by Chanell Gautreaux

Created on: December 19, 2011   Last Updated: December 20, 2011

Holidays are the ideal time for creative pursuits, and printing your own gift labels is another way to show off your originality to family and friends. Making the labels is quick and easy and doesn’t require any special talent. Printing them is as simple as choosing one of the many label templates available and printing with your own computer software.

The dimensions of most Avery label products, as well as those from some other companies, are pre-programmed into your computer’s software. If your label is not listed, you can still enter the dimensions manually before printing. Visit the Avery gift label template page online to choose a label design that is compatible to your adhesive label. Be sure to download the file to a location you can easily find; you may want to create a special folder on the computer’s desktop or in My Documents.  If using another brand visit that company’s site to find out what is available or match your label dimensions with one of the Avery templates. 

To print a page of labels from the template in Microsoft Word open a new blank document and select File. Next, click Open and locate the downloaded file for the label template. Insert a page of blank labels in the corresponding size and print. 

You can also print gift labels without downloading a template. From the Mailings menu chose Labels, and then options. You will have to tell the computer which label you are printing to; from the Label Vendors list choose the brand name of the label you are using; then from the Product Number list, choose the label product number for the size you wish to print. (In older versions of Word click on Tools, then from the dropdown menu, select Letters and Mailings, followed by Envelopes and Labels.)

In the address box type the word To followed by a colon (To:). Hit enter to create a new line break and then type the word From and a colon. Next, click on the New Document tab to create the page of labels. Now you can insert a single image or multiple images for each tag. 

Position your cursor in the upper left corner of the first label. Click on Insert to choose a photo or an image from your clip art library. Insert and then resize the image either by right clicking and choosing Format Picture or by clicking once on the image to highlight it and then positioning the cursor in the lower right corner, holding down the left mouse button and dragging the curser up and to the left. 

After resizing the image, Format the text wrapping in the Picture Tools menu choosing the Square option. (This can also be done by right clicking and choosing Text Wrapping from the dropdown menu.) Once your labels are formatted, insert an Avery sheet and print.

 If you don’t have a sheet of adhesive Avery labels handy you can always make non-adhesive gift tags on regular computer paper or card stock. To do this you can choose a standard label size or use the business card template.

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