How to Print Avery Labels on a Brother Printer

If you've ever tried to figure out how to print Avery labels on Brother printer hardware, you know the process can feel more complicated than it should. Avery labels are a staple in home offices, small businesses, and shipping departments alike — but getting the alignment right, choosing the correct template, and configuring your Brother printer's paper settings takes a little know-how. Whether you're printing address labels, file folder tabs, or product stickers, this guide walks you through every step so your labels come out perfectly every single time. If you're also in the market for a new device, check out the full printer reviews on Ceedo to find the best Brother model for your needs.

Brother printers are among the most reliable options for label printing, particularly their laser and inkjet MFC series. They support a wide range of media types, including the self-adhesive sheets that Avery produces. The key is pairing the right software, the right template, and the right printer settings — and that's exactly what this guide covers.

What You Need Before You Start

Before you even open a software application, it helps to make sure you have the right materials and setup in place. Printing Avery labels on a Brother printer is straightforward once you understand what each component does and why it matters.

Compatible Avery Label Sheets

Avery Dennison produces hundreds of label sheet formats, but not all of them are suitable for every printer type. For Brother inkjet printers, you should look for Avery labels specifically marked as compatible with inkjet printing. For Brother laser printers — including popular models like the HL-L series and MFC-L series — use labels rated for laser printing, since the fuser unit reaches high temperatures that can cause inkjet-grade adhesive to melt or jam the machine.

When purchasing Avery sheets, note the product number printed on the packaging. This number corresponds directly to a template in Avery's software and in Microsoft Word, making alignment nearly foolproof when used correctly. Common inkjet-compatible lines include Avery 5160, 5161, and 8160, while laser-compatible options include 5160 (also laser-rated), 5163, and 5164.

Brother Printer Requirements

Most modern Brother printers handle Avery label sheets without any hardware modifications. However, there are a few things to confirm:

• Your printer driver is fully up to date — download the latest from Brother's official support page.
• The paper tray guides are adjusted snugly to the width of the label sheet (US Letter, 8.5 × 11 inches for most Avery products).
• Your printer's firmware supports custom media types, which is required to select "Labels" as a paper type in the print dialog.
• You have enough ink or toner for the job — partial cartridges can cause inconsistent density, especially on label adhesive surfaces.

It's also worth keeping your printer in peak condition. A well-maintained machine feeds specialty media far more reliably. If you haven't done so recently, take a look at our guide on how to clean a Brother printer — clean rollers and a debris-free paper path dramatically reduce label misfeeds and skewed prints.

How to Print Avery Labels on Brother Printer — Step by Step

Once your materials are ready and your printer is in good working order, the actual process of learning how to print Avery labels on a Brother printer comes down to three main phases: setting up the right software, configuring printer settings, and running a test print before committing to a full sheet.

Install Avery Design & Print Software

Avery offers a free browser-based design tool called Avery Design & Print Online, as well as a downloadable desktop application. Both are excellent options, but the desktop version gives you more control over fonts, image placement, and batch printing. Here's how to get started:

1. Visit the Avery website and navigate to their Design & Print software section. Download and install the application, or click "Design & Print Online" to use the browser version.
2. On the home screen, enter your Avery product number in the search field (e.g., 5160). Select your template from the results.
3. Choose a blank template if you want full creative control, or select a pre-designed template for address labels, shipping labels, or name badges.
4. Enter your text, logo, or design elements. The software locks the layout grid to the Avery sheet specifications, so every label cell lines up correctly with the printed sheet.
5. When your design is complete, click Print. The software will prompt you to select your printer and confirm settings before sending the job.

Alternatively, Microsoft Word users can go to Mailings → Labels → Options, select Avery US Letter from the vendor dropdown, then choose the product number. This method works well for simple text-only address labels and integrates directly with Word mail merge for bulk printing.

Configure Your Brother Printer Settings

Getting the print settings right is the single most important step for avoiding wasted label sheets. In your print dialog, configure the following:

• Paper Size: US Letter (8.5 × 11 in) for standard Avery sheets.
• Media Type: Select "Labels" if your Brother printer driver offers this option. If not, "Plain Paper" works for most laser models; for inkjet models, try "Matte Paper" for better ink absorption on label stock.
• Print Quality: Standard or Normal quality is usually sufficient. High quality mode can cause the labels to stay wet longer on inkjet models and may cause smearing when sheets stack.
• Scaling: Ensure scaling is set to 100% (Actual Size or No Scaling). Scaling up or down even slightly will throw off alignment across all rows and columns.
• Orientation: Portrait for most standard label sheets.

On Brother MFC printers, you can also access paper type settings through the printer's touchscreen panel. Navigate to Settings → Paper Type and confirm it matches what you selected in the driver. This is especially important if your printer has multiple paper trays. For a deeper look at using Brother's print settings across different print jobs, see our walkthrough on how to print envelopes on a Brother MFC printer — many of the same media configuration steps apply to label printing.

