How to Print Labels at Home: Word, Avery, Shipping & Address Labels (Any Printer)

Why Printing Your Own Labels Saves Time and Money

Whether you're mailing packages, organizing a home office, or shipping orders for a small business, printing your own labels at home is faster and far cheaper than paying a shipping store to do it for you. Almost any inkjet or laser printer you already own can handle labels — you just need the right template, the right label sheets, and a few settings dialed in correctly.

This guide covers every common way people print labels: Microsoft Word, Avery templates, Excel mail merge, and shipping labels from carrier websites. If you also need to print on envelopes for the same mailing project, see our guide on how to print on envelopes.

What You'll Need

• A laser or inkjet printer (all major brands support label sheets)
• Label sheets sized for your printer — Avery label sheets on Amazon are the most common and widely templated option
• Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Excel, or your carrier's shipping site

Method 1: Printing Labels in Microsoft Word

Word has a built-in labels tool that works with hundreds of Avery label sizes out of the box.

1. Open Word and go to Mailings > Labels
2. Click Options and choose your label brand and product number (printed on the label package)
3. Type your text in the Address box, or leave it blank to design freely in the label grid
4. Click New Document to generate the full sheet, then print as normal

For official label templates and size charts straight from the manufacturer, Avery's own template library is the most reliable source and integrates directly with Word and Google Docs.

Method 2: Mail Merge for Multiple Addresses (Word + Excel)

If you need to print dozens or hundreds of different addresses at once — holiday cards, invoices, or a mailing list — mail merge is the way to go.

1. Build a spreadsheet in Excel with columns for Name, Address, City, State, and Zip
2. In Word, go to Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Labels and select your label size
3. Click Select Recipients > Use an Existing List and choose your Excel file
4. Insert merge fields, click Update Labels, then Finish & Merge

Method 3: Printing Shipping Labels at Home

Shipping labels from USPS, UPS, FedEx, or Amazon are usually generated as a PDF you print directly — no Word template needed.

• USPS: create and pay for postage through USPS Click-N-Ship, then print the PDF on plain paper or 4x6 label stock
• Amazon/eBay/Etsy sellers: labels are generated from your seller dashboard and download as a PDF
• For frequent shippers, a dedicated thermal label printer saves ink and skips the cutting step

Troubleshooting Common Label Printing Problems

Labels print misaligned or off-center

This almost always means the wrong label template or product number was selected, or the page margins in your document don't match the sheet. Double-check the label product number against the box and re-select it in your software's label setup screen.

Labels jam or peel inside the printer

Only use label sheets rated for your printer type (inkjet vs. laser) and never run a sheet through twice — heat from a laser printer's fuser can loosen adhesive on a second pass and cause a jam. If you print labels often, see our guide on paper weights and finishes for background on stock compatibility.

Print looks faded or streaky on labels

Label stock is glossier than plain paper and can show ink starvation faster. If regular pages print fine but labels look weak, your cartridges may be running low — browse replacement ink cartridges to compare options for your model.

Quick Recommendations

For most home users, a simple sheet-fed inkjet or laser printer paired with Avery address labels covers the vast majority of use cases. If you regularly ship packages, a dedicated Rollo-style thermal label printer pays for itself quickly in ink savings and speed.

Labels are one of the simplest print jobs once your template matches your label sheet — the key is getting that product number right the first time.