Knowledge - Creating Label Templates

The HowNow Merge Document system can be used to create address labels for contacts (clients or employees).

You will need to create a new word document set up in the format for the labels you wish to print as per the steps below. Word have standard templates available for labels so you may be able to use these and skip steps 1 - 12. 

1. Create a new blank Microsoft Word document in HowNow Documents. In the Advanced tab of the profile, uncheck the File Automatically option (unless you want labels saved as records) and check the Document has Merge Fields option.
2. In Microsoft Word switch on show bookmarks and paragraph marks. This makes it much easier to create bookmarks.
3. Alter the page layout of the document to set the top, bottom, left and right margins to the minimum allowed.
4. Set the required font type and size.
5. Create a table with the required number of rows and columns. Adjust the page margins and the height and width of the rows and columns to suit the labels.
6. Print the page and overlay it on the label page. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until the table cells match the label sizes.
   
7. Delete all the table rows except the first. This is important as the template will not work if the table has more than one row.
8. Select the table, right-click and choose Table Properties.
   
9. Click the Borders and Shading button and choose the boarder setting None.
   
10. Click the Options button and uncheck the option Automatically Resize to fit Contents.
    
11. Click the Row tab and check the option Specify Height. Then set the option Row Height to Exactly.
    
12. Close the Table Properties dialog.
    
13. Click in the first cell and type the text HowNowLabelAddress, followed by a paragraph mark. Highlight the text but not the paragraph mark and press Ctrl-C to copy it. Note: paragraph marks can also be placed before the text to assist with spacing.
    
14. Press Alt-I-K to display the Bookmark Editor dialog. Press Ctrl-V to paste the bookmark name copied previously.
    
15. Click OK to save the bookmark.
    
16. Highlight all of the text, including the trailing paragraph mark but not the cell end-mark and press Alt-I-K to display the Bookmark Editor dialog.
    
17. Type HowNowContactGroup as the bookmark name and click OK to save it.
    
18. Save the label document. Then double-click it to open the Merge Document dialog.
    
19. Choose as many contacts as necessary to force a couple of rows of labels to be printed (say 5 in the case of a 8 X 2 label page).
    
20. Set the Edit option and click Create to create a test document.
    
21. Check the resulting test document for obvious layout and spacing errors. Note any changes and print the document to plain paper.
    
22. Overlay the printed page on a label page and note layout and spacing errors. Make adjustments to the document, note them and reprint. Repeat this step until the layout and spacing is satisfactory.
    
23. Close the test document and edit the label template. Make the same changes to it that were made to the test document.
    
24. As a final check, print a page of labels.