[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":326},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-print-address-labels-from-spreadsheet":3,"site-config":324},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":314,"extension":315,"meta":316,"navigation":317,"order":306,"path":318,"seo":319,"seoTitle":320,"stem":321,"summary":322,"__hash__":323},"guides\u002Fguides\u002Fprint-address-labels-from-spreadsheet.md","How to print address labels from a spreadsheet",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":304},"minimark",[9,13,18,21,92,95,123,127,130,133,170,173,177,180,217,220,224,227,237,252,256,259,262,294,297,301],[10,11,12],"p",{},"If your addresses are already in a spreadsheet, most of the work is done. Problems usually come from the details: a ZIP code that lost its leading zero, an apartment number in its own column, or labels that print a quarter inch off. Here's how to get from rows to printed labels.",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"_1-tidy-the-columns","1. Tidy the columns",[10,19,20],{},"Labels are easiest to make when each piece of the address has its own column. A good layout looks like this:",[22,23,24,49],"table",{},[25,26,27],"thead",{},[28,29,30,34,37,40,43,46],"tr",{},[31,32,33],"th",{},"Name",[31,35,36],{},"Street",[31,38,39],{},"Apt",[31,41,42],{},"City",[31,44,45],{},"State",[31,47,48],{},"ZIP",[50,51,52,72],"tbody",{},[28,53,54,58,61,63,66,69],{},[55,56,57],"td",{},"Sam and Elena Brooks",[55,59,60],{},"310 King St",[55,62],{},[55,64,65],{},"Charleston",[55,67,68],{},"SC",[55,70,71],{},"29401",[28,73,74,77,80,83,86,89],{},[55,75,76],{},"The Hendersons",[55,78,79],{},"2201 Oak Hollow Dr",[55,81,82],{},"Apt 12",[55,84,85],{},"Raleigh",[55,87,88],{},"NC",[55,90,91],{},"27606",[10,93,94],{},"A few things to check while you're there:",[96,97,98,111,117],"ul",{},[99,100,101,105,106,110],"li",{},[102,103,104],"strong",{},"The name column is exactly what goes on the label."," If your sheet has separate first and last name columns, make a new column that joins them. In Excel or Google Sheets, ",[107,108,109],"code",{},"=A2&\" \"&B2"," puts a space between the two. For couples and families, write the name the way you want it on the envelope: \"Sam and Elena Brooks\" or \"The Hendersons\".",[99,112,113,116],{},[102,114,115],{},"One household per row."," If two people at the same address each have a row, you'll get two labels. Decide whether that's what you want, or combine them into one name.",[99,118,119,122],{},[102,120,121],{},"Fill in what's missing."," A blank apartment number or ZIP code is easier to fix now than after the card comes back.",[14,124,126],{"id":125},"_2-watch-the-zip-codes","2. Watch the ZIP codes",[10,128,129],{},"Spreadsheets love to treat ZIP codes as numbers, which turns 02134 in Massachusetts into 2134. If you see four-digit ZIP codes in your sheet, the zeros are already gone.",[10,131,132],{},"To keep them:",[96,134,135,154],{},[99,136,137,140,141,145,146,149,150,153],{},[102,138,139],{},"In Excel,"," select the ZIP column, choose ",[142,143,144],"em",{},"Format Cells",", then ",[142,147,148],{},"Text",", and retype any ZIP codes that lost their zero. Or use a custom number format of ",[107,151,152],{},"00000",".",[99,155,156,159,160,163,164,163,167,153],{},[102,157,158],{},"In Google Sheets,"," select the column and choose ",[142,161,162],{},"Format"," → ",[142,165,166],{},"Number",[142,168,169],{},"Plain text",[10,171,172],{},"ZIP+4 codes (27606-1904) are always safe, because the dash keeps them from being read as a number.",[14,174,176],{"id":175},"_3-choose-your-label-sheet","3. Choose your label sheet",[10,178,179],{},"Look at the box your labels came in for the product number.",[96,181,182,199,208],{},[99,183,184,191,192,198],{},[102,185,186],{},[187,188,190],"a",{"href":189},"\u002Ftemplates\u002Favery-5160","Avery 5160"," (laser) and ",[102,193,194],{},[187,195,197],{"href":196},"\u002Ftemplates\u002Favery-8160","Avery 8160"," (inkjet): the standard address label, 30 per sheet.",[99,200,201,207],{},[102,202,203],{},[187,204,206],{"href":205},"\u002Ftemplates\u002Favery-5163","Avery 5163",": large 2″ × 4″ labels, 10 per sheet, good for packages.",[99,209,210,216],{},[102,211,212],{},[187,213,215],{"href":214},"\u002Fenvelopes\u002Fa7","A7 envelopes",": print straight onto 5¼″ × 7¼″ envelopes and skip the labels.",[10,218,219],{},"Match laser labels to a laser printer and inkjet labels to an inkjet printer. Each is made for that printer's ink or toner.",[14,221,223],{"id":222},"_4-make-the-labels","4. Make the labels",[10,225,226],{},"There are two common ways to turn a sheet into labels.",[10,228,229,232,233,236],{},[102,230,231],{},"Mail merge in Word."," Word's ",[142,234,235],{},"Mailings"," tab can pull rows from an Excel file into a label layout. It works, but it takes a few rounds of setup: choosing the label product, connecting the spreadsheet, inserting each field and updating every label. It's worth learning if you do it often.",[10,238,239,242,243,247,248,251],{},[102,240,241],{},"Paste or upload into Labeltime."," On the ",[187,244,246],{"href":245},"\u002F","Labeltime home page",", choose ",[142,249,250],{},"CSV \u002F Excel"," and pick your file, or copy the rows straight out of your spreadsheet and paste them in. A header row is fine; it's skipped. Labeltime tidies the formatting and puts any question (a missing apartment, a missing ZIP) at the top of the Review screen with a one-tap answer. Names print exactly as they appear in your sheet, never rewritten.",[14,253,255],{"id":254},"_5-print-a-test-page-first","5. Print a test page first",[10,257,258],{},"Before you use real labels, print one page on plain paper. Hold it over a label sheet against a window, or a bright screen, and check that each address sits inside its label.",[10,260,261],{},"If everything is shifted the same way, the cause is almost always scaling in the print dialog:",[96,263,264,274,288],{},[99,265,266,267,270,271,153],{},"Choose ",[102,268,269],{},"Actual size"," or ",[102,272,273],{},"100%",[99,275,276,277,280,281,284,285,153],{},"Turn off ",[102,278,279],{},"Fit to page",", ",[102,282,283],{},"Shrink oversized pages"," and ",[102,286,287],{},"Scale to fit",[99,289,290,291,153],{},"Make sure the paper size is ",[102,292,293],{},"Letter",[10,295,296],{},"Then print on the label sheets. If you have a partly used sheet, start there: on Labeltime's Print screen, click the first empty spot on the preview and printing begins at that label.",[14,298,300],{"id":299},"_6-keep-the-list-for-next-time","6. Keep the list for next time",[10,302,303],{},"Once the addresses are clean, keep that version. In a spreadsheet, save it as a new file named for the year. In Labeltime, enter your email after you print. You'll get a link, no password, and next year you start from this year's list instead of starting over.",{"title":305,"searchDepth":306,"depth":306,"links":307},"",2,[308,309,310,311,312,313],{"id":16,"depth":306,"text":17},{"id":125,"depth":306,"text":126},{"id":175,"depth":306,"text":176},{"id":222,"depth":306,"text":223},{"id":254,"depth":306,"text":255},{"id":299,"depth":306,"text":300},"Turn a spreadsheet of names and addresses into printed labels: tidy the columns, keep ZIP codes from losing their zeros, choose the sheet, and print at actual size.","md",{},true,"\u002Fguides\u002Fprint-address-labels-from-spreadsheet",{"title":5,"description":314},"How to print address labels from a spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets)","guides\u002Fprint-address-labels-from-spreadsheet","Tidy the columns, save the ZIP codes, pick the label sheet, and print at actual size.","7PMRN6ozEoAVM0-4fPz-IN_DREMVSB4amMQZjSL4ZRs",{"checks":325},"none",1793904664764]