Every frozen tub looks the same once it has frost on the lid. Is that bolognese or chili? Did it go in last month or last spring? A label on every container answers both before you open the door. This guide covers what to put on a freezer label, then how to print a sheet of them with Label Cat, our label maker for iPhone.
What goes on a freezer label
Keep it short. You'll read it with the door open and your hands full.
- What it is. The main line, in big letters: Chicken soup, Bolognese, Berries.
- The date it went in. Write the day you froze it. How long food keeps is a question for a food-safety source, not a label app, but you can't use any guideline without the date.
- How much is inside. "4 portions", "2 cups" or "1 loaf" tells you if one tub is enough for dinner.
- Anything you'll forget. "Needs cream", "No salt yet", "Thaw overnight": whatever you'd want to know when you take it out.
Two habits help. Put the label where you'll see it when the containers are stacked, usually on the lid or the short end. And use the same design every time, so the freezer reads like a list.
Label paper matters too. Label Cat can't tell what you load, so check that your label pack says it's made for the freezer.
The freezer designs in Label Cat
On the home screen, under What are you labelling?, tap Freezer & leftovers ("Dated, so nothing gets lost"). There are five designs:
- Freezer date: a 2 × 4 in label (99.1 × 57 mm on A4) with a Freezer band, a snowflake, the name, and a line that says "Frozen __/__ · Use by __/__" to fill in by pen. It opens as a list of four: Chicken soup, Bolognese, Veggie chili and Berries.
- Leftovers: a 1 × 2⅝ in address-size label with a takeout icon, a name and a short note ("Made Sun · eat by Wed" as the sample).
- Snowy: a 1⅓ × 4 in label with a snow pattern, a name and a detail line ("4 portions · March 2026").
- Simple date: a small ½ × 1¾ in label in a typewriter font, with "Date: __ / __" under the name, set up as a list of four.
- Meal prep dot: a 1½ in round label with "Meal prep" and "Monday" around the edge and one word in the middle.
The sizes above are the US Letter sheets. Designs open on Letter or A4 depending on your region.
Make a sheet of freezer labels
- Tap Freezer & leftovers, then Freezer date. It opens in the editor with Print many different labels already on.
- In the Text tab, change the list to what's in your freezer. Each label is a block of two lines: the name, then the date line. Leave an empty line between labels. Paste adds a list you copied.
- Want the dates printed instead of blank? Type them into the second line of each block, like "Frozen Oct 25 · 4 portions". If you'd rather write them by hand on the day, keep the blanks.
- Under Small print, the first field holds Freezer, the word in the band at the top. Change it if you like, say to "Batch cook". It's the same on every label.
- Check each label with the arrows under the preview (Label 1 of 4, and so on). If you see Text shrunk to fit. Use fewer words for bigger print., shorten that entry.
- Tap Print. Set Copies of each if you freeze two tubs of the same thing. The button shows the total, like Print 8 labels.
One label, many times
Making a full sheet of the same label, like blank Simple date labels to keep by the freezer? Turn Print many different labels off, type the name, and on the Print screen set Sheets to how many sheets you want to fill.
Change the look
The editor's Colour, Font, Style and Icon tabs change the rest. In Icon, search "freezer" to find the snowflakes. In Sheet, tap Change and type the number on your label pack to move the design to another sheet.
Use up the rest of the sheet
Six labels left after this week's batch? Put the sheet back in the pack. After printing, Label Cat remembers where the sheet ended, and next time you print that design it starts on the first unused label. Start at label on the Print screen shows where, and you can tap any label on the sheet preview to start there instead.
Your designs are saved as you go and kept in My Labels, so next month's labels can match this month's. For the pantry shelf, see how to make jar labels.
What Label Cat doesn't do
- It doesn't track what's in your freezer or remind you to use anything. It makes the labels; the list is in your freezer.
- It doesn't fill in dates. You type them or write them by hand.
- It doesn't connect to Bluetooth label printers. It prints on label sheets through iOS printing, or saves a PDF.
What it costs
Every sheet layout, all the designs in the categories (the freezer ones 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 freezer label?
What it is, the date it went in, and how much is inside. Add a note if it needs anything when you cook it.
Can I print a different name on each freezer label?
Yes. Turn on Print many different labels and type one entry per label. Each label gets the next one, across as many sheets as you need.
Can I leave the date blank and write it by hand?
Yes. Freezer date and Simple date start with blanks to fill in by pen. Keep them, or type your own dates instead.
Are the freezer designs free?
Yes. All five are in the categories, and every design in the categories is free, with no watermark.
Try Label Cat
Try Label Cat: free, no watermark, no sign-up → iyio.com/apps/label-cat