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Creating Mailing Labels in Word from Excel
Follow these steps to easily create mailing labels in Word using a mailing list from Excel.
Step One: Prepare Your Mailing List in Excel
- Create a New Excel Workbook:
Open Excel and create a new workbook. - Add Column Headers:
In the first row, input headers for the data you plan to use for your mailing labels. The basic headers for personal mailing labels would include:- First Name
- Last Name
- Street Address
- City
- State
- ZIP Code
If you’re using a company list, replace First Name and Last Name with Company Name.
- Enter Your Data:
Under each header, input the corresponding information for each recipient. - Save the Excel File:
Once your list is complete, save it for use in Word.
Step Two: Set Up Labels in Word
- Open a Blank Document:
In Word, start with a new blank document. - Go to the Mailings Tab:
Click on the Mailings tab in the Ribbon. - Start the Mail Merge:
- Click Start Mail Merge in the Mailings tab.
- From the drop-down menu, select Labels.
- Select Label Options:
The Label Options window will appear.- Choose your label brand and product number (found on the label packaging).
- Click OK to proceed.
Your label outlines will now be visible in the Word document. If they aren’t, go to Design > Borders, and select View Gridlines.
Step Three: Connect Your Excel Worksheet to Word’s Labels
- Select Recipients:
- In the Mailings tab, click Select Recipients and choose Use an Existing List.
- Locate and Select Your Excel File:
Use File Explorer to find and select the Excel file containing your mailing list. Click Open. - Choose the Correct Worksheet:
- If your workbook contains multiple sheets, the Select Table window will appear.
- Choose the sheet with your mailing list and check the box for First row of data contains column headers.
- Click OK to confirm.
Step Four: Add Mail Merge Fields to the Labels
- Select the First Label:
Click on the first label in the document. - Insert Address Block:
- In the Mailings tab, click Address Block.
- In the Insert Address Block window, click the Match Fields button to match the Excel columns with the fields in the address block (e.g., First Name should match with First Name).
- Preview and Confirm:
- After matching the fields, click OK to return to the Insert Address Block window.
- Review the preview to ensure everything looks correct and click OK to insert the address block into the first label.
- Update All Labels:
- Back in the Mailings tab, click Update Labels. This will copy the address block to all labels.
Step Five: Perform the Mail Merge
- Finish & Merge:
- In the Mailings tab, click Finish & Merge.
- From the drop-down menu, select Edit Individual Documents.
- Select Records:
In the Merge to New Document window, select All and click OK. - Review and Print:
Your Excel data will now appear in the labels. All that’s left to do is review the labels, print them, and mail them out.