When you think of Excel, chances are you first think of lists of data, charts, and tables. While Excel is an excellent spreadsheet tool that allows you to capture and visualize data, it’s also a tool that you can use for other practical purposes in your home or business.
You can create mailing labels from Excel data by using the Mail Merge feature in Microsoft Word. Mail Merge allows you to merge a list of data from an Excel spreadsheet into a set of mailing labels in Word.
Let’s take a look at how to quickly compile addresses and create mailing labels from Excel.
Gathering Your Address List
To get started, gather your addresses in a central list using Excel. Organize your addresses in Excel with columns for First Name, Last Name, Address, City, State, and Zip. This format will standardize the labels and make it easier to go through the mail merge process.
Once you have your addresses captured in Excel using the above headings, you’ll actually want to open a new Microsoft Word document. This will allow you to use the mail merge setting to import the data and create a standard set of mailing labels with just a few clicks.
Using Mail Merge
Once in a new Word document, select the Mailings tab, then select Start Mail Merge > Labels. You’ll then be able to choose one of many standard label styles and sizes, and Word will automatically create the labels in the selected style for you.
To import the data, click Select Recipients > Use Existing List. Find and open the Excel file that has your list of addresses to start importing the data. Import your Excel address list into Word by selecting Select Recipients > Use Existing List, then format your labels using Insert Merge Field.
To apply the changes to all of the labels, click Update Labels. This will copy the layout and format of your original label to all remaining labels on the page. To check the formatting and data, select Preview Results. If you’re satisfied with how the labels look, select Finish and Merge > Edit Individual Documents > All, finalizing your labels.
In the Print dialog box, select the printer that you want to use.
You may need to make some adjustments to your Excel spreadsheet or the Mail Merge settings in Word to ensure that your mailing labels are formatted correctly.
