This guide explains how to create mailing labels from an Excel list. For a printable version of this guide, click here. For additional support, please send a detailed email to support@unitehere.org.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preparing the Data
Step 1: Review the Excel document and make sure the information is in separate columns. For example, one column for each Merge Field i.e., FName, LName, etc. Notice City in Column D should be separated into City, State and Zip Code.
Step 2: Text to Columns (Definition: A feature in Excel that parses the text in one cell/column into many columns using a delimiter than can be adjusted)
- Insert two blank columns after the column to be separated (or more if needed) to allow separation of text
- Select the column to separate
- Select Data from the drop-down menu and click Text to Columns (Wizard will appear)
- Select Delimited and click Next
- Select the Delimiter that separates the data and verify in the Data Preview area it looks correct (Space is typically used to separate the data).
- If there are no spaces separating your text, then select the delimiter that separates the text and verify that it looks correct in the Data Preview area before continuing.
- Select Next
- In Step 3 of 3, select General in the Column data format box (unless you have dates you would like to format).
Caution: If you did not insert blank columns as stated above and you select Finish, it will overwrite the text in the subsequent columns (if there is any). For example, in the above conversion, two extra columns are needed after the column D -City, one for the State and one for the Zip. If the conversion column is the last column in the document, no action is needed.
- Select Finish
Step 3: Save the document.
Creating the Labels
Step 1: Open Word.
Step 2: Open the template Avery5160EasyPeelAddressLabels. The template can be downloaded from the web but is also attached to this document. Avery 5160 labels are recommended for most mailing labels.
Step 3: Select Mailings from the top menu selection.
Step 4: Click Select Recipients.
Step 5: Select Use an Existing List and then select the file in Excel that contains the addresses for the labels.
Step 6: The Insert Merge Field button has a top selection and a bottom selection. The top selection allows you to insert all the merge fields at once and must be closed before formatting. The bottom selection allows one field at a time to be inserted and formatting immediately. Examples of suggested formatting are inserting a comma after the City Merge Field and a space before and after the State merge field.
- With the cursor in the first label, select Insert Merge Field (bottom selection). Insert all the Merge fields in the order you would like them on the label, including inserting any spaces and commas along the way.
- When you are finished, click on Update Labels from the Mailing menu above. This function inserts the Merge Field <<Next Record>> at the beginning of each label starting on the second label.
Step 7: Next click Finish and Merge
- Select Edit Individual Documents
Step 8: Merge to New Document dialog box appears.
- Select All and select OK. Word merges the Excel document with the labels into a new document. If everything looks correct, print one page to ensure the alignment is correct. If the alignment looks good, print the rest of the pages.
- Avery 5160 has 30 labels on the page and are 1” X 2 5/8”. It is recommended you view the labels prior to printing to ensure they look correct.