Forty boxes in a hallway look the same. A good label tells whoever carries a box where it goes, what's in it and how to hold it, without opening it. This guide covers what to put on a moving box label, then how to print a set of room labels with Label Cat, our label maker for iPhone.
What goes on a moving box label
- The room it goes to. This is the main line, in big capitals: KITCHEN, BEDROOM, GARAGE. Use the room in the new home, not the old one.
- What's inside, in a few words. "Plates & glasses", "Books & lamps". Enough to find the kettle on the first night, not a full list.
- A box number. "Box 3 of 8" tells you when a room's boxes have all arrived. Keep the full contents of each number on a list if you want more detail.
- Which way up. Mark boxes with liquids or stacked plates "This side up".
- Fragile, if it is. Put it on its own label, big enough to read across the room.
Where to stick the labels
- On two sides, not only the top. Stacked boxes hide their tops. A label on a side and one on an end can be read from most angles.
- On a flat, clean panel, away from the tape seams, so cutting the tape doesn't cut the label.
- The same spot on every box, so you know where to look.
A simple trick: give each room its own colour, and put a matching label on the door of that room in the new home.
Print room labels with Label Cat
- On the home screen, tap Moving & storage. There are six designs: Room boxes, Colour by room, Fragile, Kraft storage, Box numbers and Storage bins.
- Tap Room boxes. It opens with Print many different labels already on and a sample list of six rooms, from KITCHEN ("Plates & glasses") to GARAGE ("Tools"), on 3⅓ × 4 in labels, six to a sheet. On A4 it opens on 99.1 × 93.1 mm labels, also six to a sheet.
- In the Text tab, change the list to your own rooms. Each label is a block of lines, with an empty line between labels: the room on the first line, the contents on the second. Want the box number too? Add it as a third line, like "Box 2 of 5".
- Under Small print, change the small text at the top. It says "Moving day" to start, and it's the same on every label.
- Use the arrows under the preview (Label 1 of 6, and so on) to check each one. If you see Text shrunk to fit. Use fewer words for bigger print., shorten that entry.
- Tap Print. Want a label on two sides of every box? Set Copies of each to 2. The button shows the total, like Print 12 labels.
Already have the list in Notes? Copy it, tap Clear to remove the sample rooms, then tap Paste.
Fragile and this-way-up labels
Tap Fragile in the same category for a ribbon that says "FRAGILE", with a warning sign and "Handle with care", on 2 × 4 in labels (99.1 × 57 mm on A4), ten to a sheet. Set how many Sheets to print.
To put an arrow on a design, open the Icon tab and search "this side up". "fragile" finds the warning sign and a wine glass. Each label has one icon.
Box numbers
Box numbers puts a big number on a 2 in square label (63.5 × 72 mm on A4), with "Box" above it and the room below. To number a whole set, turn on Print many different labels and type one block per box: the number, then the room. "Box" stays the same on every label.
Colour by room
Colour by room puts a sofa icon on a block of colour beside the room name (above it on A4). Every label in a design shares its colours, so make one design per room: in My Labels, swipe a design or hold it and tap Duplicate. Open the copy, change the room and the icon (search "bedroom" in the Icon tab, for example), and pick a new Accent under Your own colours in the Colour tab.
Kraft labels and storage
Kraft storage has a brown kraft look and a stitched frame: "Winter clothes", "Box 3 of 8 · Attic". Printing on real kraft labels? Pick Monochrome in the Colour tab, and set Background to Plain in the Style tab, since that design has a kraft pattern. Storage bins is a smaller 1⅓ × 4 in label (99.1 × 38.1 mm on A4) for shelves and bins once you've moved in.
Print a test page first
Print one page on plain paper and hold it against the label sheet before you use the real labels. In Print, print at 100% ("Actual size") and turn off "Fit to page". Part-used sheet? Tap the first free label on the sheet preview and printing starts there. After printing, Label Cat remembers where the sheet ended for next time. More on lining up a print in how to print labels on iPhone.
Once you've moved, you'll need return address labels with the new address: see how to print address labels from iPhone. For the new kitchen shelves, see how to make jar labels.
What Label Cat doesn't do
- It doesn't keep track of your boxes. Each label holds what you type on it, nothing more.
- It doesn't print on Bluetooth label printers. It prints on label sheets through iOS's print dialog, or makes a PDF you can print elsewhere.
- It doesn't sync. Your designs and lists are kept on your device and in your own backups, unless you share, save or print them.
What it costs
Every sheet layout, all the designs in the categories (Moving & storage included), lists, printing, the PDF and starting on any label of a used sheet are free. There's no watermark: nothing is printed on your labels except what you put there. There are no ads, no sign-up and no account. Label Cat Pro is an optional one-time purchase with three extras: three design packs (Seasonal, Wedding and Kids), QR codes and barcodes, and saved address books. More on the Label Cat page.
Quick answers
What should I write on a moving box?
The room it goes to in big letters, a few words on what's inside, and a box number. Add "Fragile" or "This side up" when it applies.
Can I print a different room on each label?
Yes. Room boxes opens with a list already on. Put one room per block, with an empty line between them, and each label gets the next one.
Are the moving box designs free?
Yes. Every design in Moving & storage is free, with no watermark.
Try Label Cat
Try Label Cat: free, no watermark, no sign-up → iyio.com/apps/label-cat