How to Print Labels From Excel (3 Easy Ways)

To print labels from Excel, you need three things: your names and addresses in columns, a label sheet that matches your printer and label size, and a tool that puts one row on each label. There are three common ways to do this. You can use Word's mail merge, use the online designer on Avery's website, or paste your rows into LabelPeel. All three work. They differ in how many steps they take and how much you have to set up first.

Before you start: check your list

Whichever method you pick, start with the list. Put each part of the label in its own column, such as First Name, Last Name, Street, City and ZIP. Keep one person on each row, and delete any empty rows at the bottom. Then check that ZIP codes still show their leading zeros.

Compare the three ways

Way 1: Word mail merge

Mail merge is how Word joins a list to a label layout. Each row in your Excel file becomes one label. The steps below use the Mailings tab, on Windows or Mac. (Windows also has a Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard under Start Mail Merge, which walks you through the same steps.)

1. Open Word and go to Mailings, then Start Mail Merge, then Labels.
2. Click Label Options. Choose your label vendor and product number, then click OK. The product number is printed on the box, for example 5160 or L7160.
3. Click Select Recipients, then Use an Existing List, and open your Excel file. Pick the sheet that holds your list.
4. Click Insert Merge Field and add the fields you want on each label, such as First Name and Last Name.
5. Click Update Labels. Word copies your layout to every label on the page.
6. Click Preview Results to check the names and addresses.
7. Click Finish & Merge, then choose Edit Individual Documents or Print Documents.

Word does the job, but it takes more clicks than the other two methods. The first time, it is easy to miss a step. Our step-by-step mail merge guide covers each click and the errors people hit most often.

Way 2: Avery® Design & Print

Avery runs Design & Print, an online label designer on its own website. It has a built-in tool for importing a spreadsheet.

1. Open Avery Design & Print and choose a template, such as the Avery® 5160.
2. On the left toolbar, click Import Data, then Start Import/Merge.
3. Click Browse for File and choose your spreadsheet. Avery lists .xls, .xlsx and .csv as supported. If the upload fails, save the file as a .csv and upload it again.
4. In the list of fields, untick the first row if it holds your headings.
5. Drag each field onto the label, or double-click a field name to place it. Then click Next, and Finish.

This method suits people who want Avery's designs and templates. It is also the way to go if you plan to print on a sheet with a design, not just text.

Way 3: LabelPeel (the fast way)

LabelPeel is a free web app, and it is still in beta. You copy the rows from Excel and paste them in. Each row becomes one label, the same as a mail merge. You do not need an account to try it. Go to the home page and paste a few rows.

1. In Excel, select your rows, including the heading row, and copy them.
2. Paste them into LabelPeel. You can also upload the .xlsx file.
3. Choose your sheet, such as the Avery® 5160, or the A4 L7160 if you live in the UK or EU.
4. Check the columns LabelPeel picked. You can change them with the tick list.
5. Set the font and layout. You can type your own wording with column names in curly brackets, such as {First Name} {Last Name}.
6. Print at 100% or "Actual size", on plain paper first, then on the label sheet.

Which method should you choose?

If you already work in Word and want full control, use Word mail merge. If you want Avery's designs, start with Avery® Design & Print. If you want the fewest steps, paste your list into LabelPeel. We make LabelPeel, so keep that in mind. Every step in this guide works with or without it.

Common problems

• The labels do not line up. Print at 100% or "Actual size", not "Fit to page". Check that the paper size matches the sheet, Letter or A4. Then print a test on plain paper and hold it over a label sheet against a window.
• ZIP codes lost their leading zero. Excel can turn 02134 into 2134. Set the ZIP column to Text on the Home tab before you type or paste ZIP codes. If the zeros are already gone, add a new column with =TEXT(A2,"00000") (change A2 to your first ZIP cell), or type the zeros back in.
• Blank labels or an extra blank page. Your list probably has empty rows at the bottom. Delete them, then import again.
• The names are in the wrong order. Sort the list in Excel by the field you want, then copy or import it again.
• Dates or prices look wrong. Select the column in Excel and check its number format. Set the format you want to see on the label before you copy the list.

Print address labels from Excel for a mailing

If the labels are for mailing, the layout matters. Put the name on the first line, the street on the second, and the city, state and ZIP on the last. Our guide to printing address labels covers the layouts that work with post office addresses. For a label sheet's size and count, use the sizes chart.

For UK and EU readers, the A4 sheet L7160 has 21 labels, each 63.5 × 38.1 mm. Use the same method as above.

If you only need to print one label design in Word, with no spreadsheet, read how to print labels in Word. It covers Label Options, a full sheet of the same label, and printing a single label on a used sheet.