WD2000: How to Create a Custom Label or Modify an Existing Label

ID: Q212029

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

Microsoft Word 2000 provides many different label products for use either in a mail merge (on the Tools menu, click Mail Merge) or when creating a single or full page of the same label (on the Tools menu, click Envelopes and Labels). However, your particular label vendor or label product number may not be available in Word.

If your label product number is not available in Word, you can create a custom label description for your label. To do this, you can either create a new label or modify an existing label.


MORE INFORMATION

To create a new label or modify an existing label, use one of the following methods appropriate for your situation.

Method 1: Create a New Custom Label

  1. On the Tools menu, click Envelopes and Labels.


  2. On the Labels tab, click Options.


  3. Under Printer information, click to select your printer type, Dot matrix or Laser and ink jet.


  4. Click New Label.


  5. In the Label name box, type a name for your new custom label. Enter the exact height and width measurements of one label and the number of labels across and down one page. You may also need to adjust the top and side margins and vertical and horizontal pitches.


  6. Click OK.

    NOTE: If the following error message appears,
    The margins, label size, and number across or down values produce a page that is larger than the label page size.
    click OK, and then verify that your label dimensions and page margins combined aren't larger than the actual paper size.


  7. Click OK.

    NOTE: The Label name you added in step 5 will appear in the Product number list; however, it will have Custom added to the end of the label name to indicate it is a custom label.


Method 2: Modify an Existing Label

NOTE: You cannot change the existing dimensions of the predefined label settings in Word. When you modify an existing label's settings, you will be able to type in a new label name and save the changes as a new custom label.
  1. On the Tools menu, click Envelopes and Labels.


  2. On the Labels tab, click Options.


  3. Under Printer information, click to select your printer type, Dot matrix or Laser and ink jet.


  4. In the Product number list, click to select a label with the closest dimensions to those of your custom label.

    NOTE: Verify that the label page size is the same size as your label sheet.


  5. Click Details.


  6. Make any necessary changes to the Label height, Label width, Number across, Number down, Top margin, Side margin, Vertical pitch, Horizontal pitch, and Page size as necessary.


  7. In the Label name box, type in a label name for your custom label.

    NOTE: If you did not make any changes to the predefined label information, the Label name box will be unavailable.


  8. Click OK. The modified label now appears in the Product number list.

    NOTE: If the following error message appears,
    The margins, label size, and number across or down values produce a page that is larger than the label page size.
    click OK, and then verify that your label dimensions and page margins combined aren't larger than the actual paper size.

    The Label name you added in step 7 will appear in the Product number list; however, it will have Custom added to the end of the label name to indicate it is a custom label.



REFERENCES

For additional information about the error message that may appear when creating a new label or modifying an existing label, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q224042 WD2000: ErrMsg: "The margins, label size, and number across or down values produce a page that is larger than the label page size"

Additional query words: custom creating create make design label avery howto customized customise customize 


Keywords          : kbdta wd2000 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: May 13, 1999