How to print return address labels from Google Sheets

The short answer

To print return address labels from Google Sheets today, prepare the address text in Sheets and copy it into a Google Docs table sized for your label stock. This free method works without an add-on. It is a practical choice when you need a page of the same return address and are willing to check the table and printer alignment.

For Avery 5167, start with a seven-column table: four label columns separated by three narrow gap columns. Use rows 0.5 inches high. For Avery 5195, use the same four-across column pattern with 15 rows, each two-thirds of an inch high. Measure the 5195 margins on your stock or consult Avery’s blank 5195 template before setting them. Print a test on plain Letter paper at 100% or Actual size for either layout.

Our LabelRows add-on lists both 5167 and 5195 as Pro sizes. Pro is coming soon and is not on sale yet, so those sizes cannot create label Docs today. You can use its free Test page to check alignment for either size now, then use the Docs table to print the addresses. LabelRows is not the right tool for creating a 5167 or 5195 address document at present.

Choose the right return address size

Both layouts use Letter paper and labels 1.75 inches wide, but the heights and the number of rows differ. Read the number on the box before choosing a layout. A page that looks close at the top can be increasingly out of position farther down if it uses the wrong row height.

For 5167, the table measurements used in our Christmas card address labels guide start at a 0.5-inch top margin and a 0.28-inch left margin. Each label column is 1.75 inches wide, and each of the three columns between labels is 0.31 inches wide. The row height is 0.5 inches. About 7 pt is a starting font size for a short return address.

For 5195, keep the four 1.75-inch label columns and three 0.31-inch gap columns as a starting pattern. Use 15 rows at two-thirds of an inch high, approximately 0.67 inches. The 5167 margins are not established margins for 5195. Measure the top and side margins on your sheet or check Avery’s blank 5195 template, then test the result on plain paper.

Do not substitute the measurements for larger recipient address labels. Avery 5160 uses a different grid, described in our 5160 guide. If your box gives a different number, size or paper format, use the measurements for that stock instead.

Prepare the return address in Sheets

A return address is often the same on every label, so you do not need a long recipient list to make a useful sheet. Put your address under clear headers such as Name, Street and City State ZIP. Enter each line in the corresponding cell. Review the spelling, punctuation and ZIP code before copying the text into the document.

For example, if the name is in A2, the street is in B2 and the complete city, state and ZIP line is in C2, put this formula in an empty cell:

=TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10), TRUE, A2, B2, C2)

You can instead keep the entire address in a single column headed Return text. Enter the lines in that cell, or type the address directly into a Docs label cell. The separate-column approach makes it easier to correct one part in Sheets; the single-column approach keeps the text you need to copy together.

Keep ZIP codes with leading zeros as text. If a zero has already disappeared, select the relevant column, choose Format → Number → Plain text and retype the affected value. If the city, state and ZIP are already together in one cell, check that line visually, including its leading zero, before copying it.

These are small labels. Keep the necessary return address complete, but remove unnecessary wording where appropriate. Check a long name or street for wrapping. A three-line address that fits one cell is a better starting point than filling the whole table before checking its height.

Build a free Google Docs table

The table has seven columns, even though the label sheet has only four labels across. Columns one, three, five and seven hold addresses. Columns two, four and six represent the gaps and stay empty. This makes the label positions and the spaces between them visible while you set up the page.

