How to Make Labels Using Pages on a Mac
By Katelyn Kelley
Labels serve many functions in a busy office, from filing organization to postal mailings. If your office uses Apple Pages for word processing, you've probably noticed that while the product includes templates for many types of documents, it doesn't include one for labels. The Pages table function, however, enables you to create your own labels template from a blank document. To create the template, you need to know the label sheet margins, the number of labels across and down the sheet, and the label's dimensions.
Select "Blank" under the Word Processing template category and click the "Choose" button.
Click "Show Inspector" under the View menu to open the floating command palette next to your document window. The default view is of the document margin settings.
Enter the label sheet margins into the Left, Right, Top and Bottom boxes in the Inspector window.
Uncheck the "Header" and "Footer" boxes so thoese areas disappear from the document window.
Click the "Table" button on the command bar across the top of the document or select "Table" from the Insert menu to add a new table to your blank document. The Inspector automatically switches to show you the table settings instead of the document settings.
Click the table border once to select it. In the Inspector window, adjust the number of rows and columns to match the specifications for your label sheet.
Click the drop-down menus in the Header and Footer section and select "0" so your table includes no header or footer cells.
Enter the label measurements in Column Width and Row Height boxes. Uncheck the box next to "Automatically resize to fit content" to prevent the cell dimensions from changing when you add text.
Click into each cell on the table to enter the information you want to appear on the label.
Select "None" under Cell Borders so your table prints without grid lines.
Print a test page using the "Print" command under the File menu. When you're happy with the results, select "Save as Template" from the File menu to create a template from this document to use again.
Tips
Examine the label package for the product specifications. These are often listed on the back of the box or on an insert inside the box. Look for the top, bottom, left and right margin values, label height and width and the number of rows and columns.
Print a test page of labels on regular paper to check the text lines up properly before you put a sheet of labels in your printer. Hold the test page together with a blank label sheet up against the light to see if the text is printing inside the label lines.
Apple Pages can open template files intended for Microsoft Word, but you may need to adjust the measurements slightly. Always print a test page first.
References
Resources
Writer Bio
Katelyn Kelley worked in information technology as a computing and communications consultant and web manager for 15 years before becoming a freelance writer in 2003. She specializes in instructional and technical writing in the areas of computers, gaming and crafts. Kelley holds a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and computer science from Boston College.