How To Print Labels from Excel [Easy 2024 Guide]

Are you looking to learn how to print labels from Excel? There are two simple ways to do so.

The first way is utilizing the mail merge feature in Word. This method is easy because you can sort your data neatly on the spreadsheet. Word’s mail merge tool also lets you link data from a Word document directly to a spreadsheet Excel, saving you a lot of time and hassle.

While a second way is to adjust the border sizes in Excel. However, if you don’t want to use the mail merge feature in Word, or you are having trouble with using the print settings and want Excel to print labels directly, then don’t worry because we’ll also show you how to work around it. But we’ll warn you straight up; it’s a little tricky.

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How To Print Labels From Excel using Word

In this guide, we will outline the steps to print labels from Excel using the mail merge tool in MS Word. This is the most common way to print labels from Excel 2016 (and other Office programs) due to the fact that it is easy, quick, and convenient.

Here are the steps when printing labels from Excel using Word.

1. Prepare Your Excel Data

Before you even think about printing address labels from Excel, you need to have your data in order. Each column should represent a specific field and be named appropriately with column headers.

Here are some examples of commonly used fields, which are also the column headers:

Check out the screenshot below as an example.

How to print labels from Excel—Example spreadsheet

Note: Your carrier may need a delivery address for each customer, so make sure you have these details on hand. Here is an example of what USPS requires.

2. Open MS Word and Create a New Document

After preparing your Excel data, head over and launch MS Word to create a new document. This document will serve as your template for the labels.

3. Navigate to the Mailings Tab

The next step is to access the mailings tab in the MS Words ribbon. This is where the Mail Merge tool is located and other tools that are needed to complete the task.

4. Start the Mail Merging Process

To start the mail merge process, click the “Start Mail Merge” button in the “Mailings” tab. A drop-down list will appear with different types of document options that you may want to merge. Select “Labels” from the drop-down list.

Red markup showing how to print labels on Excel through the mailing menu

5. Customize Your Label Options

After selecting “Labels” from the list, a “Labels option” dialog box will appear. Here you can choose the label type and the appropriate size that matches the labels you are using.

If the size you are looking for is not available, then you can create a custom size label by clicking on “New Label” and manually inputting the dimensions. Once you are done selecting all your preferences, click “OK.”

The different label options—how to choose the appropriate label type and size

6. Select Recipients

Still in the “Mailings” tab, directly next to the “Start Mail Merging” button, click on the “Select Recipients” button and choose “Use an existing list.”

Click on the Select Recipients button and choose Use an existing list.

Now browse through your computer for the spreadsheet containing your label data. Select the sheet and the range that holds your data and click “OK” to confirm. Your workspace should now look something like this, depending on the type of label vendor you choose.

Spreadsheet containing your label data.

7. Insert the Fields You Want to Merge

Continue in the “Mailings” tab, click the “Insert Merge Field” button, and select the appropriate fields manually from your spreadsheet. These inserts merge fields into labels that represent the data placeholders.

Click on the Insert Merge Field button and select the appropriate fields manually

You could also click the “Address Block” button and check the “Match Fields” box to confirm that the fields match.

Click on the Address Block button and check the Match Fields box to confirm that the fields match

Click “OK” once you are done. Below is the result after you click on “Update labels.”

Updated labels example

8. Customize Your Label Design

You can now customize the appearance of your labels in Word according to your preferences. Just remember to keep it neat and legible. Here are a few formatting tools to improve your labels:

By updating these elements, it will enhance the overall look of your labels and make them look more professional.

Customize the appearance of your labels in Word

9. Preview the Labels

Click on “Preview Results” in the “Mailings” tab to ensure accuracy.

Click on Preview Results in the mailings tab to ensure accuracy

10. Finish the Merge and Print

This is the last step, so ensure you are satisfied with the label preview. If you’re satisfied, proceed by clicking the “Finish & Merge” button at the far right in the mailings tab. When the drop-down list appears, select “Print Documents” from the list. This will allow you to complete the process and print your labels.

The steps above allow you to utilize MS Word’s mail merge feature to print labels from Excel. This method is recommended compared to the next one, as it is more efficient and accurate.

How To Print Labels From an Excel Spreadsheet Without Word

You can print labels from Excel using a dedicated label printing software. It is also possible to print labels directly from Excel without using other third-party software or applications. However, this method can be challenging compared to the method above, especially if you are a beginner in Excel, but we will guide you as best as we can in this article.

Print Labels by Changing the Page Layout

Here is how to print labels in Excel without Word:

  1. Open Excel and create a new spreadsheet.
  2. Input your data in the first column.
Inputted data in the first column of a spreadsheet
  1. Navigate to the “Page Layout” tab, then click on “Margins” > “Custom Margins.”
Go to the Page Layout tab then click on Margins src=
  1. Click “OK” and proceed to print the spreadsheet as you normally would. The print layout should look as shown below.
Example of the print layout in Excel
  1. Make sure that you select “No Scaling” and “Fill all columns in one page.” Then print.

