To print labels from desktop Word, start at Mailings > Labels, choose the label vendor and product number printed on your package under Options, enter your text, and select Print. First decide whether you need the same text on every label, different text on one sheet, or names and addresses from a list.
Print a sheet of identical labels
- In Word, go to Mailings > Labels, then select Options.
- Choose the printer type if prompted, then the label vendor and product number that match your package. If the product is missing, choose New Label and enter its dimensions. Select OK.
- Type the text in the Address or Delivery Address box. Select Full page of the same label.
- Choose Print, or New Document if you want to edit and save the sheet first.
For just one label, choose Single label and the position on the sheet instead of a full page.
Print different labels on one sheet
Use Mailings > Labels > Options to match your label stock, then choose New Document. Word creates a table sized to that product. Type different text in each label cell and print the document. If you cannot see the cell boundaries, turn on table gridlines while editing; they are guides, not printed borders.
For a common 30-per-sheet address label, choose the product number printed on the package, such as Avery US Letter 5160 (1″ x 2-5/8″), in Label Options. The new document shows a three-column grid of 30 labels. Press Tab to move to the next label. Some label layouts include narrow spacer columns between the label columns; leave those cells empty so text does not print in the gaps.
For event badges with a different name on each, see how to make name tags in Word.
Print labels from an address list
If every label needs a different recipient from an Excel or Word list, use Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard, choose Labels, match the label product, and connect the recipient list. Preview the results before you finish and print. Typing one address into the regular Labels dialog does not automatically create a sheet of different addresses.
If you want to control which details appear on each label, learn how to add and arrange merge fields before you update the labels.
If your addresses are in a spreadsheet, see how to print labels from an Excel list with Mail Merge.
Make labels from a mailing list without repeating one person
When every label needs a different address, connect the list through Mailings > Select Recipients after choosing Start Mail Merge > Labels and the correct stock. Design the first label with an Address Block or individual merge fields, including spaces and punctuation you want printed. Then choose Update Labels so Word copies the layout to every label cell and advances to the next recipient. If you skip that step, later cells may stay empty or show the wrong fields.
Choose Preview Results and inspect the first sheet plus a later sheet. Check long addresses, blank apartment lines, postal codes, and whether each label advances to a different person. For a final review, Finish & Merge > Edit Individual Documents creates output you can inspect before printing. Save the main merge document separately if you will use the list again.
Fix a test sheet that does not line up
Confirm the product number and paper size first. In the printer dialog, print at actual size or 100% rather than using a fit-to-page setting that changes the grid. Compare a plain-paper test against the unused label sheet in good light. If the top labels align but lower rows drift, recheck the stock dimensions and printer feed before changing individual table cells, since manual cell edits can compound the mismatch.
When the grid matches the sheet but the text inside each label looks off-center, see how to center text on labels in Word.
Check alignment before using label stock
Print a test on plain paper and hold it behind a label sheet to check alignment. Match the Word product number to the package, use the paper size specified for the stock, and follow the printer and label manufacturer’s loading instructions. This can prevent wasting an entire sheet.
Word for the web: Microsoft says it cannot directly create labels through the desktop Labels command. Start with a label template instead, or open the document in desktop Word for the steps above.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Create and print labels
- Microsoft Support: Create a sheet of different labels
- Microsoft Support: Print labels for your mailing list
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