How to Set Up Labels in Mozaik

To set up labels in Mozaik, go to File > Print > Print Labels, click the pencil to open the template editor, choose your label type and size, split the label into cells, then drag in the variables, drawings, text, and codes each printed label should show. Save the template once and reuse it for every job. Mozaik ships a few preset labels, but the real power is building your own cabinet labels (for assembled boxes) and nested labels (for optimized CNC parts).

This guide follows Mozaik's official walkthrough. Watch the original video on Mozaik's channel:

You can also watch Mozaik's official video directly on YouTube.

Where do you find and print labels in Mozaik?

Labels live under File > Print > Print Labels. From that dialog you can:

• Drop down the menu to pick one of the preset labels that come with Mozaik, then print it directly.
• Click the pencil to open the template editor, where you create, modify, and manage your own label templates.

Inside the editor's dropdown you'll also see nested labels, which don't appear in the first/initial dropdown. Printing nested labels requires the NBM add-on (enterprise customers already have it; otherwise it's added to your license through your Syncly account).

What does the label template editor look like?

If you've used Mozaik's multiprint template editor, the label editor will feel almost identical. Key areas:

• CAD tools across the top — lines, arcs, a text tool, leader line with text, and a QR tool. Many of these were added in version 14, and hovering an icon shows its short-form hotkey in brackets.
• Panning/zooming on the right, including zoom extents to snap back to the full label after zooming in.
• A grid/border control whose opacity you can raise so cell splits show on the printed label, or set to zero so no extra lines print. (Many shops keep it at zero and draw any wanted lines manually with the CAD tools.)
• Add, copy, delete, rename along the bottom, plus export and import so you can share a finished template with another Mozaik user.

How do you choose the right label type?

Open Label Setup and pick the type — this changes which drawings and variables are available. Mozaik's label types include:

• Cabinet label — post-assembly labels for the back of a finished cabinet (e.g., a QC label, or a cabinet number with info).
• Part label — one label per individual part, printed from Mozaik (not the same as nested labels).
• Nested label — for optimized parts nested on sheets; brings in optimizer variables.
• Drawer and door subassembly — labels for individual doors/drawers, useful for shops cutting only doors and drawers (e.g., via order entry).
• Paperless shop and paperless shop nested — the same as the labels above but exportable and printable from the Paperless Shop app (requires that add-on).

Breadcrumb: Label Setup > Type > (Cabinet | Part | Nested | Drawer/Door Subassembly | Paperless Shop).

How do you set the label size and margins?

In Label Setup, set width and height, or drop down the standard label list, pick a size, and click use to auto-populate it. If your label isn't in the list, type a custom size directly into the width and height fields.

Also set:

• Margins — left/right and top/bottom padding, handy if your printer isn't perfectly aligned.
• Landscape — check this for labels that need to print sideways (common for part/nested labels).

How do you split a label into cells?

Use the horizontal, vertical, and multi-split buttons (same idea as the multiprint title-block editor). Select an opening, add a split, then set the width and height of each cell to suit. A multi-split lets you divide a section into several equal parts in one step. You can resize cells by typing exact dimensions or by stretching them to fill the space.

How do you add content with variables, drawings, text, and symbols?

The left side of the editor changes with the label type. You generally work with:

• Drawings — drag-and-drop views, then size them in a cell. A cabinet label offers floor plan, room elevations, front assembly, interior, and front/top/left/right/back cabinet views. A nested label offers part-specific drawings (see below).
• Symbol library — anything you've added in multiprint shows up here, including your logos.
• Variables — drag fields onto the label. Default variables (current date, label number, label count, units) appear on every label, alongside job tab variables (customer name, address, phone, email), settings, room, and about (shop name, shop email) variables.
• Text tool — type static titles and labels.

A useful preview button shows what's actually pulling onto the label as you work.

