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I used to design labels for packaging on my pc, which had not only many templates but had a screen that allowed entry of label specifications that allowed me to make my own templates. I can't find anything like that in pages. Does anyone have experience designing labels/multi-label pages?
 

chscag

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You may be able to use one of the free Avery Label Templates for Pages by doing some editing. As long as you keep the label dimensions the same, you should be able to re-design your own and still use pre-formed stock. Once you have the label you like, save it as a template in Pages.
 
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Whenever I make custom labels, I use the templates for Microsoft Word. The standard Avery templates that work in the Windows versions also work on Microsoft Office for Mac.
 

chscag

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Templates for Microsoft Word won't work in Pages and vice - versa. He needs to download the Pages version of Avery not the MS Word version. ;)
 
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I understand that. My point was that Seabreeze should use Microsoft Word, not Pages. I am suggesting an avenue toward accomplishing his goal. :)

For what it's worth, I have been using Pages off and on since iWork '05 and I've never been overly impressed with it. It can make pretty newsletters and resumes, but for any serious work--- especially anything that has to be shared with other users-- the standard is still the Microsoft suite.
 

chscag

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Microsoft Office 2011 for the Mac = $120 - $149, Pages 5.1 = Free with a new Mac. Or $19.99 otherwise. ;)
 
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I'm using the Avery templates to create, then saving. Creating in Avery is amazingly limited. MSO for Mac is a little better, but I was really hoping there was a better program for Macs.
 
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If you want something a bit more suited to making and printing labels, I can recommend Labels & Addresses. It has the ability to select which label out of a sheet of labels to print a single one. It can pull contacts out of the Contacts app to batch print a label for each contact. And on and on. The price is a little on the high side, but if you look out for bundled offers from MacUpdate and other sources, you can get sometimes get it in a bundle with other useful software for that same price, perhaps less. It does have a free trial.
 
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As a cheap (free) alternative to the above... check out pearLabelizer. I just ran into it on MacUpdate and though it hasn't been updated in some time, it's cheap and seems to support the basics. I'm getting ready to try it now.
 
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The labels I want to make aren't mailing labels. I want to design (text & graphics) labels to put on merchandise that are attractive & draw attention. I used to hear that pcs were good for business/data/numbers and macs were good for graphics, design, artsy stuff. I'm really surprised at the limits on macs.
 
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The labels I want to make aren't mailing labels. I want to design (text & graphics) labels to put on merchandise that are attractive & draw attention. I used to hear that pcs were good for business/data/numbers and macs were good for graphics, design, artsy stuff. I'm really surprised at the limits on macs.

Well that wasn't quite clear before. There are a bazillion graphics/design apps available. Ok... maybe only a mazillion. Labels & Addresses lets you insert clip art and text into a label. Heck, you can even insert a map.

If you want to create/design your own graphics, you can use any graphics app to make the graphics you want, then insert it into a template in one of the apps I recommended (edit: pearLabelizer apparently only does text). There quite literally are dozens, maybe hundreds, of graphics-creation apps out there. I'll just post links to a handful of them. I have no idea what your budget is, or your skill level, or what you have used in the past, so I have no idea how to narrow this list down.

SketchBook Express - it's free. There's a pro version also.
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/4524/adobe-indesign-cc
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/6319/quarkxpress
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/22953/icalamus
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/18896/swift-publisher
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/20515/the-print-shop
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/17530/mac-label-maker
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/14597/gimp

Just start with those and check out the "similar software" listed on those pages.
 
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chas_m

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For what it's worth, I have been using Pages off and on since iWork '05 and I've never been overly impressed with it. It can make pretty newsletters and resumes, but for any serious work--- especially anything that has to be shared with other users-- the standard is still the Microsoft suite.

I beg to differ. There is a blank template in Pages, meaning you don't have to use any of the existing designs (which are EXCELLENT and blow MS's templates out of the water incidentally -- I get *constant* compliments when I use them from Word users at all levels of proficiency, and more than a little jealousy!).

Anyway, as you can "start from scratch" as desired, I've found (as a former Pagemaker, Xpress and InDesign whiz of 20 years experience) that Pages can do VERY serious work ... I recently used it to design ads for a hotel chain you would have likely seen if you've read any of the big name magazines in the last year or so. Thanks in part to improvements in digital presses and PDF, we really don't need much of the stuff that use to require Xpress et al and make them cost $800. I haven't thrown away my InDesign just yet -- it definitely has features Pages can't duplicate -- but Pages and Illustrator is what I use 90 percent of the time when I do commercial ad and design work anymore.
 

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