Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Changing Label Sizes.

Changing Label Sizes

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 23, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Veronica has a document that contains labels, with names already in place. The document is intended to be printed using Avery 5162 labels, but Veronica wants to change the document so it uses Avery 5163 labels. She wonders if there is a way to change label size without the requirement of recreating the entire document.

There are a couple of ways you can approach this problem. It is important, though, to remember that a label document is nothing but a large table that is formatted to match the dimensions of your labels. Understanding this, you could easily examine the table settings used in creating Avery 5163 labels and then change the table settings in your old document to match them. Because you change the table settings to match what is required for the new labels, you should be able to print on them with no problems.

Another idea is to create a new document consisting of empty Avery 5163 labels and then copy the data from the old Avery 5162 document to the new document. As long as you don't copy the table structure—just the data—you should have no problem.

If your labels are all the same, then the easiest method of converting to the desired label format is simply to use much of the same process you used to create the labels in the first place. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the existing document, the one that contains your labels in the Avery 5162 format.
  2. Press Ctrl+A to select the entire document.
  3. Choose Tools | Letters and Mailings | Envelopes and Labels. Word displays the Envelopes and Labels dialog box and your first label should be displayed in the dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Labels tab of the Envelopes and Labels dialog box.

  5. Click Options. Word displays the Label Options dialog box.
  6. Using the Label Products drop-down list, choose Avery Standard.
  7. In the Product Number list, choose 5163 - Shipping.
  8. Click OK. Word once again displays the Envelopes and Labels dialog box.
  9. Make sure the Full Page of Same Label radio button is selected.
  10. Click New Document. Word creates a new label document, using the label type you specified in steps 5 and 6.

At this point you should have two documents—one that is your original (Avery 5162 format) and one that is your new document (Avery 5163 format). The new document contains a full set of labels based on the first label in your original document.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (5484) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Changing Label Sizes.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Shortcut for Viewing Formulas

If you need to switch between viewing formulas and viewing the results of those formulas, you'll love the keyboard ...

Discover More

Setting Row Height

When you enter information into a row on a worksheet, Excel automatically adjusts the height of the row based on what you ...

Discover More

Understanding Nonprinting Characters

Even characters that print nothing still take space in your document. Characters such as tabs, spaces, breaks, and the ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (menu)

Making Use of Extra Labels

Got extra labels left over after printing a mail merge? Here's what you can do to put those labels to good use.

Discover More

Saving Money on Printing Labels

Labels can be expensive, and a little common sense will help you waste less money as you try to get your labels to appear ...

Discover More

Adding Addresses To a Set of Address Labels

Got a bunch of pages labels and you need to insert a label into the middle of the bunch? This isn't easy to do in Word, ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is seven more than 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.