When you print Avery 5160 address labels from Word, the text often shifts up, down, left, or right relative to the label boundaries. This misalignment wastes sheets and time. The cause is almost always a mismatch between the label template settings and the printer driver margins or paper feed. This article explains why the misalignment occurs and provides a step-by-step fix that corrects the label layout, printer settings, and feed method.
Key Takeaways: Correcting Avery 5160 Label Alignment in Word
- Mailings > Labels > Options > Avery US Letter > 5160: Select the exact built-in template to match the sheet layout.
- Layout > Margins > Custom Margins > Set all margins to 0: Remove printer-imposed margins that shift label content.
- File > Print > Printer Properties > Paper size = Avery 5160 or Custom 8.5 x 11: Force the printer to use the correct sheet dimensions and feed path.
Why Avery 5160 Labels Print Misaligned From Word
Avery 5160 sheets contain 30 labels arranged in 3 columns and 10 rows. Each label is 1 inch tall and 2.625 inches wide. The sheet itself is standard US Letter size 8.5 by 11 inches. Word ships with a built-in template for Avery 5160. When you select this template, Word sets the table margins, column widths, and row heights to match the label positions.
Misalignment occurs for three reasons. First, the printer driver may impose a minimum margin. Many laser and inkjet printers cannot print within 0.125 to 0.25 inches of the paper edge. The Avery 5160 layout expects the first label to start at the top-left corner of the sheet. If the printer shifts the entire page down or right to respect its own margins, the content lands outside the label boundaries.
Second, the paper feed path can skew the sheet. Manual feed trays and bypass trays often feed paper slightly crooked. This shifts the print relative to the label grid. Third, a custom template or a downloaded template from a third-party site may have incorrect row heights or column widths that do not match the Avery 5160 specification.
How the Avery 5160 Template Works in Word
Word stores the Avery 5160 layout as a table. The table has 10 rows and 3 columns. Each cell in the table represents one label. The cell width is set to 2.625 inches and cell height to 1 inch. The table is aligned to the top-left of the page with zero top and left margins. When you type or merge data into the first cell, Word places the text inside that cell. If the cell margins or the page margins are changed, the text shifts.
Steps to Fix Avery 5160 Label Print Misalignment
Follow these steps in the order shown. Do not skip any step. Each step addresses a specific cause of misalignment.
- Delete any existing label document and start fresh
Open Word. Go to Mailings > Labels. In the Labels dialog, click Options. In the Label Options dialog, set Label vendor to Avery US Letter. In the Product number list, select 5160. Click OK. This ensures you are using the official built-in template. Do not use a document created from a downloaded template. - Set page margins to zero
With the label document open, go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins. In the Page Setup dialog, set Top, Bottom, Left, and Right margins to 0. Click OK. If Word shows a warning about margins being outside the printable area, ignore the warning and click Fix. The label table will now extend to the edges of the sheet. - Clear all cell margins inside the label table
Click inside any label cell. Go to Layout (under Table Tools) > Properties. In the Table Properties dialog, click the Cell tab. Click Options. Uncheck Same as the whole table. Set Top, Bottom, Left, and Right cell margins to 0. Click OK. This removes the default 0.05-inch padding that can shift text. - Set the label cell alignment to top-left
Select the entire table by clicking the table move handle at the top-left corner of the table. Go to Layout (under Table Tools) > Alignment group. Click Align Top Left. This positions text at the top-left corner of each cell. - Configure printer properties for the correct paper size
Go to File > Print. Select your printer. Click Printer Properties. In the printer driver dialog, set Paper size to Letter or 8.5 x 11 inches. If your printer has a custom paper size option, create a new size named Avery 5160 with width 8.5 inches and height 11 inches. Set the paper source to Manual Feed or Bypass Tray if your printer has a straight paper path. Straight feed reduces skew. - Print a test sheet on plain paper
Load a plain sheet of paper into the printer. In Word, go to File > Print. Set Copies to 1. Click Print. Hold the printed sheet over a blank Avery 5160 label sheet. Hold both up to a light or a window. Check if the text boxes align with the label outlines. If they align, proceed to print on the label sheet. If not, continue to step 7. - Adjust the vertical offset using the label template margins
If the test print shows content shifted down, go back to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins. Increase the Top margin by 0.02 inches. Print another test. Repeat until alignment is correct. If content is shifted up, decrease the Top margin. For horizontal shifts, adjust the Left margin.
If Word Still Has Issues After the Main Fix
Text prints too far left or right on the label
This indicates the printer driver is scaling the page or adding an unprintable margin. Open File > Print > Page Setup. Set Scaling to None or 100 percent. In Printer Properties, look for a setting called Fit to Page or Reduce/Enlarge. Set it to 100 percent or Off. Some printers have a setting called Borderless Printing. Enable it if available. Borderless printing removes the forced margins.
Only the first row of labels prints correctly
This happens when the label table row height is not uniform. Select the entire table. Go to Layout > Properties > Row tab. Check Specify height and set it to exactly 1 inch. Set Row height is to Exactly. This locks all rows to the same height. If the bottom row is cut off, reduce the page bottom margin to 0.2 inches.
Labels print on the wrong side of the sheet
Some printers require you to load label sheets face up or face down. Check your printer manual. In Word, go to File > Print > Printer Properties. Look for a setting called Paper orientation or Duplex. Set it to Simplex or Print on one side. Load the label sheet with the printable side facing the direction your printer requires.
Word Built-in Template vs Downloaded Template: Alignment Reliability
| Item | Word Built-in Avery 5160 Template | Downloaded Third-Party Template |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Shipped with Word, maintained by Microsoft | Website or user-created file |
| Table dimensions | Exact 2.625 x 1 inch cells, zero page margins | May use slightly different cell sizes or margins |
| Printer compatibility | Assumes no printer margins; requires manual adjustment | Often includes printer margin compensation that may not match your printer |
| Update frequency | Updated with Office updates | Rarely updated |
| Reliability | High when combined with zero margins and cell alignment | Variable; often causes misalignment on different printers |
Always start with the Word built-in template. Adjust margins and printer settings from that baseline. Downloaded templates introduce unknown variables that make troubleshooting harder.
You can now print Avery 5160 labels from Word with correct alignment. After completing the steps, run a plain-paper test before printing on label sheets. For future label projects, save the corrected document as a template file using File > Save As > Word Template. This preserves the zero margins and cell alignment settings. As an advanced tip, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+A to select the entire label table and apply uniform formatting in one action.