Creating custom print labels with NUMBERS

[scott moore]

Greetings. I have been trying for years to successfully print stock labels sizes directly from Numbers with varying results. Numbers is an ideal scenario in our workflow as data imports directly into it from our CAD program and having Numbers available at every workstation is a very simple, and cost-effective solution.

I have no issues with measuring the label sheets and getting that laid out properly in Numbers. I tend to think the actual issue is how Numbers deals with print layouts. I've set my page margins to match the outer borders of the AVERY sheet (5267), and I've set HEADERS and FOOTERS to 0 and mathematically, everything is quite exact comparing to a standard label sheet. I've set this to work with specific printers and tried setting for ANY printer, but the only way I can get the document to fit on a single page instead of 4 is to reduce the overall print scale to 97% which kind of defeats the purpose of correctly setting up the individual cells width and height in the first place.

Any thoughts as to what I may be missing or am I just expecting more than Numbers was designed to handle?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

I haven't ever printed labels using Numbers personally. I know Avery has templates for Microsoft Word, it looks like they may have some for Pages, but not Numbers: Avery > Home > Software > Partners

The only thing I can think of for Numbers, is to use the Content Area slider as you have done. The only way to print at 100% is to adjust the cell size so it fits.

Hope that helps,

C

 

[scott moore]

Thanks Cory. That is basically what I have been doing for years, all the way back to ClarisWorks (which actually worked spectacularly). It seems like the biggest issue is simply printers getting cheaper and being less accurate in their paper handling. A spreadsheet program should be ideal for labels since one can create rather exacting cell sizes. I have worked it out though and this was my solution which you may find humorous:
- create all the necessary cells in exacting sizes including all the specific "blank areas". By the way, my reason for using a spreadsheet is that I need multiple cells in each individual label so an Avery template won't work for this.
- Adjust all the margins to 0
- Header and footer at 0
- Manually adjust the exterior blank areas to where the sheet fits on one page.
- Make a couple of test prints to figure out how to physically move the sheet in the paper tray to improve alignment.
- 3D print a left and bottom insert that snaps into the tray and forces the paper into proper alignment
Now it works like a champ, for that particular printer anyway.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Nice resolution to the problem. Thanks for sharing.

Glad you have a workable solution.

C