I've been handling print orders for about 6 years now. In that time, I've personally okayed about four major disasters and countless smaller errors—totaling roughly $3,400 in wasted materials and rush reprints. The worst one was a $1,200 batch of product labels for a small coffee roaster. They looked perfect on screen. On the roll they were an inch off-center. Every. Single. One.

That's when I started keeping a pre-print checklist. I've been refining it ever since. If you're about to print your first batch of custom labels using an Avery template—or you've already had a close call—this is the checklist I wish I'd had.

Here are the 5 steps I run through before I let anything hit the printer. It's not sexy. It works.

Step 1: Pick the Right Template (Don't Guess)

This sounds obvious, but it's where most of my own mistakes started. I'd think, "It's a 2x2 label, just use the 5160 template," and then wonder why the alignment was off.

Avery's product numbers can be confusing. For example:

• Avery 5160 and 8160 are both address labels, but they're not identical. The 8160 has slightly different adhesive and a different perforation pattern. The template is the same, but your printer's feed might behave differently.
• Avery 6450 is a clear shipping label. It's not the same as the white 5164. The material thickness affects how the paper feeds, which can shift your print by a millimeter or two. On 100 labels, that's a lot.

The fix is simple: go to avery.com/print, enter the product number (like 6450), and download the template specifically for that product. Don't use a generic "2x2" template. The exact template matters.

I once spent $200 on labels for a wedding (which, honestly, was a side project, not my day job) using a template I found online. The design was off by 3mm. 50 place cards, all unusable. The bride was... not thrilled. That was 2021. I still cringe.

Step 2: Match Your Design Software to the Template

You can open an Avery template in Word, Google Docs, Canva, or even Adobe InDesign. The template file will be a .docx, .pages, or .avery file. Here's the catch: not all software handles the template correctly.

If you're using Canva, for instance, you can use the Canva Avery label template integration. It's convenient, but Canva sometimes scales things differently. I've had text that looked perfectly centered in Canva end up shifted left by 2 pixels after download. My rule now is: always do a test print on plain paper first from the final software you'll use.

For Avery Print (their online designer), the advantage is that it's a WYSIWYG tool designed specifically for their templates. Less chance of scaling errors. For complex projects, I use it exclusively now.

Checkpoint: Before you even add your design, print a blank template (just the outlines) from your chosen software. See if it aligns with the actual label sheet. If it doesn't, switch software.

Step 3: Beware the "Looks Fine on Screen" Trap

This is the big one. Screens lie. A design that looks crisp and centered on a 27-inch monitor can print off-center, with wrong colors, and with tiny fonts that are unreadable in real life.

The specific mistake I made: On a set of shipping labels for a small business, I used a font size of 8pt for the return address. On screen, it looked fine. On the actual label? Unreadable. The client had to hold the package six inches from their face. Not a great look.

Here's what I check now:

• Font size: For most label layouts, don't go below 10pt for body text. 12pt is safer for readability.
• Color contrast: Light gray text on a white label is invisible in low light. Use high-contrast combinations.
• Bleed: If you have a background color or image, make sure it extends 1/8 inch beyond the label edge. Many templates don't include bleed by default. If you're printing a full-color design, this is critical.

The surprise wasn't that the print looked wrong—it was how different the problem was from what I expected. I thought the issue would be color. It was almost always alignment or readability.

Step 4: Do a Single-Label Test Print on Plain Paper

This is the step I see people skip most often. They load the whole label sheet, hit print, and hope for the best. That's how you waste an entire sheet of $30 label paper.

The method: Print one page of your design on plain paper. Then hold that paper up against a sheet of actual labels. Check the alignment of the text with the label outlines. If everything lines up, you're good. If not, adjust your margins or font positioning and try again.

I usually do this test with three different layouts if I'm unsure about a project. It takes 5 minutes and saves a lot of money. (And yes, my coffee roaster disaster would have been avoided if I'd done this — the design was shifted by about 1/4 inch, which would have been obvious on a test print.)

This was true 10 years ago when digital options were more limited. Today, Canva and Avery's online tools have largely closed the gap in accessibility, but the test print remains essential. The medium hasn't changed.

See also Staples Business Cards Innovative Strategy: Resource Optimization for Packaging Printing

Step 5: Account for the Physical Product

Labels aren't just paper. They have texture, finish, and adhesive. These affect the print quality. Here's what I learned from a $450 mistake on clear labels:

• Clear labels: They print differently than white. The colors can look washed out if the ink is thin. Use high ink coverage. Test on a scrap.
• Glossy labels: Ink takes longer to dry. If you don't let it cure, it smudges. Wait at least 10 minutes before stacking.
• Matte labels: They tend to absorb more ink, which can dull the colors. Adjust your print settings to "matte paper" or "heavy."

Also: if you're using a laser printer versus an inkjet, the shrinkage is different. Laser printers use heat, which can slightly shrink or warp the label sheet. If you're doing a large run, print a test sheet and measure the actual label dimensions after printing.

One more thing: If you're printing labels for a product that will be exposed to water or cold (like a water bottle straw cover or a shipping label for frozen goods), the label material matters. Standard paper labels will fall off. You need waterproof or freezer-grade labels. Avery has specific product numbers for those. I learned this the hard way when a batch of labels for a cold brew company disintegrated in the cooler.

Per USPS regulations (usps.com, Business Mail 101), if you're shipping, the label must be affixed to the package without curling or peeling. A cheap label that fails mid-transport could mean lost inventory and unhappy customers.

Final Reminders (The Stuff I Wish I'd Known)

This checklist isn't exhaustive, but it covers the 80% of mistakes I see from people just starting out with custom labels. Here are a few more random things I've learned:

• Order a sample pack first. Avery sells sample kits for a few dollars (sometimes free for new customers). It's cheaper than wasting a full sheet.
• Don't trust "estimated" delivery dates for rush orders. If you're designing a brochure for a 2025 Toyota 4Runner event, build in a 3-day buffer. Overestimate turnaround.
• Small orders matter. Early in my career, I processed orders for clients who just needed 50 labels for a small project. The vendors who took those $40 orders seriously are the ones I still use today. Don't let anyone tell you your project is "too small."

The goal isn't perfection. It's catching the avoidable errors before they become $1,200 reprints. That's the only way I've managed to keep my success rate above 95% after the first few disasters. Good luck.