Printing Labels Step by Step

So, you’ve purchased one of our label templates – THANK YOU SO MUCH! 

You’ve made all of your edits, and your label looks fab… but now, you are stuck on the next step of printing. This article will help walk you through using Avery.com and Onlinelabels.com (the two sites I recommend) to print your labels. There are of course other options available for labels or label paper, but I have had the best success with these two.

Let’s get right into it…

Download your edited label design from Canva

Once you are finished editing your label template in Canva, download as PDF print or PNG. Both Avery and Onlinelabels accept either format, but PDF print is a higher resolution and my preferred file type for labels. 

Decide which label paper you want to use 

Experiment and see what fits your brand or product the best. Matte or glossy, plain white or colored, there are a ton of options available. Make sure to measure your vessel or container and test out different size labels to fit the look you like best.

Looking for a non-standard label size? You can use the Onlinelabels full sheet 8.5×11″ sticker paper OL177. This lets you create your own label page, print, then trim to the label size you need! Check it out here.

Set up your labels for printing

This will vary depending on which label paper you choose. Most label papers come with a print template available. I’ll walk you through what this looks like for both Avery.com and Onlinelabels.com. If you are using a different supplier, check out their website for instructions or a tutorial on printing.

ONLINELABELS.COM

• From the Onlinelabels.com homepage, start by selecting the desired label type and size you want to use. The filters will narrow your search. Then select the “Show me X label sizes” button.

• From here, you will see a list of all the available labels Onlinelabels has to offer. You can scroll through the page, or filter the list based on the exact measurements you need. In some cases, there are several label options for a specific size.
• Once you find the label paper you would like, select it in order to customize it for printing.
• On the webpage of the label paper you have chosen, select “View Templates for OLXXXX”. Most labels have 3 options available for the template format: PDF Template, Microsoft Word Template, and Maestro Label Designer – Onlinelabels online print template tool.

• Select the template format you prefer to work with. I recommend Maestro Label Designer. PLEASE NOTE: If using Maestro, you must purchase label paper from Onlinelabels. Your print file by default will contain a watermark. To remove the watermark, you will need an activation code that comes with your purchase from Onlinelabels.
• From here, choose “Launch Template” or “Download Template”. In the next steps, we are going to focus on using the Maestro Label Designer tool to format for printing.
• On the Maestro main page, the label you have chosen will appear in the thumbnail area. You can search for another label paper by number, or shape and size. Choose the thumbnail of the label paper you are using to format for printing.

• Next, you will need to upload your label design. Select Images from the tabs on the left. Now, select “Upload New Image” and locate the PDF print or PNG file you previously downloaded from Canva.

• Drag the image into place, and re-size, zoom or adjust as needed. Be sure to keep any text within the inner margin. You will see a red outline and caution if you need to adjust your image.

• Once you have finished with any adjustments, select “Print Labels” in the upper right of the screen if you are printing at home. 
• Next, select Print Now to receive the PDF for printing. As noted before, this is where you will enter your activation code so the labels are not printed with a watermark.
• Follow the prompts to Download and Print your file. You will be provided a formatted PDF file that now matches your label paper. 
• Voila! Now you can print as many labels as you need!

AVERY.COM

• From the Avery homepage, start by selecting “Blank Labels”. 
• Next, narrow your search by choosing from label shape, use, or color. I find the easiest is to search by “Shape”. 
• Now, select the shape of the label you want to use. The most popular are Square, Rectangular, or Round.
• From here, you will see a list of all the available labels Avery has to offer. You can scroll through the page, or filter the list based on the exact measurements you need. 
• Once you find the label paper you would like, select it in order to customize for printing.
• On the webpage of the label paper you have chosen, scroll down to the Avery Design & Print section. Select “Start Designing” to launch the Avery print format tool.

• Depending on the label paper you have selected, you may be prompted to enter your label template number first.

• Choose “Upload Your Artwork” to launch the print template tool that will format your paper for printing. You will need to create a FREE account to use the online tool using your email and password.
• Next, you can drag and drop the PDF or PNG you downloaded from Canva, or choose “Select File” to browse your computer for label design. 

• Select Apply Design. Your image will now be loaded into the tool where you can make adjustments if needed.
• Customize Tab:
  • Here, you can adjust the design as needed within the template tool. You can zoom in or out, rotate, or crop the image. Be sure that any text on the label fits within the inner dashed line. If your text is too close to the edge, you will need to return to Canva and make any adjustments.
  • The tool also provides the option of printing the same label for the entire page, or customizing the print sheet to allow for a variety of labels to be printed on the same page. 
  • If you would like to print a variety of labels to a single page, select the “Edit One” button which will allow you to change the INDIVIDUAL labels on that page. Here, when you choose the specific label to edit from the navigator, you can then drag and drop another label design into the template in its place. Repeat for all the other INDIVIDUAL labels you would like to modify/add to the page for printing.

•  When you have completed any customizations, you are then ready to Preview & Print. Select the “Preview & Print” button.
• Choose if you are printing at home or if you would like Avery to print for you.
• If printing at home, select “Print It Yourself”, after that select “Get PDF to Print”. You will be provided a formatted PDF file that now matches your label paper. 
• Boom! Print Away!

Troubleshooting

Sometimes when printing at home, you can face alignment issues. Fortunately, Avery offers some advice on their help page here, but I’ve summarized a few tips to help you out.

TEST PRINT

Do a test print on a sheet of plain paper to determine which direction to feed in your printer and to check your design and alignment.

PRINT ACTUAL SIZE (100%)

If you’re printing a PDF, make sure the “Fit to Page” box is NOT checked. Otherwise, your printing will not be printed at the actual size and won’t align properly to the label paper.

Make sure the page/paper size of the label document and the printer are in agreement. At File | Options | Advanced | Print — uncheck the box for “Scale content for A4 or 8.5 x 11″ paper sizes.”

PRINTER SETTINGS

After you click Print, click on Properties or Preferences, or look for the “Print using system dialog” option where you’ll find Paper options.

Check for the correct paper type on your printer settings:
– Please open devices and printers by searching it on the control panel.
– Right-click on the printer.
– Select printer preferences.
– Select Paper/Quality.
– Click on Media and change it to labels. If your printer doesn’t have a labels setting under Paper Type, choose “Heavyweight” or “Cardstock” instead.

PRINT ADJUSTMENT (AVERY LABELS)

If your printer is shifting your design by a consistent amount of space, click the Make a Print Adjustment button in “Tab 4 – Preview & Print” in Avery Design & Print. This tool will allow you to nudge your entire design up, down, left or right by increments you determine.

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