Print a Test Sheet First

Before feeding a full pack of Avery label sheets into your Brother printer, always run a test on plain white paper. Print your label design onto the regular paper, then hold the printed sheet up against a blank Avery sheet held up to a light source. The printed content should align perfectly within each label cell. If there's any offset, adjust the margin settings in your software before committing to the real sheets.

This single habit can save you from wasting entire packs of label stock on misaligned prints. Avery label sheets are considerably more expensive than plain paper, so a 30-second test print is always worth the time.

Choosing the Right Avery Label Template

One reason people struggle with printing Avery labels on a Brother printer is using the wrong template for their label sheet. Avery assigns a product number to every label format they produce, and each number corresponds to specific label dimensions, margins, and grid layout. Using the wrong template — even one that looks similar — will result in misaligned printing.

Common Avery Label Sizes and Uses

When selecting a template in Avery Design & Print or in Microsoft Word, always match the product number exactly. If you purchased a store-brand label sheet that claims compatibility with an Avery number, cross-reference the physical measurements printed on the packaging against Avery's official template specifications to confirm they truly match before printing.

Troubleshooting Common Printing Issues

Even when you follow the steps correctly, occasional issues can arise. Here are the most common problems people encounter when printing Avery labels on Brother printers, and how to fix them.

Labels Printing Out of Alignment

Misalignment is the most frequent complaint. It usually stems from one of three causes:

• Wrong template selected: Double-check that the product number in your software matches the number printed on your Avery sheet packaging exactly.
• Scaling is not 100%: In the print dialog, look for "Fit to Page," "Scale to Fit," or "Shrink to Fit" options and make sure none of them are enabled. The document must print at true size.
• Paper not feeding straight: Adjust the width guides in your paper tray until they just barely touch the sides of the sheet. If the paper has room to shift during feeding, rows will print at an angle.

If alignment is consistently off by a small fixed amount in one direction, use Avery Design & Print's built-in alignment adjustment tool. Go to Print Preview, click "Customize and Print," and use the fine-tune sliders to shift the entire design up, down, left, or right in small increments until the test print on plain paper aligns perfectly with your label sheet.

Labels Smearing or Not Adhering

Smearing is primarily an inkjet issue. Avery label stock has a coated surface that is designed to accept ink quickly, but if you're printing at high quality with dense graphics, the ink volume may exceed what the coating can absorb fast enough. Solutions include:

• Switch print quality from High to Standard or Normal.
• Allow each printed sheet to air dry for 30–60 seconds before handling or stacking.
• If your Brother inkjet has a "thick paper" or "slow dry ink" mode, enable it through the printer driver's advanced settings.
• Use Avery labels specifically rated for inkjet printing rather than general-purpose or laser-only label stock.

For laser Brother printers, smearing is rarely an issue since toner is heat-fused to the surface. However, if labels are peeling or the adhesive is activating inside the machine, you may be using inkjet-only label stock — which is not rated for the heat generated by a laser fuser. Always verify the label sheet's printer compatibility before loading.

Tips for Best Results Every Time

Beyond the core steps, a few additional practices will consistently improve the quality and reliability of your Avery label prints on Brother hardware.

Paper Feed and Tray Settings

Most Brother printers support feeding label sheets from either the main tray or a manual feed / multipurpose tray. For label sheets, the manual feed slot is often preferable — it creates a straighter paper path with fewer bends, which reduces the chance of the adhesive edge catching on rollers or feed guides. Check your Brother printer's manual to see whether it recommends a specific tray for specialty media.

Also, feed only one sheet at a time when possible if you are printing a small batch. Multiple label sheets stacked together can cause multi-feed errors because the slightly tacky backing can cause sheets to cling to one another. If you regularly print labels in volume, consider a Brother printer model with a straight-through rear paper path, which minimizes sheet flex and misfeed risk.

For those working remotely and printing documents of all types — from labels to reports to borderless photos — choosing the right printer from the start makes a significant difference. Our review of what to look for in a printer for working from home covers the key specs to prioritize for a versatile home office setup.

Ink and Toner Considerations

Labels demand consistent coverage across every cell, and a nearly-empty cartridge can produce uneven density toward the end of a sheet. Before running a large label printing job, check your ink or toner levels through the Brother status monitor on your computer or from the printer's control panel display.

For inkjet Brother printers, use genuine Brother ink cartridges when printing on specialty media like labels. Third-party inks can have different viscosity and drying times that interact poorly with label coatings, sometimes leading to smearing or color shift. For laser models, genuine or high-quality compatible toner cartridges are both generally reliable for label printing since the toner-fusing process is less sensitive to ink chemistry than inkjet deposition.

Storing unused Avery label sheets flat in their original packaging also matters. Sheets that have been curled, exposed to humidity, or left in a warm car can feed inconsistently and cause misregistration even when all your software and driver settings are correct. Treat label stock with the same care you'd give to photo paper for best results.

Frequently Asked Questions