Working efficiently with variables:

• Press M to switch the cursor to move, then drag an item into position; arrow keys nudge it.
• Press the spacebar (or S) to return to the selection tool.
• Right-click and expand to fit cell to size an item to its cell, then stretch to remove leftover padding if needed.
• Right-click > edit text alignment to set horizontal/vertical alignment (e.g., center/middle).
• Check fit to bounds on any variable text so it shrinks to fit when the value gets long (e.g., a long customer name or job name). Static text doesn't need it.
• Object settings controls line weights, line colors, text style/size/color, and dimension alignment/type. Dial these in and save so you can reload the same look every time. Fonts come from your Windows system fonts.

How do you add custom job variables?

You can surface your own job fields as label variables. Under the job tab > job notes, choose manage the fields and add a field — for example a short text field named "installer" with a variable name you choose (the video used something like _installer_). Once added, that field appears in the label editor's variable list (under the job tab) and prints the value you enter for the job. Remove the field and the variable disappears from the list — so labels stay in sync with the job fields you actually use.

How do you build a cabinet label (a QC / checklist label)?

A common cabinet label is a post-assembly checklist for the back of the box. The video's example workflow:

1. Split the label and set cell heights/widths to lay out your sections.
2. Bring your logo in from the symbol library and move/resize it (handy since customers may see this label).
3. Drag in job name and the cabinet assembly number (which prints the room + cabinet number, e.g., R1C1, on multi-room jobs).
4. Add text titles (e.g., "Tab number," "Assembled by" with room for a signature) and align them center/middle.
5. Add a checklist row with CAD-drawn rectangle checkboxes, labeled with items your shop cares about — for example bumpers, cleaned, handles, leg levelers, and adjustable shelves.
6. Add a custom installer variable (see above) and a bottom disclaimer line for a reviewer's name.
7. Use the CAD line tool to draw dividing lines, preview, and save.

The payoff: every box ships reviewed and checked off — quality assurance for your crew and a nice touch for the customer.

True font size vs. variable name: for a text field you can display the true font size (the actual printed size — good when a value will never outgrow its space and you want it large) or switch to variable name so you can read which field it is while designing, while still printing at your set size.

How do you build a nested label for CNC parts?

A nested label pulls part- and optimizer-specific data for parts nested on sheets.

1. Add a new template, name it, and set the type to nested label in Label Setup.
2. Set a custom size (the example used 3.125 × 2.125) and small margins (the example used 0.1), and check landscape.
3. Plan your layout — split the label into cells (for example, eight equal rows for eight variables) and a separate area for the part drawing.
4. Drag in the variables you need, add text titles (e.g., "Room:", "Part:", "Size", "Material", "SH #"), align, and set fit to bounds on the variable values.

Nested-label variable groups include:

• Defaults (date, label number, count, units) and job tab variables.
• Product editor — room name, cabinet assembly number (R1C1), and in version 14.1 the cabinet number on its own.
• Parts — part name, part shorthand name, part comment, part size (width × length combined), part width, part length, part material, part material abbreviation, edgeband info (four numbers showing the banding type on each edge), and opening letter (e.g., A/B/C/D top-to-bottom for matching-grain drawer fronts).
• Optimizer — sheet number, part number (a unique identifier per part), revision number, texture path / texture name / texture abbreviation, run name (enterprise optimizer runs), machine name (primary), G-code file name (with extension, without extension, and with full path), flip variables, and secondary machine G-code variables.

Where part name/shorthand/comment come from: under Libraries > Parts, the report name populates the part-name variable, the shorthand name populates the label name (your abbreviation), and the part comment populates the part-comment variable. You can edit these defaults, and you can override comments per part while designing a job.

How do you add a part drawing, QR code, and barcode to a nested label?

Part drawings (nested-label drawing options):

• Part drawing — the part shape with operations.
• Sheet drawing — the full sheet the part was nested on (use a larger label, since big sheets shrink small).
• Part drawing with banding — adds arrows showing edge banding.
• Part drawing with origin — adds an L symbol marking the origin corner (the corner placed against the fence for secondary machining).
• Part drawing with origin and banding — both together.

