How to Create Custom Labels in Word 2007 and 2010

Welcome to the most comprehensive tutorial on the Internet for creating and printing labels in Word 2007 and 2010. We explain how to format the labels and insert pictures, too.

Author: Patricia Lynn

If you are interested in a video-based course for Word, we recommend Microsoft Word 2010 Tutorial for Beginners. It's well-done and a very good value. Now ... let's begin!

Two Types of Labels

There are two types of labels you can print in Word. The first is a page of labels with the same address on each label. This is useful for return address labels, for example. Microsoft Word will ask you to type in the address you want to use.

The second type is a page, or pages, of labels containing a different address on each label. This is useful for business or holiday mailings. This tutorial assumes you will use names and addresses from a Microsoft Outlook Contacts or Business Contact Manager folder.

When you buy labels, the package usually has a product number. Word will ask you to specify the vendor and product number. Then, when Word creates the document containing your labels, it actually creates a table and puts an address inside each cell. The cell size should match your label size.

Hint: to see the button descriptions on the ribbon, make your window as wide as possible. Hover your mouse over an icon and its description will appear.

Creating a page of labels with the same address (i.e. return address labels)

Creating and formatting the address

1. Open Word and click Mailings on the menu line. Then click Labels on the ribbon.
2. On the Labels window, under Print, choose “full page of the same labels.”
3. Click the Options tab. Choose your product number from the list, and click OK.
4. Still on the Labels window, type the address in the address box. To change font properties, highlight the address, right-click, and click Font. Make your changes, and click OK.
5. Still on the Labels window, click the New Document button at the bottom. A Word document will appear containing the labels.
6. If you want to reposition the address or insert a picture, continue below. Otherwise, print your labels on plain paper to make sure they will fit properly on your labels. Print your labels, and save your document if desired.

Repositioning the address on the label

1. To center the address vertically on the label, hover the cursor over the table until you see the cross symbol in the upper left corner. Right-click on this symbol and click Table Properties.
2. Click the Cell tab and click Center. Then click OK. The address is now vertically centered on the label.
3. To move the address so it is not so close to the left edge of the label, first click in the white space of the document so that nothing is highlighted. Then, hover the cursor over the left edge of the table until the cursor changes to vertical parallel lines.
4. With the parallel lines visible, press the mouse button and drag the left edge in about ˝ inch or more, depending on your label width. Use the ruler at the top of the page to guide you.
5. Repeat this step for each column - dragging the vertical line that is closest to the left edge of the address text.
6. Print your labels on plain paper as a test. Then print your labels and save your document if desired.

Inserting a picture or image on the label

1. To insert an image onto your label, click in the upper left table cell (label). Then click the Insert tab on the menu line and click Picture. Locate your picture and double-click it. (Or click it once and then click Insert.)
2. To resize the picture, hover the cursor on one of the corners until you see a two-sided arrow. Press the mouse button and drag to resize.
3. To keep the address lines vertically aligned, right-click on the image, hover the cursor over Text Wrapping, and click Tight. Then click and drag the image to its desired location on the label.
4. Unfortunately, you must manually insert the picture in the remaining cells (labels) on the page. To do so, right-click on the image and click Copy. Then place the cursor in the next table cell where you want the image located, and right-click Paste. The text wrapping should already be set, but if the text is not wrapping around the picture properly, click and drag the picture to a different spot in the cell, and then move it back to the desired location. (Or repeat step 3 above.)
5. Print your labels on plain paper as a test. Then print your labels and save your document if desired.

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Creating labels with different addresses (using Microsoft Outlook 2007 / 2010)

Setting up and importing addresses from Microsoft Outlook

1. Open Microsoft Word and click Mailings on the menu line.
2. Click Start Mail Merge from the ribbon, and click Labels. Click on the drop-down box arrow next to Label vendors, and click on the name of your label vendor. Then click on the product number, and click OK.
3. Click Select Recipients from the ribbon. Then choose “Select from Outlook Contacts.” If a window appears asking you to choose a profile, click OK. Then double-click the contacts folder you wish to use. (Or click the folder and click OK.)
4. On the Mail Merge Recipients window, remove the checkmark by addresses you don’t want included. Sort the contacts if desired. When finished, click OK. The first cell of your document will be blank. The other cells will say <Next Record> or <Next Recipient>.
5. If you do not want to insert an image, skip to the next step. Otherwise, to insert an image onto the label:
   • With the cursor in the top left table cell or label, click the Insert tab on the menu line and click Picture. Browse to locate the image and double-click on the image. (Or click on the image and click Insert.)
   • To resize the picture, hover the cursor on one of the corners until you see a two-sided arrow. Press the mouse button and drag to resize.
   • To keep the address lines vertically aligned and the picture positioned to the left or right of the address block, right-click on the image, hover the cursor over Text Wrapping, and click Tight.
6. Next, click the Mailings tab on the menu line and click Address Block on the ribbon. In this window that appears, choose what information to include in the address. Look at the address in the Preview window. Make changes if necessary, and click OK.
7. Still on the Mailings ribbon, click Preview Results. You will see an address in the first cell only. Reposition the picture if necessary. If you want to change the font or reposition the address on the label, continue with the next section. If you are ready to print your labels, skip to Printing Your Labels below.

Changing font properties

1. Click on the address. Then highlight the entire address so just the words highlight in blue.
2. Right-click inside the highlighted area and click Font. Make your changes and click OK. Proceed to Printing Your Labels below.

Changing indentation and line spacing

1. With the address still highlighted (or highlight as instructed above), right-click inside the highlighted area and click Paragraph.
2. Under Indentation, enlarge the left indent if desired.
3. If Line spacing already specifies “Single” - but you want the lines closer together - choose “Multiple” from the dropdown box. Then, highlight the data in the box under At: and type in .7 or thereabouts. Click OK to see how the address looks. Repeat until satisfied. Then proceed to Printing Your Labels below.

Increasing the top margin so the address sits lower on the label

1. Right-click table symbol that looks like cross (upper left of the table).
2. Click Table Properties, click the Table tab, and click the Options button.
3. Click the "up arrow" next to the Top Margin box to increase its value.*. Repeat until you are satisfied with the results. Click OK. Then proceed to Printing Your Labels below.

*Note: For 4-line addresses on 1” high labels, increase the top margin to about .07. For 3-line addresses on 1” high labels, increase the top margin to about .13.

Printing Your Labels

1. Click Update Labels (or Update Fields) in the lower right corner of the “Write & Insert Fields” section of the Mailings ribbon. (You can hover over an icon to see its description). This will propagate the address block to the rest of the table cells.
2. Then, click Finish and Merge, click Edit Individual Documents, and in the "Merge to New Document" window, click All and click OK.
3. Voila! Your pages of address labels will appear in a new Word document. Look at each label and tweak if necessary. Print the first page on plain paper to make sure the addresses will align properly on your hardcopy labels. Then print your labels, and save the document if desired.

We hope this article has been helpful. Cheers!

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