To print address labels in desktop Word, first match the label vendor and product number on the package. For a sheet of different addresses, use Mailings > Labels > Options > New Document and type each label, or use Mail Merge for an address list. For a sheet of the same address, enter one address and choose the full-page identical-label option. Always print a test on plain paper before feeding label stock.
Choose the label job
- One address repeated across a sheet: Use the Labels dialog and its full-page same-label option, or create the sheet and copy the first finished label into the other cells.
- A few different addresses: Create a new label document and type directly into its table cells.
- A large mailing list: Use Mail Merge with an Excel or other supported recipient list so each label receives a different record.
The old one-address entry box is not a convenient place to enter many different recipients. Decide which job you have before printing, because the label layout and the source of addresses differ.
If you’re addressing a single piece of mail rather than a sheet of labels, you can print directly on an envelope in Word.
Print a sheet of different addresses manually
- In desktop Word, choose Mailings > Labels, then Options. Select your printer type if prompted, the label vendor, and the exact product number printed on the package.
- Choose New Document. Word creates a table sized for that label stock. If the cell boundaries are invisible, turn on table gridlines; these guides do not necessarily print.
- Type one address in each label cell. Keep line breaks, font size, and paragraph spacing within the printable area. Save the document for reuse.
- Open File > Print, confirm the correct paper size and printer, and print one copy on ordinary paper. Hold it behind the label sheet against a light to compare positions before using adhesive stock.
Microsoft’s label-sheet instructions cover the manually filled layout. If your exact stock is not listed, use New Label to enter its measurements rather than picking a merely similar product number.
If you are using Avery stock, you can choose the matching Avery product number in Word’s label options or use a product-specific template. Check the number on the package, not just the sheet’s apparent size. Our guide to using Avery templates in Word explains the template route. A template from another product may look close on screen yet drift on the printed sheet.
Print different addresses from a list
For many recipients, prepare the source list with one person per row and clear column headers. Check that postal codes retain leading zeros where needed. In Word, choose Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Labels, select the matching label product, then choose Select Recipients to connect the list. Place the address fields in the first label, choose Update Labels, and use Preview Results to inspect several recipients before Finish & Merge > Print Documents. Microsoft’s mailing-list label guide explains the full sequence. If a name appears in every cell, check the merge fields and Update Labels step rather than retyping the sheet.
Make a full sheet of the same address
Return address labels are the typical case: one address repeated on every label. You do not need mail merge for this.
- In desktop Word, choose Mailings > Labels.
- Select Options, choose the label vendor and the product number printed on your package, and select OK.
- Type the address in the Address box.
- Under Print, choose Full page of the same label.
- Select New Document to open the finished sheet, or Print to send it straight to the printer.
New Document is the better choice when you want to change the font, add a logo, or save the sheet to print again later. Every label on the sheet shows the same address, and you can edit any single label like normal text.
Print one label on a partly used sheet
If some labels on a sheet are already gone, you can print a single address in a specific position.
- In desktop Word, choose Mailings > Labels.
- Type the address in the Address box.
- Select Options and confirm the label vendor and product number, then select OK.
- Under Print, choose Single label, then set the Row and Column of the first unused label.
- Load the sheet and select Print.
Test the position on plain paper first, since a sheet with missing labels is more likely to jam or feed unevenly.
Fix alignment before using label stock
- Text drifts down or sideways: Confirm the exact product number, page size, and printer paper settings. Avoid print scaling such as Fit to Page; print at actual size when that setting is available.
- The first label is correct but later ones drift: Compare the stock dimensions and spacing with the chosen template. Recheck paragraph spacing and the printer’s paper feed.
- Addresses are clipped: Use fewer lines, smaller but readable type, or tighter paragraph spacing. Do not shrink the whole sheet without checking the physical stock.
- One label position is already used: Use a method designed for a partially used sheet and test the feed direction. Repeatedly feeding a damaged label sheet can cause printer trouble.
Word for the web cannot directly create new labels in the same way as desktop Word, though Microsoft documents label templates there. Use desktop Word for precise stock selection and mail merge. Save the final label file and test one plain-paper page whenever the printer, paper, or template changes.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com