Printing Problems

How to Print Different Addresses on Avery 8160 Labels in Word on Mac

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to print multiple unique addresses on a single sheet of Avery 8160 labels, but the software is duplicating the same address across all labels on the page.

Product: Word for Microsoft 365
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Creating and printing mailing labels using the Avery 8160 template format.
Observed behavior: Word prints the exact same address on every label on the sheet instead of pulling a different address for each label.

Before you start

Ensure your address list is properly organized in an Excel worksheet or a Word table with clear column headers (like Name, Street, City, Zip), as simple text documents separated by paragraph marks cannot be used directly.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Word's Mail Merge to Labels Feature

Configure a label mail merge using an Excel spreadsheet or Word table as your data source to populate each label with a unique address.

To print a different address on each label, you cannot simply type into a label template. You must use the Mail Merge feature. The data source must be structured as a table, so an Excel worksheet or a formatted Word table is required.

Start the Mail Merge for Labels

Open a blank Word document. Go to the 'Mailings' tab on the ribbon, click 'Start Mail Merge', and select 'Labels' from the drop-down menu.

Select the Avery 8160 Template

In the Label Options dialog box, choose 'Avery US Letter' from the Label vendors drop-down list. Scroll through the Product number list, select '8160 Address Labels', and click 'OK'.

Select Your Address List

Click 'Select Recipients' on the Mailings tab, then choose 'Use an Existing List'. Locate and open the Excel worksheet or Word table containing your formatted address data.

Insert Merge Fields

Click into the first label on your document. Use the 'Insert Merge Field' button to add your address components (e.g., First Name, Last Name, Street Address, City) and arrange them properly with spaces and line breaks.

Update All Labels

Click the 'Update Labels' button on the Mailings tab. This replicates your layout to all other labels on the sheet and automatically adds the <<Next Record>> rule, which is required to fetch a different address for each label.

Preview and Print

Click 'Preview Results' to verify that different addresses appear on each label. Finally, click 'Finish & Merge' and select 'Print Documents' to send the labels to your printer.

Crucial Step: The 'Update Labels' step is mandatory. Without clicking it, Word will only print the first address from your list onto every label.

Smart Label Printing

Print Custom Labels Seamlessly with WPS Office

WPS Writer includes a highly intuitive Mail Merge wizard that makes generating and printing custom Avery labels fast and error-free. Easily link your address lists from WPS Spreadsheet to create perfectly aligned mailing labels in just a few clicks.

1. Open Mail Merge: Launch WPS Writer, navigate to the 'References' tab, and click on 'Mail Merge' to open the mail merge toolbar.
2. Import Address Data: Click 'Open Data Source' and select your spreadsheet containing the different addresses you want to print.
3. Insert Fields: Click 'Insert Merge Field' to place your address data points into the first label space on your document.
4. Apply Next Record: Insert the 'Next Record' field into the subsequent labels so the software knows to pull a new address for every label space.
5. Merge and Print: Click 'Merge to Printer' to directly output your custom-addressed labels.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx) formatsIntuitive Mail Merge tools for bulk mailing and label generationBuilt-in support for standard label dimensionsFree, lightweight, and easy to navigate for Mac users

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the same address print on all my Avery 8160 labels?

This occurs if you manually type an address into a blank label template or if you forget to click 'Update Labels' during a mail merge. Clicking 'Update Labels' inserts a <<Next Record>> command, which tells Word to move down your list and print a different address on the next label.

Can I use a plain text document as my mail merge data source?

No. A document containing addresses separated only by paragraph marks cannot be used directly. Your data source must be structured with clear columns and rows, such as in an Excel worksheet or a Word table, so the software can distinguish between names, streets, and cities.

How do I find the Avery 8160 template in Word for Mac?

Go to the Mailings tab, click 'Start Mail Merge', and select 'Labels'. In the Label Options dialog box that appears, change the 'Label vendors' drop-down to 'Avery US Letter', then scroll through the 'Product number' list until you find '8160'.

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