Revolutionize Your Labeling Game With Staples Templates For Labels

Getting Your Staples Label Templates Working Properly

Most people download a Staples label template, open it in Word, and immediately run into one of three problems: the labels don't line up, the printer shifts the sheet, or the template locks up their formatting. I spent about six months fixing this for a client who was mailing 400 packages a week through Staples' store service before I figured out what actually works. Staples doesn't sell its own brand of blank label sheets anymore. What they offer are downloadable templates sized for common label formats like Avery 5160, 8160, and 5660. The file you get from Staples.com is essentially a .docx or .pdf with a table structure that matches the layout of pre-cut label sheets. You fill in the table, print, and peel. The catch is that "just fill in the table" only works if your printer is properly calibrated. I learned this the hard way when a client's Staples print queue kept shifting labels 2mm to the right on every fifth sheet. We spent two days troubleshooting before I realized the template had margin settings baked in at 0.5 inches on all sides, but their printer driver was adding its own 0.25-inch default margin. The fix was disabling "fit to page" and setting the printer margins to match the template exactly in the driver settings.

Here is the actual process. Go to Staples.com, navigate to the labels or office supplies section, and search for the template number that matches your label sheets. If you have Avery 5160 sheets, you want the 5160 template. The template file will download as either a Word document or a PDF. If you get a PDF, you can still edit it by opening it in Word, which converts the layout. But the Word version is cleaner and less likely to shift elements around. Once you have the file open, do not use text boxes. Text boxes are the single most common source of label misalignment. Use the table cells themselves. Each cell in the template corresponds to one label. Type directly into the cell. If you need to add an image, resize it so it fits entirely within the cell borders without crossing into adjacent cells. Keep your content within the printable area the template defines — usually about 0.125 inches inside each edge. If you are printing bulk labels, do a test print on plain paper first. Place a blank label sheet on top of the test print and hold it up to a light. The light will show you exactly where each label falls on the sheet. This takes about 90 seconds and prevents wasting an entire sheet of labels on a misaligned print job. I have done this at least 200 times and still do it every single time because printer drivers vary enough between machines that even "the same model" won't always print identically.

Staples templates work well for address labels, shipping labels, and basic product labeling. They break down if you need variable data across hundreds of labels — at that point you are better off using mail merge with the template or switching to a dedicated label design tool like LabelJoy or BarTender. Staples templates are designed for one-off or small batch use, not for automation. The file formats available depend on which label size you need. Most templates come in .docx format, which is fully editable. Some older ones are .dotx template files, which means every time you open one it creates a new document rather than editing the original. If you see a .dotx file, duplicate it first before making changes. You will also find the templates on Staples' support or resources pages more often than in the main product catalog, since they function as utilities rather than products. I would also note that the downloadable templates are free. There is no subscription or account required beyond browsing the Staples site. If you hit a paywall or are asked to create an account to download, you are likely on the wrong page or looking at a different product entirely.