means if you want to print 30 address labels, you can create one label design and have Word automatically populate it across the correct number of label spaces on your sheet. The software handles the spacing and positioning automatically, so your labels line up perfectly with the pre-cut sections on your label sheets.

Label sheets come in various configurations. Some sheets have 30 labels per page (arranged in 5 rows and 6 columns), while others might have 80 small labels, or just 2 large labels per page. Each configuration has a specific product code, usually found on the label sheet packaging or on the manufacturer's website. Word's template system recognizes these codes, so you can select your exact label type and Word will format your design to fit perfectly.

The label feature works with both text and images. You can add names, addresses, barcodes, logos, or decorative elements. You can also format your labels with different fonts, colors, borders, and background colors. This flexibility makes labels useful for many purposes: shipping labels for online sellers, event name tags for conferences, address labels for holiday cards, or organizational labels for filing systems.

Practical Takeaway: Before you start creating labels in Word, identify the exact label sheet product you have or plan to purchase. Look for the product code (often found as "Avery 5160" or similar) on the packaging or manufacturer's website. This information will help you select the correct template in Word.

How to Access and Select Label Templates

To begin making labels, open Microsoft Word and look for the "Mailings" tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen. In the Mailings tab, you'll see a button labeled "Labels." Click this button to open the Labels dialog box. This dialog contains all the tools you need to set up your label project. The dialog box displays several options, and the most important one is the label product selection.

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Once you click Labels, the dialog box will show a section labeled "Label vendors." This dropdown menu contains the names of major label manufacturers. Avery is the most common option, but you may also see other manufacturers depending on your version of Word. Click on the vendor name to see all available label products from that manufacturer. Word will display a long list with product codes and descriptions, such as "5160 - Address" or "8160 - Shipping."

To find your specific label product in this list, you have two options. First, you can scroll through the entire list manually, though this can be time-consuming if you're unsure of your product code. Second, and more efficient, you can type your product code into the "Product number" field at the bottom of the dialog box. If you type "5160," Word will immediately jump to that product in the list. This method saves considerable time and reduces the chance of selecting the wrong label format.

If you cannot find your exact label product in Word's list, you have an alternative. Word includes a "New Label" button that allows you to create a custom label size. You would measure your label dimensions (width and height) and enter these measurements into the custom label dialog. However, this should only be necessary if your label sheets are non-standard or from a manufacturer not included in Word's list. For most common label sheets purchased in office supply stores, your product code will be in the built-in list.

After selecting your label product, you'll see additional options. One important option is "New document." If you select this, Word will create a fresh document formatted for your selected labels. Alternatively, if you select "Single label," Word will create just one label on a sheet, which is useful if you need to test your design before printing a full page. For most projects, "New document" is the best choice.

Practical Takeaway: Keep your label sheet packaging handy while working in Word. The product code (such as "Avery 5160") is typically printed on the packaging. Enter this code into Word's product number field to instantly locate the correct template format for your labels.

Creating and Formatting Your Label Content

Once you've selected your label template and created a new document, you'll see a page with multiple empty label boxes outlined in light blue. These outlines show you exactly where each label will print on your sheet. The cursor will be positioned in the first label box, ready for you to type. This is where you enter the actual content that will appear on your labels.

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For address labels, you would typically type a name, street address, city, state, and zip code. You can press Enter between each line to create line breaks. For example, you might type "John Smith," then press Enter, then "123 Main Street," then Enter again, then "Springfield, IL 62701." Word will automatically keep all this text within the boundaries of that single label box. If you add too much text, Word will either shrink the font size to fit or, if you've set specific formatting, the text may overflow beyond the label area—a signal that you need to edit your content to be shorter.

After entering the text for your first label, you need to copy this content to all the other label boxes on the page. This is a crucial step that many people find confusing. To do this, select all the text in the first label (you can use Ctrl+A to select all, or manually highlight the text). Then copy it (Ctrl+C). Next, click in the second label box and paste (Ctrl+V). Repeat this process for each label on the page. This is necessary because each label is a separate text box in Word.

To format your labels, you can select the text and use standard Word formatting options. You can change the font by clicking the font dropdown in the Home tab. You can increase or decrease font size using the font size selector. You can make text bold, italic, or underlined using the formatting buttons. You can also change text color by clicking the font color button (typically represented by an "A" with a colored bar underneath). For address labels, many people use a simple, readable font like Calibri or Arial in a size between 10 and 14 points.

You can also add formatting to the label boxes themselves, not just the text inside them. Right-click on a label box border (not the text) to access shape formatting options. Here, you can add a border line around each label, change the background color, or add a fill pattern. This is useful if you want your labels to stand out visually. For instance, you might add a light blue background to make address labels easier to see on white envelopes.

Practical Takeaway: Create your first label completely—with all text, formatting, and borders—before copying it to the remaining labels. This ensures consistency across all labels and prevents you from having to make the same formatting change multiple times.

Working with Multiple Different Labels on One Sheet

One of the most powerful features of Word's label system is the ability to create multiple different labels on a single sheet. This is particularly useful for bulk mailings where different recipients need different addresses, or for event name tags where each person has a unique name. There are two primary methods for accomplishing this: manual entry or mail merge.

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The manual method is straightforward if you have a small number of different labels. After creating your first label and copying it to fill the page as described in the previous section, you can simply click into the second label box and change only the content that needs to be different. Keep the formatting (font, size, color, borders) the same across all labels for a professional appearance. This method works well if you're creating 5 to 10 different labels, such as name tags for a small meeting or holiday cards for close friends and family.

For larger projects with many different labels, the mail merge feature is far more efficient. Mail merge allows you to connect Word to a data source—usually an Excel spreadsheet or a Word table—that contains all your different label information. Once connected, Word automatically populates each label box with information from your