Drag the chosen drawing into a cell and expand to fit.

QR code: select the QR tool, draw it in a cell, and choose what it encodes — for example the part comment variable, so employees can scan the code with a phone to open the part's notes (special operations or care instructions) without crowding the label. For a 2D scanner, you can instead encode the secondary G-code file name so the scan pulls up the secondary G-code. (Type the exact variable token the way it appears in the editor's variable list.)

Barcode (Type 39): to scan a barcode into a secondary machine (e.g., horizontal boring) and auto-load its G-code, use the G-code file name secondary variable — without the path, because the long path makes the barcode unreadable. In a text box, wrap the variable in asterisks (Type 39 barcodes open and close with an asterisk). Then change that text box's font to Free 3 of 9 (the video used "Free 3 of 9 Extended," a Type 39 font), which turns the text into a scannable barcode. The machine-side setup (a watched G-code folder with no subfolders) is configured on your machine — check with your machine manufacturer.

You can also rotate a variable (e.g., edgeband info to run vertically) with the rotate tool: pick a swing point and handle, drag, and type the angle (e.g., 90).

How do you actually print labels?

Cabinet (and part) labels — from Mozaik:

• Go to File > Print > Print Labels, pick your saved template, and click OK to print.
• Switch the type to parts and you get cut-list options to choose which areas to print part labels for.

Nested labels — from the optimizer:

1. Send parts to the optimizer (Cut List > optimize), then generate the G-code.
2. As an NBM/enterprise subscriber you'll see a Labels tab at the top of the optimizer (it only appears after optimizing).
3. In label settings, set your label template, choose your label printer and paper source (for multi-spool printers, e.g., left/right), and pick roll or custom sheet layout (with an option to reverse roll order).
4. Use Print All for every label, Print All on a selected sheet, or select a part and print label for just that one. Preview shows the finished label with its variables, part drawing, origin symbol, edge-banding legend, and codes.

Related guides

• Opening Letter - Labels
• How to Set CNC Toolpath Properties in Mozaik
• How to Render Your Cabinets in Mozaik
• How to Set Up Pricing in Mozaik
• How to Edit Cabinets in Mozaik

Get it done-for-you

You can set this up yourself using the steps above. If you'd rather skip the setup, PAC's Mozaik training and done-for-you setup can help — phillanton.com.

Full disclosure: this guide is published by Phill Anton Consulting.

FAQ

What's the difference between a part label and a nested part label?

A part label is non-nested — it's just a cut-list label and won't carry a sheet location, unique part number, or the optimizer variables. A nested label is for parts nested on full sheets and adds the optimizer functionality: unique part number, which sheet the part came from, and the G-code file-name variables. If you're nesting on a CNC (or nested table saw), use nested labels.

Do I need an add-on to print nested labels?

Yes. Nested labels require the NBM add-on. Enterprise customers already have it; otherwise you add it to your license through your Syncly account.

Why do my variables get cut off, and how do I prevent it?

Long values (like a long job name, customer name, or material name) can overflow their cell. Select the variable text, right-click edit text alignment, and check fit to bounds so the text automatically shrinks to fit. Use it on variables, not on static titles.

Can I add my own logo and custom fields to a label?

Yes. Add a logo as a symbol (imported in multiprint, saved into the logos subcategory) and it becomes available in the label editor's symbol library. Add custom data fields under job tab > job notes > manage the fields (e.g., a short-text "installer" field) and they show up as variables you can drag onto the label.

Can a QR code hold a secondary G-code instead of part notes?

Yes. Double-click the QR code in the editor to edit what it encodes. With a 2D scanner you can encode the secondary G-code file name so a scan pulls that file — handy if you don't want to scan with a phone. (A Type 39 barcode requires a 1D scanner and the asterisk wrappers; a 2D scanner doesn't need the asterisks.)