1. Set up the page. In a blank Google Doc, open File → Page setup and choose Letter paper in portrait orientation. For 5167, start with a 0.5-inch top margin and a 0.28-inch left margin. For 5195, measure the top and side margins on your stock or consult Avery’s blank 5195 template. Check the controls in your account if you cannot enter the measurements as shown.
2. Insert the grid. Make a table with seven columns. Use 20 rows for 5167 or 15 rows for 5195. The four address columns and three empty gap columns alternate across every row.
3. Set the widths. Set each address column to 1.75 inches and each gap column to 0.31 inches. The sequence is address, gap, address, gap, address, gap, address. Check each column, since an incorrect gap changes the starting position of the labels to its right.
4. Set the row height. Use a 0.5-inch minimum row height for 5167. For 5195, use two-thirds of an inch, approximately 0.67 inches. Check the exact controls and rounding in your account, then compare the printed page with the stock.
5. Make space for the text. Keep cell padding and paragraph spacing small enough for the address to fit. For a short 5167 address, start at about 7 pt. Put one address in a label cell and check that no line wraps or pushes the row taller. Keep it readable and clear of the label edges.
6. Check the page. Make the finished table borders invisible and make sure the full grid stays on the intended page. Print a plain-paper test at 100% or Actual size before using label stock. Adjust the layout to match your sheet and test again.

Table properties include column width, minimum row height, padding and borders. The available controls and the way measurements are displayed can vary, so check in your account if a value will not fit or the grid moves onto another page. A minimum height does not prevent text from making a row taller. If that happens, the positions below the expanded row can move.

The 5195 figures need particular care because the label height and grid do not establish the exact top or side margins. Use the measured margins as your starting point, and check all four corners of the printed test against the actual sheet. Do not assume that a good 5167 margin will also align a 5195 page.

Keep a clean copy of the checked document as your return address labels template for Google Docs. Give the copy a name that identifies the stock, such as 5167 return labels, so it is easier to distinguish from a 5195 layout. Keep the stock code with the template and test again when the printer or stock changes.

Fill and reuse the table

Copy the finished address text from Sheets into the first label cell in Docs. If copying the whole Sheets cell produces an unwanted table or quote marks, copy the text inside the cell instead. Check its line breaks and size in Docs before duplicating it.

Copy the checked address into the other label cells, moving from left to right and then down. Leave every gap column empty. For a full 5167 sheet, there are 80 address positions; for a full 5195 sheet, there are 60. Count the label cells, not all seven table columns, when you check the page.

If you need fewer labels, fill only the positions you intend to use. Before printing on a partly used sheet, check the label stock and your printer’s feed directions. The table lets you leave cells empty, but the location of the empty cells must match the unused positions on the sheet. A fresh sheet is easier to check for the first test.

The pasted address is a copy. If you change a street or ZIP code in Sheets, the text already in the Doc still needs to be updated. Review the first and last filled cells, and look through the page for a missing line or an address accidentally pasted into a gap. Save a blank version separately from the version containing the address so you can reuse the layout.

For recipient addresses that differ on every row, the same manual approach needs more copying and checking. Our guide to printing address labels from Google Sheets explains ways to prepare a list and choose a method for a larger job.

What LabelRows can do today

LabelRows reads label text from rows in a Google Sheet and creates a Google Doc for a supported available size. Its Free plan covers Avery-compatible 5160 and 5163 layouts, 5395 name badges, and A4 L7160 and L7163 layouts. It creates up to 60 labels per Doc on Free. Those are different sizes from the 5167 and 5195 return address layouts.

The 5167 and 5195 sizes are marked Pro. Pro is coming soon and is not on sale yet. You cannot buy it or create a label Doc for either return address size today. The Test page works now for every size and plan, including both return address sizes, so you can use it to check how the selected layout aligns with your printer and stock.

1. Install and open LabelRows. On its Google Workspace Marketplace page, click Install and choose your Google account. Open your sheet and click the orange tag icon in the right side panel. If the panel is hidden, use the small arrow at the bottom right to show it.
2. Authorize access. The first time, click Authorize access and allow the two requested permissions. The documentation explains the permissions and what the add-on reads and creates.
3. Choose the sheet and size. Pick your sheet, header row and the size matching the box. For a 5167 or 5195 alignment check, select that Pro size and use Test page. Print the numbered outlines on plain Letter paper at 100%, then compare them with your label sheet.
4. For an available Free size, set the text. Click Suggest from headers or write fields such as {{Name}} and {{Street}}. Field names must match the headers on the selected sheet. Click Update preview after editing and check the first row.
5. Create a Free-size document. Choose the rows and text layout, then click Create labels and Open label Doc. Inspect the Doc before printing. This step is available for the five Free sizes, not for 5167 or 5195 today.

