--- title: How printing labels works on Your Book Nest Metadescription: How label printing works in Your Book Nest - print copy labels onto Avery 5162 sheets at home, reuse part-used sheets, and track what is printed. Display description: Print copy labels at home onto standard Avery address sheets - a big three-word code, the title and a scannable barcode on each. Part-used sheets can be reused. author: Dan Edwards author_role: Founder author_url: https://danedwardsdeveloper.com author_linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-edwards-developer published: 2026-07-04 --- Token estimate: ~1,200 # How printing labels works on Your Book Nest By **[Dan Edwards](https://yourbooknest.com/contact)**, Founder. Every copy already has a three-word code; a label puts that code on the physical book. The Labels page keeps track of which copies still need one, and the PDF it makes lines up with the Avery address sheets sold in any office shop - no label printer, no ordering pre-printed barcodes. ## What does a label look like? Three things: the copy's three-word code, large enough to read at arm's length; the item's title; and a barcode of the code for anyone using a scanner. The code is the hero on purpose - a volunteer without a scanner just reads it out. You can [see a sample sheet](/sample-labels.pdf) before you print your own. ## Which sheets does it print on? [Avery 5162](https://www.avery.com/templates/5162) address labels - the common 14-per-sheet US Letter stock, with labels 1⅓ by 4 inches - or any compatible 14-up sheet. Load the sheet into an ordinary home printer and print the PDF at 100% scale. ## How do I print my first batch? Open Labels. New copies arrive as not printed, and that is the default view, so the page opens on exactly the copies that need labels. Select them, generate the sheet, print, and stick each label on its copy - the title on the label tells you which is which. ## Can I use a partly used sheet? Yes. Before generating, mark which positions on the sheet are already used and the PDF skips them, so a sheet with three labels missing still prints eleven labels in the right places. The picker remembers where you got to, ready for next time. > Printing on a part-used sheet does carry a risk. A label that has started to lift at one edge can peel away inside the printer and jam or damage it, which is why label makers tell you to run only full sheets. I reuse part-used sheets myself, but it is your printer and your call - and if any label looks lifted, use a fresh sheet. ## How does the printed status work? Printing a label stamps the copy as printed, which keeps it out of the default not-printed view. The status is yours to override - clear it to queue a reprint for a worn or lost label, and reprint as often as needed. ## How do I type a code at check-in? Type the code into the search and don't fuss over how it is punctuated - spaces, dashes and capital letters are all ignored. `river-maple-stone`, `river maple stone` and `RIVERMAPLESTONE` all find the same copy, so you can read the code straight off the label whatever way is quickest. The same forgiving match runs at check-out and anywhere else you search by code. ## Do I need a barcode scanner? No. The three-word code is designed to be read and typed by a human, and check-out and check-in find copies by code or title just as well. If you have a scanner, it reads the label's barcode and types the code for you - a speed-up, not a requirement. ## How Your Book Nest handles labels The Labels page opens on the copies that still need labels. Select, generate and print onto Avery 5162 sheets at home, telling it which positions of a part-used sheet remain. Printed status is stamped automatically and can be cleared for reprints, and a scanner stays optional. ## Q&A **Q: Do I need to buy pre-printed barcode labels?** A: No. Labels print at home onto standard Avery 5162 address sheets, with each copy's code and barcode generated for you. **Q: Can I print on a sheet that is missing some labels?** A: Yes. Mark the used positions before generating and the PDF fills only the remaining ones, so part-used sheets aren't wasted. Running a part-used sheet through a printer carries a small risk of a lifted label jamming it, so use a fresh sheet if any label looks peeled. **Q: What if a label wears out?** A: Clear the copy's printed status and it rejoins the print queue. Labels can be reprinted any number of times. **Q: Do spaces and capitals matter when I type a code?** A: No. Dashes, spaces and capital letters are all ignored, so river-maple-stone and RIVERMAPLESTONE find the same copy.