Printing Labels: Driven Insane

[Sam Elowitch]

Printing Avery 5202 labels with Word is driving me bananas. There seem to be
a number of Word settings that contradict each other, for example:

Under File --> Page Setup --> Paper Size: There's no place to specify my
custom paper size, so I have to leave it at US Letter, which makes no sense.
Yet, at the same time, under File --> Page Setup --> Page Attributes -->
Custom Paper Size, I am able to specify my custom paper size of 4" x 6" but
it's highly confusing -- which takes precedence? Plus the Feed Method does
not work -- my labels end up printing incorrectly in spite of it.

Also, does anybody know if it's possible to update the built-in Tools -->
Labels menu so that it includes new Avery templates I've downloaded?

Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating.

-Sam

 

[Dayo Mitchell]

An experiment. See if setting really big margins instead of a custom paper
size makes a difference. I think you'd have to do it after creating the
labels.

Or, skip the labels tool entirely, and just create your own borderless table
on a page set with the margins to match the way the printer feeds.

The labels tool uses the Normal template by default, and that can't be
changed, so far as I know. Temporarily changing the margins or paper size
there might work (if you try this, it might be a good idea to generate a
fresh Normal, mess with it, do the labels, then delete it and return your
usual Normal to its place).

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Sam:

Printing Avery 5202 labels with Word is driving me bananas. There seem to be
a number of Word settings that contradict each other, for example:

Under File --> Page Setup --> Paper Size: There's no place to specify my
custom paper size,

Have you tried File>Page Setup>Settings>Custom Paper Size?

Note that the dialog that appears on File>Page Setup is an Apple dialog.
What you see depends on which Apple OS you are using.

so I have to leave it at US Letter, which makes no sense.
Yet, at the same time, under File --> Page Setup --> Page Attributes -->
Custom Paper Size, I am able to specify my custom paper size of 4" x 6" but
it's highly confusing -- which takes precedence?

That has to be one of the most confusing dialogs in OS X. The way I
understand it is this: The first dialog (Page Setup) is a Microsoft Word
setting that comes from your Normal Template. The second is a list of
choices that come from your printer driver as interpreted by Apple OS.

So the first is a setting, the second is a choice.

Plus the Feed Method does
not work -- my labels end up printing incorrectly in spite of it.

Also, does anybody know if it's possible to update the built-in Tools -->
Labels menu so that it includes new Avery templates I've downloaded?

Yes. Tools>Labels>Options>New Label.

If you save your specifications with a name, the name will appear on the
list next time. Choose the right company (Avery) and observe the Avery
naming convention so your label name sorts in the right place.

Hope this helps

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 4 1209 1410