The short answer
Use Google Slides, not Docs; it lets you place text and images anywhere on the page. Set the page to 8.5 x 11 in., add your Dashleigh template's JPG as the slide background so you can see the labels, design on top, then remove the background and download as a PDF. Print at 100%.
Don't have Word or Canva? Google's free apps can make Dashleigh labels too. Google Docs is built for text that flows down a page, so placing a design exactly inside a label is hard. Google Slides is free in the same Google account and works like a design canvas, so that's what this guide uses.
Step 1: Download the JPG template
- Find the template number on your label pack and look it up on Find Your Template.
- On the template page, under Or download for Word, Pages and PDF, click JPG. It's a picture of the sheet with every label outlined.
Step 2: Make a Letter-size slide
- Go to slides.google.com and start a Blank presentation.
- Click File > Page setup, choose Custom, set the units to inches and type 8.5 x 11. (For a landscape template, type 11 x 8.5.) Click Apply.
- Delete the empty title and subtitle boxes on the slide.
Step 3: Add the template as the background
- Click Slide > Change background.
- Next to Image, click Choose image and upload the JPG from Step 1.
- Click Done. The label outlines fill the page, and because they're the background, you can't move them by accident.
Step 4: Design your labels
- Text: Insert > Text box, then drag to draw it inside the first label. Change the font, size and color in the toolbar.
- Logos and pictures: Insert > Image > Upload from computer, then drag the corners to size it inside the label.
- Shapes and background colors: Insert > Shape. A rectangle the size of the label makes a background color; send it behind your text with Arrange > Order > Send backward.
- Exact placement: select an item and open Format options > Size & Rotation or Position to type exact inches.
- Copy to the other labels: select everything in the first label (Shift-click each piece), Arrange > Group, then copy, paste and drag the copy into each outline.
Keep text and logos at least 1/8 inch inside each outline. Background colors can run to the edge of the label.
Step 5: Remove the outlines and download
- Click Slide > Change background and click Reset to theme (or Reset), then Done. The outlines disappear and your design stays.
- Click File > Download > PDF document (.pdf).
Want to keep a version with the outlines for next time? Make a copy first with File > Make a copy, and remove the background from the copy.
Step 6: Print at 100%
Open the PDF and print at Actual size or 100% on US Letter paper, not Fit to Page. Print one test page on plain paper and hold it against a label sheet up to the light before you use the labels. More in how to print labels that line up.
Can I use Google Docs itself?
For simple text-only labels, yes: upload the Dashleigh Word template to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs. The label table usually comes through, and you can type in each cell. Check the margins under File > Page setup against your template page, because they can shift in the conversion, and always print a test page. For anything with images or exact placement, use Slides as above.
Other free options
- Canva (free account): every Dashleigh template opens in Canva with one click. See how to design your labels in Canva.
- Apple Pages (free on Mac, iPad and iPhone): download the Pages file from your template page.
- Free designs: start from a ready-made look in the free label design directory.
Still stuck? Email customerservice@dashleigh.com with your template number and a screenshot, and we will help.
