Label Printing

With Microsoft Word and Avery sheets#

The standard office workflow for a sheet of identical labels:

1. Create the barcode in Barcode Producer with the symbology and value you need. Save as a vector EPS or bitmap TIFF (TIFF is the most reliable input format for Word).
2. In Microsoft Word’s template browser, select Labels – use the Label Wizard designed for label printing. Leave the address field blank, then choose a label template type. Most of the labels Word suggests are Avery model numbers. If you don’t see the Avery label you need, Avery’s site also has downloadable Word templates.
3. A new Word document opens with cells for each label. Insert your barcode as a picture from the file you saved earlier, then paste it into some or all of the cells on the page. Avoid resizing the barcode after pasting – the size you exported is the size that scans.
4. Click Print, and you’re done.

With Apple Pages#

Pages doesn’t have a built-in label wizard, but Avery’s templates work just as well in Pages. Download the Avery template for your label number; the file opens in Pages with the right grid. Drag your saved barcode TIFF or PNG into each cell.

With label-printer software#

Dymo, Brother, and Zebra label printers ship with their own design software. The workflow is similar: design the label layout in their software, drop in your saved barcode (TIFF or PNG works for most label printer software; EPS works for the more capable ones), and print.

For thermal label printers specifically, save as a higher-resolution TIFF (600 dpi or above) – the printers have lower native resolution than digital presses, and a higher-resolution source gives the printer driver more to work with.

When each label needs a different value#

For a sheet of 30 labels with 30 different SKUs, you don’t want to insert each barcode by hand. Two options:

• Automator + Data Merge generates one EPS per SKU from your spreadsheet. Use InDesign Data Merge to drop them into a layout.
• Word’s Mail Merge with the Automator-generated images linked by file path. The Avery template can be a Mail Merge target.

For batches above a few dozen labels, the InDesign pipeline is faster than Word.

Sizing caveats#

Don’t resize the barcode after exporting. Resize in Barcode Producer with the Factor control before saving; the editor maintains spec compliance, while post-export scaling in a layout app can break the bar-to-space ratio and produce an unscannable result. Pick a Factor that fits your label size in the editor, save at that size, and place at 100% in the label sheet.