How to Print Labels From an XLS File

Files in Microsoft Excel (2003 and earlier) are saved with an XLS extension. Unlike a word processor, Excel does not include a label creator. You can, however, connect to an Excel worksheet from another application, such as Microsoft Word, Publisher or Access. This allows you to import data from an existing XLS file into the program and convert it into printable labels. You can also customize the labels before they are printed in Access, Publisher or Word.

Access

• 1

  Open a new or existing database in Microsoft Access. Select "File," "Get External Data" and "Import" from the menu. Change "Files of type" to "Microsoft Excel (*.xls)" in the "Import" dialog box and double-click the file you want to open.

• 2

  Click "Show Worksheets" in the Link Spreadsheet Wizard. Select the XLS worksheet containing your data.

• 3

  Click "Next" and select "First Row Contains Column Headings," if it does.

• 4

  Click "Next" and select "In a New Table."

• 5

  Click "Next" until you reach the last step in the wizard. Type a table name into the "Import to Table" text field and click "Finish."

• 6

  Click "Reports" from "Objects" in the Database window and click the "New" button. Select "Label Wizard" in the "New Report" dialog box. Choose the XLS table you imported from the drop-down list and click "OK."

• 7

  Pick the type of labels you want to print and click "Next."

• 8

  Customize your font and click "Next."

• 9

  Double-click the fields from "Available fields" to add them to the "Prototype label" on the right. Click "Finish." The labels load in print preview.

• 10

  Place your label sheets into your printer. Press the "Print" button in the toolbar.

Publisher

• 1

  Click "File" and "New" in the Publisher menu.

• 2

  Expand "Publications for Print" and click "Labels." Click a label template in the right pane to load it.

• 3

  Click "Tools," "Mail and Catalog Merge" and "Mail and Catalog Merge Wizard" in the menu.

• 4

  Click "Mail Merge" in the "Mail and Catalog Merge" task pane.

• 5

  Click "Next: Select data source." Select "Use an existing list" and click "Browse." Double-click the XLS file in the "Select Data Source" window.

• 6

  Select the worksheet containing your data in the "Select Table" dialog box. Click "OK." The "Mail Merge Recipients" dialog box opens. Click "OK" to accept all the records in your XLS file.

• 7

  Click "Next: Create your publication" in the task pane. Click the fields you want to insert from the left pane. Click "Next: Preview your publication."

• 8

  Click "Next: Complete the merge." Click "Print" to open the "Print Merge" dialog box. Place your labels in the printer and click "OK."

Word

• 1

  Open a new document in Microsoft Word.

• 2

  Click "Tools," "Letters and Mailings" and "Mail Merge" from the menu. The "Mail Merge" task pane opens on the right.

• 3

  Click "Labels" and "Next: Starting document" in the task pane. Select "Use the current document" and "Label options."

• 4

  Pick your label settings in the "Label Options" dialog box and click "OK." Click "Next: Select recipients."

• 5

  Repeat Steps 5 and 6 of the "Publisher" section.

• 6

  Click "Next: Arrange your labels" in the task pane. Select "More items" to open the "Insert Merge Field" dialog box.

• 7

  Double-click the merge fields you want to add from the XLS file. Click "Close."

• 8

  Arrange the fields in the first label (within your document) the way you want them to look when they are printed. Add a space, new line, or punctuation between fields to format your labels.

• 9

  Return to the task pane when you are finished. Click "Update all labels" and "Next: Preview your labels."

• 10

  Repeat Step 8 of the "Publisher" section to complete the merge and print the labels.