Avery Labels: Which Template Do You Actually Need? A Cost Controller's Guide to Avoiding Waste

If you ask me, the biggest mistake people make with Avery labels isn't buying the wrong pack—it's using the wrong template. From the outside, it looks simple: you buy labels, you download a template, you print. The reality is that picking the wrong template can cost you hours of reformatting, wasted labels, and printer jams. I've managed our office supplies and print procurement budget (around $45,000 annually) for a 75-person marketing agency for six years. We've ordered thousands of sheets of Avery labels for everything from mass mailings to client event badges. Let me save you the headache I had to learn the hard way.

Here's the truth: there's no single "best" Avery template. The right choice depends entirely on what you're doing, how many you need, and what software you're comfortable with. Getting this wrong means wasted money. Getting it right means a smooth, predictable process. I'll break down the most common scenarios I've seen.

The Three Scenarios That Dictate Your Template Choice

Most label needs fall into one of three buckets. Your scenario dictates everything.

Scenario A: The Occasional, Simple Address Labeler

You need to print a sheet or two of return address labels, shipping labels for occasional packages, or name tags for a small meeting. Volume is low (under 50 labels at a time), and you just want it to work with minimal fuss.

Your Best Bet: The Avery Template Wizard in Google Docs or Word.

Forget searching for template numbers initially. Go directly to avery.com/templates and use their wizard. You enter your product number (it's on the box), and it lets you open a pre-formatted template directly in Google Docs or Microsoft Word Online. This is the lowest-friction path.

Why this works: The templates are perfectly aligned. You just type and print. There's zero formatting guesswork. I want to say we've used this method for maybe 180 simple jobs, and it's failed maybe twice—both times because of printer driver issues, not the template.

The Cost Controller's Caveat: This method is perfect for low volume. But if you find yourself doing this monthly, the total cost includes your time opening the wizard and setting up the doc each time. For recurring needs, creating a master template file (see Scenario B) is a better long-term investment.

Scenario B: The Frequent Mailer or System Builder

You're sending invoices, newsletters, or product shipments regularly. You need 100+ labels at a time, and you value consistency and speed. You might even be integrating labels into an existing workflow using mail merge.

Your Best Bet: Master the Standard Template Numbers (5160, 5163, 8160).

This is where knowing the industry-standard codes pays off. These are the workhorses:

• Avery 5160: The classic 1" x 2-5/8" address label (30 per sheet). This is probably 70% of our mailing label use. It's the default for so many systems.
• Avery 5163: The 2" x 4" shipping label (10 per sheet). Ideal for package labels.
• Avery 8160: Same size as 5160, but for inkjet printers. 5160 is for laser. Getting this wrong can cause smudging.
• Avery 8162: This one's specific—it's a 1-1/3" x 4" label (14 per sheet), often used for file folder tabs or longer identifiers. Not a common mailing label.

In Q2 2024, when we standardized our client shipment process, we built a master Google Docs template for 5163 labels. Now, anyone on the team can copy that doc, paste in addresses, and print perfect labels in under two minutes. The upfront time to build it saved us countless hours of individual setup.

Pro Tip (The Hidden Cost): Always verify your printer type (laser vs. inkjet) against the template number. A reprint of 100 sheets due to smudging isn't just the cost of the labels—it's the labor and the delay. That "cheap" inkjet label sheet can cost you more if you run it through a laser printer and fuse toner to your drum.

Scenario C: The Designer or Brand Manager

You need branded labels for products, events, or premium mailings. Layout, custom colors, and logos are non-negotiable. You're using design software like Adobe Creative Suite or Canva.

Your Best Bet: Use Avery's Design & Print Online Tool or Canva Integration.

It's tempting to think you can just design in Illustrator and hope it aligns. But identical specs from different design approaches can result in wildly different outcomes. Avery's own online design tool or their official integration with Canva provides properly sized canvases and safety margins.

Why this works for cost control: It prevents expensive misprints. When we ordered 500 custom wine labels for a client event, we used the Avery-Canva integration for the proof. It showed us exactly how the bleed area worked. If I remember correctly, going with a generic template from a designer would have risked a $1,200 reprint if the crop was off by a millimeter—a cost that would have come straight from our margin.

To be fair, a professional print shop might offer more flexibility for ultra-custom shapes. But for standard Avery shapes, using their integrated tools is the lowest-risk path. The value isn't just the design—it's the certainty that what you design will print correctly on their specific label sheets.

How to Diagnose Your Own Scenario (And Avoid My Mistakes)

So, which one are you? Ask these questions, the way I do when auditing a new office supply request:

1. Frequency: Is this a one-off task, or will you repeat it monthly/quarterly? (One-off = Scenario A, Repeating = Scenarios B or C)
2. Complexity: Are you just typing text, or are you incorporating logos/designs? (Text = A/B, Design = C)
3. Volume: Are you printing a few sheets or dozens? (Few = A, Dozens = B/C)

Here's a decision from my own experience, back in 2023. We needed labels for a quarterly donor mailing—about 300 sheets worth. I almost just reused a one-off Google Doc template (Scenario A thinking). But I calculated the TCO: each mailing, someone would spend 15 minutes setting up the doc. That's 1 hour per year. Building a master mail-merge template (Scenario B) took 90 minutes upfront. We broke even after 18 months and have saved time ever since. The "quick" solution was actually the more expensive one over time.

The Bottom Line for Budgets:

"Total cost of ownership includes: the price of the labels, the time to set up the template, the risk of misprints, and the labor for re-dos. The easiest template to start with is often not the cheapest to live with."

Start with the Avery Template Wizard. If you find yourself there more than twice a year for the same task, invest the hour to learn the standard template number and build a master file. Your future self—and your budget tracker—will thank you.

Pricing and template availability as of January 2025; always verify on Avery's official site.