This information applies to creating sheet of labels that are not identical. For example, you can create a sheet of nametags where each tag is personalized with an individual's name. If you want to create and print labels that incorporate information from an address list or database, see .

Create labels

  1. Start Word.

    A blank document opens by default. Leave it open. If you close it, the commands in the next step are not available.

  2. On the Mailings tab, in the Create group, click Labels.

    word ribbon image

  3. Leave the Address box blank.
  4. To select the label type and other options, click Options.
  5. In the Label Options dialog box, make your choices, and then click OK.
    label options dialog box

    callout 1 The type of printer that you are using to print labels

    callout 2 The supplier that produced your label sheets

    callout 3 The number that corresponds to the product number listed on your package of label sheets

    showThe product number for my label sheets doesn't match any of the choices in the Label Options dialog box

    You can still print your labels. You just have to do some customizing.

    1. Measure the labels on the sheet that you have, and note the measurements and how many labels fit on a single sheet.

      Important Measure the labels carefully. The actual label size might be smaller than the size that is indicated by the label manufacturer. For example, a 1-by-2-inch label might actually be 15/16-inch high and 1 15/16-inches wide.

    2. In the Product number list, click a label type that is similar in size to your labels.

      If you don't see the label type that you want in the Product number list, you may be able to use another of the listed labels, or you can create a new label size.

    3. Click Details, and then compare the label dimensions and the number of labels per sheet (for labels printed on laser and ink-jet printers) or the number of columns on the label form (for labels printed on dot-matrix printers).
    4. Do one of the following:
      • If the dimensions and label layout match those of your labels, use the selected label.
      • If the dimensions and layout do not match yours, click Cancel, and continue to step 5.
    5. In the Label Options dialog box, click the printer type (either Continuous-feed printers or Page printers), and then click New Label.
    6. Type a name in the Label name box, select the height, width, margins, and other options for your label, and then click OK.

      The new label appears in the Product number list as Label name - Custom. The label is also placed in the Other/Custom category. The next time you use your custom labels, be sure to select Other/Custom in the Label vendors list.

  6. Under Print, click Full page of the same label.
  7. Click New Document.

    Word creates a document that contains the sheet of labels. Word uses a table to lay out the labels. If you don't see lines separating the labels, click the Layout tab under Table Tools, and then in the Table group, click View Gridlines.

    Type the text that you want in each label, and make any changes that you want to the formatting and color scheme, by using the options on the Home and Page Layout tabs. When you are finished, save or print the labels the same way that you save or print any document in Word.

Add a graphic to labels

If you want to add a graphic to labels that you are printing on a page printer (rather than a continuous-feed printer), you must add it to each label:

  1. Position the cursor where you want to place the graphic.
  2. On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, click Picture or Clip Art.

    word ribbon image

  3. Locate the graphic and then double-click it.
  4. If you need to resize the graphic, select it and then drag a corner sizing handle to the size that you want. Dragging a corner handle maintains the height-to-width ratio.
  5. If the graphic does not align with the label text, right-click the graphic and do the following:
    1. Point to Text Wrapping, and then click More Layout Options.
    2. Click the Text Wrapping tab, and under Wrapping style, click Square.
    3. Click the Picture Position tab, and under Horizontal, click Alignment, and then click the alignment that you want: Left, Centered, or Right.
    4. Click OK.

      Tip If you want to use the same picture for each label, you can adjust the size and placement in the first label, and then copy the picture and paste it into your other labels.

The image in this article was excerpted from .