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How to Set Up Avery Labels, Templates, and DIY Print Projects: A 7-Step Checklist

How to Set Up Avery Labels, Templates, and DIY Print Projects: A 7-Step Checklist

This checklist is for anyone who needs to print Avery labels (especially the 5264 shipping label template), create event tickets, design brochures, or tackle DIY projects like brown paper bag book covers. If you've ever wasted a $15 pack of labels because the alignment was off, this is for you.

I'm a procurement manager at a 45-person distribution company. I've managed our labeling and print supplies budget ($12,000 annually) for 6 years, and I've documented every misprinted sheet in our cost tracking system. Honestly, the mistakes taught me more than the successes.

Total steps: 7. Time to complete: 15-30 minutes depending on your project.

Step 1: Identify Your Exact Template Number Before You Buy Anything

This sounds obvious, but most buyers focus on label size and completely miss the template number—which determines whether your software can actually align the print correctly.

For Avery labels, the template number is everything. The 5264 template, for example, is specifically for shipping labels (3-1/3" x 4" with 6 labels per sheet). If you buy labels that look similar but use a different template number, your print will be off by millimeters. That's enough to make your labels look unprofessional or, worse, get cut off.

What to do:

• Check the packaging or product page for the exact template number
• For the 5264 Avery template specifically: it's designed for shipping labels and works with Word, Google Docs, and Avery's own Design & Print software
• Write down the number somewhere—you'll need it in Step 3

The question everyone asks is "what size labels do I need?" The question they should ask is "what template number matches my software?"

Step 2: Choose Your Design Platform Based on What You Actually Have

You have three main options for Avery templates:

Microsoft Word: Best if you already have Office. Templates are built into the "Labels" function under Mailings tab. The 5264 template is in there.

Google Docs: Free, but you'll need to download Avery's template file and upload it. Search "avery template for google docs" and you'll find Avery's official page with downloadable files. It's an extra step, but it works.

Avery Design & Print (avery.com/templates): Free online tool. Honestly, this is the easiest option for beginners. You just enter your template number and it loads the exact layout.

For Avery tickets templates specifically, the Design & Print tool has pre-made event ticket designs that you can customize. Saves about 20 minutes compared to building from scratch in Word.

I'm not a graphic designer, so I can't speak to advanced design software like InDesign. What I can tell you from a procurement perspective is that for standard label jobs, the free options work fine.

Step 3: Test Print on Plain Paper First (Non-Negotiable)

This is the step most people skip—and it's why they waste materials.

Before you load your actual Avery labels, print one copy on regular paper. Hold it up against a blank label sheet with the light behind it. Check if the text and graphics align with where the labels actually are.

Common alignment issues to check:

• Content shifted left or right (usually a margin setting issue)
• Content shifted up or down (often a "fit to page" scaling problem)
• Content too close to label edges (you need at least 1/8" margin for safety)

So glad I made this a policy after our 2023 disaster. Almost approved a 500-sheet print job that was misaligned by 3mm, which would have been $180 in wasted labels (unfortunately, I've seen it happen to other departments who didn't test first).

Step 4: Adjust Print Settings—This Is Where Projects Fail

From the outside, it looks like print settings are straightforward. The reality is that default settings are optimized for regular documents, not labels.

Critical settings to check:

Scaling: Set to "Actual Size" or "100%"—never "Fit to Page." Fit to Page will shrink your layout and throw off alignment.

Paper size: Make sure it's set to Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) for standard Avery sheets. This sounds basic, but I've seen jobs fail because someone had A4 selected from a previous project.

Paper type: If your printer has a "Labels" setting, use it. If not, "Cardstock" or "Heavy Paper" often works better than "Plain Paper" because it adjusts the feed speed.

For large wrapping paper rolls or oversized projects, you'll need a wide-format printer or a print shop. Standard home/office printers max out at 8.5 x 14 inches (legal size). When comparing quotes for large format printing, always ask whether the price includes cutting or if that's extra—that 'included cutting' line item can add 15-25% to your total.

Step 5: Handle Specialty Projects With Appropriate Materials

Not everything you print is a standard label. Here's how to approach common specialty projects:

Brown Paper Bag Book Covers

This is a DIY project, but the principle is the same: test your template first. If you're printing designs onto brown kraft paper to wrap as book covers, you need to account for the paper's texture and color.

