Start with the product number on your Avery package. In desktop Word, you can choose a matching label layout under Mailings > Labels > Options. If the number is not listed, search Avery for a downloadable Word template or create a custom label layout using the package measurements.
Use Avery label options in Word
- Check the product number and sheet size on the Avery package. Note whether the sheet is US Letter or A4.
- In desktop Word, choose Mailings > Labels > Options.
- Choose the correct printer type and an Avery entry in Label vendors, such as Avery US Letter or an Avery A4 option.
- Select the exact Product number, then choose OK and New Document. Word creates a table laid out for that sheet.
- Enter your text or artwork in the label cells, save the document, and print a test on plain paper.
If you need a page of identical labels, you can enter the text in the Labels dialog and choose a full page of the same label. For different labels, choose New Document and edit each cell. Microsoft explains the label-document workflow; our general Word labels guide covers more layout choices.
If your product number is missing
Word’s built-in list does not include every Avery product. You can search File > New for Avery-compatible templates, or get the template that matches your product number from Avery and open it in Word. Avery’s download instructions explain that route. For a custom-sized product, use New Label in Word’s Label Options and enter the measurements from the package; do not substitute a merely similar product number without checking the dimensions.
Download the exact Avery Word template
If Word does not list the number, go to Avery’s template search and enter the product number from your package. On the matching product page, choose Download Blank Templates, select the Microsoft Word option and the correct orientation when several are offered, then download the file. Open it from Downloads in desktop Word. If Word opens it in Protected View, review that it came from Avery and choose Enable Editing before filling the labels. Save your completed sheet under a new name so the blank template remains available.
If you’re printing business cards rather than labels, see how to make business cards in Word from a template that matches your card stock.
If the boxes are invisible or the print shifts
A label template is commonly a table without printable borders. Click inside it and turn on Table Layout > View Gridlines to see the cells while editing; those gridlines do not print. Do not add rows or resize the table to make content fit, because that changes alignment with the sheet. Shorten the text, adjust its font or cell padding carefully, and print another plain-paper test. Check the first and last labels against the actual sheet. If the first row aligns but later rows drift, recheck the product number, Letter versus A4 size, and printer scaling before moving individual cells.
If the sheet lines up but the words sit high or off to one side inside each label, center the text on your labels with the table alignment buttons instead of moving cells.
Print without wasting label sheets
Print one test on ordinary paper at 100% scale. Hold it behind a label sheet against a light to check alignment. If it drifts, confirm the selected product number, paper size, printer tray, and any scaling setting. Feed the actual labels as directed by the printer and the Avery package. Microsoft also recommends a plain-paper test before loading labels.
Common questions
Can I do this in Word for the web?
Word for the web does not directly create label layouts from the Mailings label dialog, but it can open a label template. Use desktop Word for the built-in product-number workflow.
What if I need different addresses from a spreadsheet?
Use Word’s mail merge for labels instead of typing each address by hand. Select the product layout first, then connect your address 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