WD: How to Create and Save Custom Labels in Word

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Create a Custom Label Sheet

There are several ways to create a label sheet. This article describes three methods you can use to design the label sheet. Start each method after creating a new blank document.

Method 1: Define the Custom Label

Use the appropriate method for your version of Word.

Word 98 Macintosh Edition:

1. On the Tools menu, click Envelopes And Labels.
2. Click the Labels tab.
3. Click Options.
4. Under Printer Information, click to select your printer type, Dot Matrix or Laser And Ink Jet.
5. Click New Label.
6. In the Label Name box, type a name for your custom label. Enter the exact height and width measurements of one label and the number of labels across and down one page. You may also need to adjust the margins and pitches slightly.
7. Click OK.
   
   NOTE: If the following prompt appears
   The margins, label size, and number across or down values produce a page that is larger than the label page size.
   click OK, and then verify that your label dimensions and page margins combined aren't larger than the actual paper size.
8. Click OK.
9. Click New Document.
   
   NOTE: If the paper size of the label sheet is something other than the default 8.5-by-11 inch size, change the paper size and document margins. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. On the File menu click Page Setup.
   2. Click a paper size.
10. Save the document as a template. For more information on how to save the template, see the "Save the New Template" section later in this article.

Word 6.x, 7.x:

1. On the Tools menu, click Envelopes And Labels.
2. Click the Labels tab.
3. Click Options.
4. Under Printer Information, click to select your printer type, Dot Matrix or Laser.
5. In the Product Number list, select either Custom Dot Matrix or Custom Laser. Click Details.
6. Enter the exact height and width measurements of one label and the number of labels across and down one page. You may also need to adjust the margins and pitches slightly.
7. Click OK.
   
   The following prompt should appear:

   You have changed the custom label information. Do you want to save these changes?

8. Click OK.
   
   NOTE: If the following prompt appears
   The margins, label size, and number across or down values produce a page that is larger than the label page size.
   click OK, and then verify that your label dimensions and page margins combined aren't larger than the actual paper size.
9. Click OK.
10. Click New Document.
    
    NOTE: If the paper size of the label sheet is something other than the default 8.5-by-11 inch size, change the paper size and document margins. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. On the File menu click Page Setup. Click the Paper Size tab, or the Custom Paper Size button (on the Macintosh).
    2. Change the Width and Height values.
11. Save the document as a template. For more information on how to save the template, see the "Save the New Template" section later in this article.

Method 2: Choose a Predefined Label and Modify the Measurements

1. On the Tools menu, click Envelopes And Labels.
2. Click the Labels tab.
3. Click Options.
4. Under Printer Information, click to select your printer type, Dot Matrix or Laser.
5. In the Label Products list, select Avery Standard.
6. In the Product Number list, choose the Avery label with the closest dimensions to your custom label.
   
   NOTE: Verify that the Avery Label page size is close to your label sheet. Click Details and verify that the Number Across and Number Down are correct.
7. Click OK twice and then click New Document. The labels appear in a table.
8. Make any necessary changes to the labels by selecting the table and changing the cell height and width measurements (Table menu) for each label, and the margins (File menu, Page Setup) for the label sheet.
9. Save the document as a template. For more information on how to save the template, see the "Save the New Template" section later in this article.

Method 3: Create a New Table and Use Precise Measurements

1. On the File menu, click Page Setup.
2. Click the Paper Size tab (or the Custom Paper Size button on the Macintosh).
3. Change the Width and Height values to match your specific label sheet size.
4. Click the Margins tab (or the Margins button on the Macintosh).
5. Set the Top margin equal to the distance from the top edge of the label sheet to the top edge of the first label. Do the same for the Bottom, Left, and Right margins. Click OK.
6. On the Table menu, click Insert Table.
7. Type the Number of Rows and Number of Columns per sheet and click OK.
8. On the Table menu, click Select Table.
9. On the Table menu, click Cell Height And Width.
10. Click the Row tab.
11. Change the Height of Rows to Exactly. In the At box, type the number of inches for the height of the label. For example, if the label is 1.5 inches high, enter 1.5 in.
    
    NOTE: If you don't use the suffix "in," Word uses points by default. For this example, you could also use "108 pts".
12. Click the Column tab. Change the Width Of Columns value to the width of one label in inches. Change the spacing between columns if needed.
    
    NOTE: The default measurement for columns is inches.
13. Click OK.
14. Save the document as a template.

Save the New Template

1. On the File menu, click Save As.
2. Type a name for the template.
3. In the Save File As Type box, click Document Template. The file name should now have a .dot extension.
   
   NOTE: Make sure you save the file in the Template folder.
4. Click OK (Windows) or Save (Macintosh).
   
   At this point you can close the template and create a new document.
5. On the File menu, click Close.
6. On the File menu, click New.
7. Select the template you just created and click OK.

You are ready to begin typing names in each label. Use the TAB key to move from one label to the next.