What I learned (this was back in 2022 when my kid needed book covers):

• Brown kraft paper absorbs ink differently than white paper—colors look muted
• Increase contrast in your design by 10-15% to compensate
• Test print a small section before committing to the full sheet

Paper weight for book covers should be around 50-60 lb kraft (approximately 80-90 gsm). Too light and it tears; too heavy and it won't fold cleanly around the book.

Brochures (Where to Make a Brochure)

For brochures, your options are:

DIY route: Canva (free), Microsoft Publisher, or Google Slides with a brochure template. Canva actually has decent tri-fold brochure templates that export to PDF.

Print shop route: If you need more than 50 copies, get quotes from at least 3 vendors. In Q2 2024, I compared costs across 4 print vendors for a 500-brochure job. Pricing ranged from $0.35 to $0.58 per piece for the same specifications—a 40% difference that was entirely about setup fees and paper stock choices.

Standard brochure paper is 80-100 lb text weight (120-150 gsm). Anything lighter feels cheap; anything heavier gets expensive fast.

Large Wrapping Paper Rolls

You can't print these at home (unless you have a plotter). For custom large wrapping paper rolls, you're looking at specialty print shops or online services like Zazzle or Shutterfly.

Pricing is typically $15-40 per roll for custom designs (based on major online vendor quotes, January 2025; verify current pricing). The hidden cost is minimum order quantities—some vendors require 5+ rolls minimum.

Step 6: Load Labels Correctly (Yes, There's a Wrong Way)

Most printers feed from the bottom of the tray. This means the printable side of your labels should face DOWN in most cases. But not always.

Quick test: Mark a piece of plain paper with an arrow pointing up and the word "TOP." Print something on it. See which side the print appears on and whether your arrow is still pointing up. This tells you exactly how your specific printer handles paper orientation.

For Avery labels specifically, load 10-25 sheets maximum at a time. Overloading causes feed jams, and labels are more prone to jamming than regular paper because they're stiffer.

Never expected this to matter so much. Turns out our HP printer feeds differently than the Canon in the other office—same label sheets, completely different orientation requirements.

Step 7: Document What Worked for Next Time

This is the step that separates one-time users from people who actually get efficient at this.

After tracking 40+ label print jobs over 4 years in our procurement system, I found that 60% of our 'reprint' costs came from not remembering settings that worked before. We implemented a simple documentation policy and cut reprints by 45%.

What to record:

• Template number used
• Software/platform
• Print settings (scaling, paper type selection)
• Which printer
• Any adjustments you made to margins

Takes 2 minutes. Saves 20 minutes and $15+ in wasted materials next time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using "Fit to Page" scaling: This is the #1 cause of misaligned labels. Always use 100% / Actual Size.

Not checking template compatibility: Avery 5264 is not interchangeable with 8164 or 5164, even though they look similar. The margins are different.

Printing on the wrong side: Label sheets have a printable side and a backing side. If your labels come out blank or the ink smears, you loaded them upside down.

Buying labels without checking printer compatibility: Inkjet labels and laser labels are different. Using inkjet labels in a laser printer can melt the adhesive and damage your printer (that 'cheap' option resulted in a $200 repair when someone in accounting made this mistake).

Assuming all printers handle labels the same: They don't. Different feed mechanisms, different heat levels for laser printers, different paper path curves. Test with your specific equipment.

The vendor who said "this label stock isn't ideal for your printer model—here's what works better" earned my trust for everything else. I'd rather work with a specialist who knows their limits than a generalist who overpromises.

Quick Reference: Avery Template Numbers

For the templates mentioned in this guide:

• 5264: Shipping labels, 3-1/3" x 4", 6 per sheet
• 5160: Address labels, 1" x 2-5/8", 30 per sheet
• 5163: Shipping labels, 2" x 4", 10 per sheet
• Avery tickets templates: Various sizes available in Design & Print tool

Standard print resolution for labels: 300 DPI at final size. This is the industry-standard minimum for commercial printing (going lower makes text look fuzzy, especially on small address labels).

Prices for Avery label sheets typically range from $15-35 for packs of 100-750 labels depending on type (based on major office supply retailer quotes, January 2025; verify current pricing).