Customizing the layout makes it easier to cut the labels according to your preference. This is a great shortcut for printing labels in Excel directly.

Print Labels in Excel by Using Code

Another way you can print labels from Excel is to use VBA code to create the labels and print them from Excel directly.

Note: This method requires caution and some prior knowledge of Excel’s VBA.

Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Open Excel and create a new spreadsheet.
  2. Input your data into the first column of the worksheet, as shown in the example below.
Inputted data in the first column of an Excel spreadhsheet
  1. Press Alt + F11 on your keyboard. This is the shortcut to access the VBA window in Excel.
  2. Right-click on the sheet that contains your label data. In the drop-down, click the following “Insert> “Module.” This opens a module where you can input or create VBA codes.
Opened module box in Excel
  1. Once the “Module” tab is open, copy and paste the following code to create your labels in your worksheet.

‘This Code Will Create Labels in Excel Sub Createlabels() Application.Run “AskForColumn” Cells.Select Selection.RowHeight = 75.75 Selection.ColumnWidth = 34.14 With Selection .HorizontalAlignment = xlCenter .VerticalAlignment = xlBottom .WrapText = False .Orientation = 0 .AddIndent = False .IndentLevel = 0 .ShrinkToFit = False .ReadingOrder = xlContext .MergeCells = False End With With Selection .HorizontalAlignment = xlCenter .VerticalAlignment = xlCenter .WrapText = False .Orientation = 0 .AddIndent = False .IndentLevel = 0 .ShrinkToFit = False .ReadingOrder = xlContext .MergeCells = False End With End Sub Sub AskForColumn() Dim refrg As Range Dim vrb As Long Dim dat As Long Set refrg = Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp) dat = 1 On Error Resume Next incolno = InputBox(“Enter Number of Columns Desired”) For vrb = 1 To refrg.Row Step incolno Cells(dat, “A”).Resize(1, incolno).Value = _ Application.Transpose(Cells(vrb, “A”).Resize(incolno, 1)) dat = dat + 1 Next Range(Cells(dat, “A”), Cells(refrg.Row, “A”)).ClearContents End Sub

  1. In the “Enter Number of Columns Desired” section in the code, enter the number of columns you need.
  2. Press F5 once the code is inputted into the module to open the Macros window. Select “Create labels” and press “Run.”
Createlabels Run box
  1. Close the VBA window and go back to the worksheet. You will see that your data has been rearranged to match the labels.
Organized data for labels in Excel
  1. Now proceed to print the labels as you would normally print a spreadsheet in Excel. You can also save the spreadsheet as a template in case you need more labels in the future.

And that’s how you print labels on Excel using the VBA window!

Can You Print Labels From Excel on Mac?

For all the Mac users, we’ve got you. Here are the steps on how to print address labels from Excel:

  1. Open Word on your Mac and create a new document.
  2. Select “Tools,” then click on “Mail Merge Manager.”
  3. Once in the mail merge manager, click “Create New” and “Labels.”
  4. In the printer information section, select either “Dot Matrix,” “Laser,” or “Inkjet printer.”
  5. Select from the “Avery Standard” (if you’re using Avery labels) from the “Label Products.”
  6. Select the Avery product number of the label you will use. Doing so will open up a template of the product number you chose in your document.
  7. In the “Select Recipients” list, click on the “Get list” button, then click on “Open Source.”
  8. Similar to the method of printing labels in Excel using Word, select the spreadsheet containing your label data. Click on “OK” until an “Edit Labels” tab appears.
  9. Insert “Merge Fields” by clicking on the button that has the same name, and follow the same process of clicking on the fields you want to add to the label. Click “OK” once you have all the fields you want in the labels.
  10. Choose the recipients you want to include and exclude in the “Filter Recipients” section.
  11. Check the results by clicking on the “Preview” button. You can also customize the list according to your preferences. However, make sure the labels are neat and legible.
  12. Click on the “Merge to new document” button.
  13. Follow the steps you would normally take when printing a document, and make sure that your printer is ready for printing. Click on “File,” then “Print.”
  14. Save your labels template so you or a colleague can use it again in the future.

Related: Want to streamline your printing process for Avery address labels? Check out these address label sheets!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Print Labels Directly from Excel?

Yes, it is possible to print labels directly from Excel using margins or VBA. We’ve shown you both of these methods in the guide above. You can also access the best Excel courses to learn more about using Excel.

Conclusion

Printing labels from Excel can be a hard feat to accomplish, but you should now know how to print labels from Excel with no worries. Remember that different address labels may require varied print sizes, so using MS Word is likely the best (and easiest) option for printing labels.

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