Looking for Free Rectangular Labels for Your Jars, That You can Customize! in 2024?  Scroll down this page and  follow the links. And if you bring home some fruit or vegetables and want to can, freeze, make jam, salsa or pickles, see this page for simple, reliable, illustrated canning, freezing or preserving directions. There are plenty of other related resources, click on the resources dropdown above.  If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

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Free Rectangular Labels for Your Jars, That You can Customize!

Free Rectangular Labels for Your Jars, That You can Customize!

After spending the time and effort to make great homemade jars of jams, jellies, pickles, applesauce, apple butter, salsa and other goodies to eat in the winter or give away as gifts... don't make a simple scribbled label! With a color printer and these templates, you can quickly and easily make your own labels!  I've done all the hard work of formatting and adding the graphics.  You just need use MS Word (or compatible word processor) to add your name and print! Or, if you are in a hurry, just choose the PDF version and simply print it and stick on your jars!

Customizable or Generic?

The customizable template is a Word file, which you can edit. For those less technosavvy, there is a standard generic PDF file for each fruit/veg/etc., which you just print and us, as it.

On the left is what a typical customizable Word label looks like.  Obviously you replace "Your Name" with your name!  And the right is what the generic PDF label looks like. The actual label templates for you to download are further down the page!

           

Here's what you need to know!

1. The customizable labels are made for Microsoft Word, version 97 or later, and any word processor that can read a Word file.  The standard PDF labels do not require a word processor, and will work with ANY printer.
2. Just open the the customizable template in Word and use search and replace (Ctrl-H) to find "Your Name" (WITHOUT the quotes) and replace with your own name (duh!) and edit anything else you want! I update them each calendar year for the appropriate "use by" dates
3. Save them to your own computer's hard drive for future use.
4. Print on a color printer or a black and white printer, as you wish, using the corresponding label paper.  Each label has the Avery code next to it and in the file's name. You can buy them right here, directly online, and those prices are very competitive (and it helps me keep the website going!).  Costco, Sam's Club or BJ's carry the rectangular labels.
5. Copyright notice: The labels are free for your own personal use; and even for jars that you sell or give away. Just don't sell the label files or post them on the internet! Instead, just send the link to this page to anyone you want or post the link!) You can use the "email this page link" (here or at the top of the page, or copy and paste this url into your email: The link to send is: https://www.pickyourown.org/labelsforyourjars.htm

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Label Paper Sizes, Types and Where to Get them

Small labels: are 1 inch high by 2 - 5/8th inches wide. There are 30 labels per sheet (3 across, 10 down). These are very good for tiny jars, like the 4 oz and to some extent, the 8 ounce jars.  But they ARE hard to read. They use Avery 5160 (laser) and 8160 or 8460 (inkjet) label papers. There are also 2 Avery waterproof versions: 5520 and 15510. You would put them on the side of your jars.

Medium labels: are 1- 3/4 inches high by 4 inches wide and are great for 8 ounce, pint and quart jars. There are 14 labels per sheer (2 across, 7 down). They use Avery 5162 (laser) and Avery 8462 (Inkjet)  and 8162 (Inkjet) label paper. You would put them on the side of your jars.

Where to buy the label stock - These are very common label sizes, commonly used as address labels. You don't need to use Avery brand; as long as the labels are the same size and layout as defined above, they will work.  You can find them at Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, Sam's Club, Costco and many other stores.  You can also order them right here at competitive prices, just click on the links below for details, with no obligation to buy! The exception is the round labels, which are only available online from the sources below (it took me a while to even find suppliers of these)

 

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How to use the labels: Tips and tricks!

There are a few tricks and tips to get the labels to stay stuck to jars which will end up in a cold refrigerator and often exposed to moisture. 

1. First, always start with a clean, dry surface on the jar.
2. Next, swipe the area that the label will cover with a glue stick.  (I use Elmer's extra strength glue sticks from Costco, but any glue sticks will work)
3. Press the label onto the glued area.
4. Keep pressing for about 30 seconds.

Other tips: labels printed on Laser printers are more waterproof than those printed on most ink jet printers. If your smudge, cover them with a piece of clear adhesive tape (clear packaging tape works well) will seal the labels  under a waterproof cover.

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Label Templates

I'm adding more labels daily, so stop back or email me if there is a size or type you need.

When you click the link, your browser downloads the file.    Note: every browser is different, most like Chrome just download the file and you will see it in the bottom left corner of your screen.  That may not be obvious! You then click on the downloaded file to open it in your document editor so you can customize.  That's why it is a doc file and not a PDF (PDF's are not editable!)

Jam and Jelly Labels

small rectangular labels (Avery 5160 for laser printers or 8160 for ink jet printers)

• Customizable Triple Berry Jam (Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries jam)

medium rectangular labels (Avery 5162 for laser printers or 8162 for ink jet printers)

• Customizable Strawberry jam labels
• Customizable Triple Berry Jam (Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries jam)
• Customizable Raspberry jam labels
• Customizable Blackberry jam labels
• Customizable Peach jam labels

Applesauce Labels

medium rectangular labels:

• Applesauce pint and quart jar labels

very large rectangular labels (I did these by request, I think they are too big!)

• Applesauce quart jar labels - Avery 5163

Apple butter labels

medium rectangular labels:

• Apple butter pint and quart jar labels

Blackberries

• Blackberry jam medium labels

Orange Marmalade

medium rectangular labels:

• Orange marmalade medium labels

Peaches

• Peach Jam labels

Pickle Labels

• Kosher dill pickle labels -
   

Plums

• Plum Jam labels (medium)

       

Raspberries

• Raspberry jam labels

Tomato Product Labels

• Ketchup
• Spaghetti sauce
• Tomato paste
• Tomato preserves
• Tomato salsa
• Tomato sauce
• Tomato soup

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Meat labels

Canning your own meats?  These labels may help:

• Salmon labels
• Tuna labels

See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon

See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon