Google Myth #3 Debunked - I can't do labels in Google Docs

Oh, this is so not true! There is a handy Avery Google Add-On called Avery Label Merge! Open a Google Document and go to the Add-Ons menu.  Select Manage Add-Ons.

Search for Avery.  Your search should turn up Avery Label Merge.

Give the Avery Label Merge Add-On permission to access your account.

To get started, click Add-ons > Avery Labels Merge > New merge. You will be prompted to choose Labels or Name Tags.

You will then be prompted to choose a layout from the most commonly used labels on the market. Not all labels are available, however.

Then, pick the Google Sheet that contains your data for the labels. It is helpful to put column headers in your sheet.

A Google document will be created with detailed instructions and the label area where you will be formatting your data.

Click on the Column header names to format them in the label area in the document. You may change the label layout, spreadsheet and sheet within the spreadsheet and the rows where you data resides.  Click on the blue Merge button.

A new Google Doc will be generated with your labels. Click on Open on the next dialog box to get to your labels!

Google Myth #2 Debunked - Google Docs doesn't have any clipart

On the contrary, Google Docs has it better! There are at least three ways that you can find pictures to use in your next document.

ONE: Insert Menu

In Google Docs, Sheets or Slides , go to Insert  > Images . There is an option to upload, take a snapshot or link from your Google Drive. In addition, you can search Google Images, Time Magazine or Stock Images for your photo!

TWO: Research Tool

In Google Docs, Sheets or Slides, go to Tools < Research. Type in your search parameters and use the Images filter to quickly locate your prized photo.  Then drag the photo over into your document!  Voila!

To narrow your search to images that are free to use, share, modify, even use commercially, click on the arrow below the search box to reveal the filter tools.

THREE: Open Clipart Add-On

For those who like drawings to add to their documents, there is yet another way to import clip art! Go to a Google Document and click on the Add-On menu. Select Get add-ons... option to locate the Open Clipart Add-On for Google Docs.

Search for Open Clipart and click on Free to add it.

Give the Add On permission to access your Google Drive.

You will be taken back to your Google Document. Under the Add-Ons menu you will have the option to search Clipart.

A pane, much like the Research Pane, will appear on the right side of your browser window. Enter your search terms there to find your clipart and drag from the window into your document to use!

To read about the next myth about labels in Google Drive, continue to read here.

Google Myth #1 Debunked - There are no templates to use in Google Docs

When I conduct workshops about Google Apps or Google Docs, I sometimes hear people say, "Google Docs is great, but it doesn't have what I need or use in Microsoft Word". At first glance, it may actually seem this statement is true. I am here to debunk three common myths I hear periodically.

Myth #1: There are no templates for me to use in Google Docs

If you are looking for templates generated by Google much like the window that pops up every time you start Apple Pages or Microsoft Word, you are correct. It doesn't work exactly the same way. However, there ARE templates available to everyone who has a Google Apps or Gmail account!

If you perform a quick Google search for "google templates", the first hit will be Google Docs Templates!  Check it out here: http://docs.google.com/templates/.

In the Public Templates (left tab) you'll find a few templates created by Google like the Presentation - Professional , Recipe - Striped or Resume - Standard pictured below. submitted by people who want to share their good fortune in creating a decent looking document.

But, the bulk of what you will find are templates submitted by other people using Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms and Drawings. 

If you are using Google Apps for Education, you'll have a special area for templates created by people within your Google domain. This is a GREAT WAY to distribute templates used by staff in your organization and in your classroom!  Teachers can distribute templates to their students quickly by submitting it to the template gallery by clicking the Submit a template link in the upper right hand corner.

To read about the next myth about clipart in Google Drive, continue to read here.


UPDATE: There ARE templates (just like Microsoft Word, Apple Pages) in Google Docs (like Word), Google Sheets (like Excel) and Slides (like Powerpoint) as of Sept 2015!  

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/

https://docs.google.com/presentation/u/0/