How to Make Labels on a Word Document (Avery & Mail Merge)

Quick answer: In Microsoft Word, go to Mailings → Labels, open Options, choose Avery US Letter (or your brand) and the product number on your label package, then create a full page of the same label—or open a New Document and type into each cell. For a list in Excel, use Start Mail Merge → Labels.

Most people searching for how to make labels on a Word document already have Avery-style sheets and need the text to land inside each sticker—not a theory lesson on mailings.

Below are the Word steps first. WPS comes later if you want another app for the same file.

Before you start

• Grab the product number from the label box (examples: Avery 5160, 8160).

• In Word’s label list, set the vendor to Avery US Letter for U.S. Letter sheets—wrong vendor = wrong sizes.

• Plan a plain-paper test print before you load real label stock.

Method 1: Full page of identical labels

Use this when every label should show the same return address, Wi-Fi password, or classroom note.

1. Open a blank document in Word for Windows (Microsoft 365, Word 2021, or Word 2019).

2. Select the Mailings tab → Labels.

 

3. Select Options. Choose your printer type, label vendor, and product number → OK.

 

4. Type the text in the Address box (text only in this dialog).

5. Select Full page of the same label.

6. Select Print, or New Document if you want to tweak fonts before printing.

 

To print only one label on the sheet, choose Single label and pick the row/column position instead of a full page.

Method 2: Different text on each label

Use this for nametags, mixed addresses, or one-off cells you fill by hand.

1. Go to Mailings → Labels → Options and pick the correct product number (same Avery choice as above).

2. Leave the Address box empty (or clear it).

3. Select New Document. Word builds a table that matches the label sheet.

4. If you don’t see cell borders, turn on gridlines: Layout (Table) → View Gridlines.

5. Click inside each cell, type your content, and press Tab to move to the next label.

6. Format fonts carefully—keep text inside the cell so nothing clips when you print.

Tip: Keep the first cell simple. If text spills over the dashed label edge on screen, reduce the font size before you fill the rest of the sheet.

Method 3: Mail merge labels from Excel

Use this when you have a contact list and don’t want to type each address.

1. In Excel, put headers in row 1 (First Name, Last Name, Address, City, State, ZIP, and so on). Keep ZIP codes as text if leading zeros matter.

2. In Word, go to Mailings → Start Mail Merge → Labels (or use the Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard).

3. Choose Avery US Letter and your product number → OK.

4. Select Select Recipients → Use an Existing List and open your Excel file.

5. In the first label, insert fields with Address Block or Insert Merge Field. Add spaces and line breaks as needed.

6. Select Update Labels so every cell gets the same field layout.

7. Select Preview Results, fix spacing if text overflows, then Finish & Merge → Edit Individual Documents or Print.

 

If fields look wrong on every label, fix the first cell, then click Update Labels again—don’t edit one cell at a time across the sheet.

Can’t find your Avery number?

• Confirm the vendor dropdown is Avery US Letter (not A4/A5 unless you bought A4 sheets).

• Product numbers are sorted in a quirky alphanumeric order—scroll carefully.

• If nothing matches, select New Label, measure the sheet with a ruler (page size, margins, label height/width, rows/columns, pitch), name the custom label, and use that.

Print labels without wasting sheets

1. Print on plain paper first at 100% / No scaling (turn off Fit to Page).

2. Hold the test page over a label sheet against a light—check that text sits inside each sticker.

3. Load labels according to your printer’s tray direction (face-up vs face-down).

4. If print drifts down the page, clean rollers or recreate the merge with a custom label definition that matches the physical sheet.

 

Another option: make labels in WPS Writer

If the Word steps already got you a clean sheet, skip this. Prefer working in WPS Office? Open the same .docx in Writer, set up your label layout or merge, preview alignment, then print.

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FAQ

Where is the Labels button in Word?

It’s on the Mailings tab, not Insert. Open Mailings and look in the Create group for Labels.

Why doesn’t my Avery 5160 (or 8160) show up?

Set Label vendors to Avery US Letter, then scroll the product list. Numbers aren’t sorted the way most people expect. If it’s still missing, create a New Label with measured sizes.

How do I make labels from an Excel list?

Use Mailings → Start Mail Merge → Labels, connect the Excel file, insert fields on the first label, click Update Labels, preview, then Finish & Merge.

Why do my labels look fine on screen but print crooked?

Usually printer scaling or sheet slip. Print at 100% with no fit-to-page, test on plain paper, and confirm Letter vs A4 matches the physical labels.

Can I put a logo on Word labels?

Yes—open the labels as a New Document (table), insert the image in the first cell, resize it so it fits, then copy the layout to other cells or rebuild the merge layout before Update Labels.

Summary

To make labels on a Word document, open Mailings → Labels, match your Avery product number, then print a full page of identical labels or a New Document table for different text. For Excel lists, run a label mail merge, update all labels from the first cell, and always test-print at 100% scale before using real label sheets. WPS Writer is optional once the Word path already works.

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Algirdas Jasaitis