Industry Trends

How to Print Avery Labels Without Wasting 47 Sheets (I Made These Mistakes So You Don't Have To)

There's No One Right Way to Print Avery Labels

If you've ever searched for "avery. com/print" or "label template avery 5160," you've probably found a dozen tutorials, each claiming to be the method. Here's the thing I learned after six years of ordering and printing labels for our small office supply business: the right approach depends entirely on your setup and what you're printing.

I'm the guy who handles our print orders. In my first year (2018), I made mistakes that cost us roughly $1,200 in wasted materials and reprints. I now maintain our team's printing checklist. This isn't a guide with a single answer—it's a decision tree. Here are the three most common scenarios I've encountered.

Scenario A: You're Using a Template from avery.com/print (The Most Common Route)

This is what most people do—download a template from avery.com/print, fill it in, and hit print. It works 80% of the time. But when it fails, it fails hard.

I once ordered 200 sheets of label template avery 5160 for a client's shipping labels. The template looked perfect on screen. The first 20 sheets printed with a 2mm offset. Every. Single. Label. That cost us $45 in wasted labels plus a one-day delay. What I learned: always do a single test sheet first. Not just on plain paper, but on an actual label sheet. The paper feed on your printer can shift the alignment, especially with thicker label stock.

What I'd tell my 2018 self:

• Download the template directly from avery.com/print.
• Use Avery's free software (Avery Design & Print) if you have a simple layout. It's legitimately easy.
• Print one test sheet on plain paper first. Hold it up to light against a label sheet to check alignment.
• If the alignment is off, check your printer's paper size settings. (That was my mistake—the default was 'Letter' but the label sheet was slightly different.)

But here's the surprise: I switched to using Google Docs templates for quick jobs, and it worked better for my team. Never expected Google Docs to outperform Avery's own software for our simple address labels. Turns out, the collaboration features made it easier for my team to edit without breaking formatting.

That said, this approach only works for standard layouts. For anything with images or multi-column layouts, stick with Avery's tools (I wish I had tracked our success rates more carefully—anecdotally, about 70% of our complex jobs failed in Google Docs).

Scenario B: You're Designing Custom Labels (aka The Danger Zone)

This is where things get expensive. You're designing your own labels—maybe for a product launch or event. You have a vision. You're using Adobe Illustrator or Canva. And you're about to make the mistake I made in September 2022.

I designed a run of great smoky mountains poster-style labels for a local hiking guide company. Custom shape, full color, die-cut. Beautiful on screen. I ordered 500 sheets—$890 total, including setup fees. When they arrived, the die-cut lines didn't align with my design. Every label had a 3mm white border on one side. $890, straight to the trash. (I still have one sheet pinned to my wall as a reminder.)

What I learned from that disaster:

• Understand the template's safe zone. Every template from Avery has margins. Your design must stay within those margins.
• Use Avery's online templates as starting points. Even if you're designing custom, download the blank template to get the exact dimensions.
• Request a hard proof. Many online printers (including Avery's partners) offer this for a small fee. I skipped it to save $25. It cost me $890.

For complex jobs, I now follow this checklist:

1. Download the official label template avery for my specific product number.
2. Design within the safe zone (usually 0.125" from the edge).
3. Export as PDF, high resolution (300 dpi minimum).
4. Order a single hard proof sheet. Yes, it adds 3-5 days. Yes, it's worth it.

One more thing: I've found that the budget printer option worked fine for standard shapes. But for custom die-cuts, only go with a specialized shop. I can only speak to our domestic suppliers; if you're dealing with international vendors, the calculus might be different.

Scenario C: You're Printing Wrapping Paper or Unusual Formats

This is the niche scenario, but I'm including it because the search term how to print wrapping paper tells me people are trying this. (I know, I was surprised too.)

In Q1 2024, a client asked about printing custom wrapping paper with their branding. It sounded flaky, but I looked into it. The issue isn't the printing itself—it's the paper, the size, and the feeder mechanism.

The fundamentals haven't changed, but the execution has transformed. Five years ago, printing on extra-wide stock required expensive equipment. Now, Avery's lineup includes options that work in standard printers—if you know the tricks.

For wrapping paper or oversized labels:

• Check your printer's maximum paper size. Most standard printers max out at 8.5" x 14".
• Use a compatible template. Avery has a few oversize options (like their 8.5" x 11" full-sheet labels).
• Test with plain paper before using expensive stock.

The surprise here: the expensive printer paper option actually had better color reproduction for my test. Never expected the premium stock to outperform the cheap stuff that dramatically, but the color gamut was noticeably wider.

How to Know Which Scenario You're In

So how do you decide? Here's the simple test:

Are you using a provided template?

• Yes → Scenario A. Use Avery's Design & Print or Google Docs.
• No → Read on.

Is your design complex (custom shapes, multiple colors, die-cuts)?

• Yes → Scenario B. Invest in a hard proof.
• No → Scenario A still applies.

Is your paper size unusual (oversized or custom dimensions)?

• Yes → Scenario C. Check printer specs first.
• No → You're probably in Scenario A or B. Scenario A is safer for beginners.

If you're still unsure: start with Scenario A. Print a single test sheet. You'll either be fine, or you'll discover quickly that you need to step up to Scenario B.

This worked for me, but our situation was a small B2B company with predictable ordering patterns. If you're a seasonal business with demand spikes, the calculus might be different. At least, that's been my experience with deadline-critical projects.