Every August the same jobs come back: labels for each child's pencils, books and lunch box, name badges for the first day, and folder labels for the class. If the class list is already in a Google Sheet, you can print all of them in a few minutes instead of writing names by hand.
This guide uses Peelstack Label Maker, our add-on for Google Sheets. You need the class list with one student per row and the product number on your label box.
Set up the class list
Put column names in row 1 and one student per row below it, for example:
- First and Last (or one Name column)
- Class or Teacher, if the labels should show it
- Copies (optional): how many labels each student needs, if not everyone needs the same number
The add-on reads the sheet as it is shown, so names with accents or in other alphabets print as typed.
A full sheet of labels for each student
Parents and teachers ask for this more than anything: one page of small labels with the same name, for pens, crayons, books and bottles.
- Go to Extensions, Peelstack Label Maker, Create labels.
- Pick a small label. Avery® 5167 gives 80 labels of 1 3/4 x 1/2 in per US Letter sheet (5167 details); on A4, L7651 gives 65 per sheet (L7651 details).
- Set line 1 to
{First} {Last}. Remove the other lines, or keep a second line such as{Class}. - Open Text style and copies and choose A full sheet of each row. Each student gets their own page.
- Check the preview, then Download PDF and print at Actual size (100%).
Only some students need labels? Select their rows in the sheet and choose Rows I selected in the sheet. Different numbers per student? Choose Or take copies from a column and pick your Copies column; a blank or 0 skips that student.
Name badges for the first day
- Pick a badge sized label, such as Avery 5395 (8 per sheet, 3 3/8 x 2 1/3 in, 5395 details).
- Set line 1 to
{First}and click A+ (Larger text) and B (Bold) next to it, so the first name is big enough to read from across the room. Add{Last}or{Class}on line 2 at normal size. - Under Text style, choose Centre alignment.
- Want the school logo on every badge? Open Picture, QR code or barcode, choose The same picture on every label and pick a PNG or JPG. It appears in the PDF beside the text.
Long names are shrunk to fit their own badge; they never push the other badges out of place. If a name had to be printed smaller or shortened, the preview lists its row number so you can check it before printing.
Folder, book and drawer labels
For labels with a running number, such as book numbers, put {#} in a line for 1, 2, 3 or {#001} for 001, 002. For example Book {#001} on line 2 under the student's name. Each label gets the next number in print order.
Using up a partly printed sheet
Labels left over from last term? Click the first empty label in the preview and printing starts there. The used labels show in grey.
Print so the names land on the labels
Print the PDF at Actual size or 100%, on the same paper size as your labels (Letter or A4), with Fit to page turned off. Print one page on plain paper first and hold it against a label sheet. If everything is off by the same small amount, see how to fix misaligned labels.
What it costs
Peelstack Label Maker is free with every feature for up to 30 labels per run, one full sheet of Avery 5160 address labels, and you can run it as often as you like. A longer list prints its first 30 labels on the free plan, and the preview shows exactly those. Test pages are always free. Every plan reads up to 10,000 rows of a sheet at a time and makes up to 50,000 labels per run. A paid plan removes the 30 label limit: $29 for one year or $59 once. No subscription, nothing renews.
Avery® is a trademark of Avery Products Corporation. Taskivator is not affiliated with Avery.