LabelRows makes text-only labels, so it cannot add a logo or image. It replaces each field with the value displayed in that row and leaves out a line whose fields are all empty. If text has more lines than fit, it shortens the text and reports how many labels were affected. Use a smaller font or revise the text, create the available-size Doc again and check that the address is complete.

Test and print

Print a test on plain Letter paper before putting an adhesive sheet in the printer. For the Docs table, include enough text to reveal any wrapping or row-height problem. Hold the printed page against the label stock in front of a light. Check the first and last rows, both outer columns and the positions between them.

In the print settings, select Letter paper and 100% or Actual size, with no extra print margins. Avoid a fit-to-page setting. Check both the document and printer settings: scaling can change the spacing between positions, while a page shifted as a whole needs a different adjustment.

If every position on the manual table is off by about the same amount, adjust the document’s top or left position using the shift you measured. Print another plain-paper test. If the error grows across the page, recheck the label and gap widths. If it grows down the page, recheck the row heights, text wrapping and print scale. A single adjustment to the starting margin will not correct a spacing error throughout the grid.

For the LabelRows Test page, use Printer alignment if the whole layout is slightly off. Nudge right and Nudge down accept values from −0.5 to 0.5 inches. Negative values move the layout left or up. Print the test again after a small change. This checks the LabelRows test layout; you still need to check and adjust your separate Docs table before printing its addresses.

When the plain-paper page aligns, check the printer’s feed directions and use stock suitable for your printer. Print one label sheet, inspect the text and alignment, and correct any problem before printing more. Save the tested document for the same stock, while keeping the original address in Sheets available for corrections.

Common problems

The first row aligns but the lower rows drift. Check Letter paper and 100% or Actual size first. Then inspect the Docs table for a row made taller by wrapping, padding or paragraph spacing. The 5167 rows should start at 0.5 inches; 5195 rows need two-thirds of an inch. Reduce excess spacing or revise the text and test the entire page again.

The left labels align but the right labels do not. Check all four 1.75-inch label columns and all three 0.31-inch gap columns. Make sure the gaps are empty and that the print scale is 100%. A wrong width early in the table affects positions farther across the page.

Every label is shifted in the same direction. Compare a plain-paper print with the stock and measure the shift. Adjust the Docs table’s starting position and print another test. For a LabelRows Test page, use Nudge right or Nudge down; a negative value moves left or up.

The layout is consistently the wrong size. Check the product number on the box and the paper setting. A 5167 page has 20 half-inch rows; a 5195 page has 15 taller rows. Selecting the other return address size will not match the stock even though both labels are 1.75 inches wide.

The Pro size will not create a Doc. This is the current plan limitation. The 5167 and 5195 sizes are Pro, coming soon and not on sale yet. Their Test page works now, but use the free Docs table to create and print the address labels today.

The address does not fit the half-inch label. A long line can wrap or make a table row taller. Start around 7 pt for a short 5167 address, reduce unnecessary spacing and check whether the wording can be shortened while keeping the address complete. If the result is too small to read, consider a larger label and use its matching layout.

The table moves onto an extra page. Check the margins, row heights and any text or spacing that expanded a row. Inspect the content after the table too. Correct the cause and print another plain-paper test, since a page break means the grid cannot match one label sheet as intended.

Frequently asked questions

Related

• Print Christmas card address labels from Google Sheets
• How to print address labels from Google Sheets
• Print Avery 5160 labels from Google Sheets
• Print labels for selected rows in Google Sheets
• LabelRows documentation
• All guides

Disclosure: we make LabelRows, the Google Sheets add-on mentioned in this guide. The Google Docs table method works without it, using your return address text from Google Sheets.

Google Sheets and Google Docs are trademarks of Google LLC. Avery is a registered trademark of Avery Products Corporation. LabelRows and Cellbrook are not affiliated with or endorsed by Google or Avery.