Creating Mailing Labels in Word from an Excel List
Follow these steps to organize your mailing list in Excel and use Word’s mail merge feature to create professional mailing labels:
Step 1: Prepare Your Mailing List in Excel
- Create Column Headers:
Include headers for every data point you’ll use. For example:- First Name
- Last Name
- Street Address
- City
- State
- ZIP Code
- Input Data:
Enter the relevant information under each header. For a company mailing list, replace personal name headers with “Company Name.” - Save Your File:
Save the file in a compatible format, such as .xlsx. Avoid blank rows or columns, as they can cause issues during the merge.
Step 2: Set Up Labels in Word
- Open Word:
Start with a blank document. - Start Mail Merge:
- Go to the Mailings tab and select Start Mail Merge > Labels.
- In the Label Options window, choose your label brand and product number (e.g., Avery labels).
- Click OK to apply the label layout. If label outlines don’t appear, go to Table Design > Borders > View Gridlines.
Step 3: Connect Excel Worksheet to Word
- Select Recipients:
- In the Mailings tab, click Select Recipients > Use an Existing List.
- Locate and select your Excel file. Click Open.
- Select Worksheet:
- If your Excel file has multiple sheets, select the one with your data.
- Ensure the First row of data contains column headers option is enabled. Click OK.
Step 4: Add Mail Merge Fields
- Insert Address Block:
- Click the first label, go to the Mailings tab, and select Address Block.
- In the Insert Address Block window, click Match Fields.
- Ensure each field (e.g., First Name, Last Name) matches its corresponding column in Excel. Adjust as needed and click OK.
- Update Labels:
- Once the first label displays the <<AddressBlock>> placeholder, click Update Labels to apply it to all labels.
Step 5: Perform the Mail Merge
- Finish and Merge:
- In the Mailings tab, select Finish & Merge > Edit Individual Documents.
- Choose All in the Merge to New Document window and click OK.
- Review and Print:
- Word will create a new document with all your labels populated.
- Review the document and print it on your label paper.