Museum object labels, storage tags and catalogue cards
A storage tag carries the object number large, the object's name and where it lives; an exhibit label carries the title, maker, date, materials and credit line, with the number small; a catalogue card carries the whole record for the object on one page. The number itself goes on the object by a reversible method suited to its material, or on a tied tag when in doubt. The registers page prints all three from your catalogue, with labels laid out on common label sheets.
Marking the number on the object
Printed labels do not replace the number on the object. The Saskatchewan museums tip sheet asks for marking materials that are reversible, long lasting, lightfast and waterproof, placed consistently where they can be found but not seen on display, sized to the object, and never attached with tape. When an object is unstable or you are unsure of the method, a paper tag tied on is the safer choice. Every piece gets marked: the teapot and the lid each carry their own letter.
Printed storage tags are for boxes, shelves, bags and tie on tags, not for sticking to objects. Use acid free materials for anything that touches an object.
Three kinds of printed label
- Storage tags: the number in large type, the object name, and the room, case and shelf. With parts, one tag per part.
- Exhibit labels: title or name, maker and date, materials, the credit line from the accession, and the number in small type.
- Catalogue cards: every field of the record with the first photograph, one card per object, for a card file or a binder.
Label sheets are described here by page and label size rather than by brand. Print one page on plain paper, hold it against a label sheet to the light, and use the nudge settings if your printer feeds a millimetre off. Print at 100 percent scale with margins set to none.
Worked example: tags and labels for the demo collection
| Sheet | Labels per sheet | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| US Letter, 30 labels, 2 5/8 x 1 in | 30 | Storage tags |
| US Letter, 10 labels, 4 x 2 in | 10 | Exhibit labels |
| US Letter, 6 labels, 4 x 3 1/3 in | 6 | Exhibit labels |
| A4, 65 labels, 38.1 x 21.2 mm | 65 | Storage tags |
| A4, 21 labels, 63.5 x 38.1 mm | 21 | Storage tags |
| A4, 8 labels, 99.1 x 67.7 mm | 8 | Exhibit labels |
Storage tags for the whole demo collection come to 12, 1 more than there are object records because the teapot's two parts get a tag each: 2024.1.2a Teapot, Teapot body, 2024.1.2b Teapot, Lid. On the US Letter, 10 labels, 4 x 2 in sheet with 8 labels already used, the first sheet takes 2 and a second takes 10.
The exhibit label for 2024.1.1 reads, line by line: Log cabin quilt; Attributed to Ellen Coles, about 1880; wool, cotton; Gift of the Coles family, 2024; then the number.
Common mistakes
- Sticking a printed label straight onto an object.
- Marking only one piece of a two piece object.
- Printing at the browser's shrink to fit scale, so every label drifts across the sheet.
- Putting a donor's address or a valuation on a label anyone can read.
- Printing labels before the numbers are final, then having to re-mark objects.
Do it in the catalogue
Open the catalogue to number an accession and its objects, add photos and locations, and print the register, labels and receipts. Everything stays in this browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no account. Save the catalogue file after every session.
Frequently asked questions
Which label sheet should I buy?
Any sheet whose page and label sizes match one of the layouts listed. For storage tags a sheet of 30 or 65 small labels works; for exhibit labels a sheet of 6, 8 or 10 larger ones.
Why does the first label print in the wrong place?
Usually the print dialog is scaling the page or adding margins. Set scale to 100 percent and margins to none, then use the nudge settings for any remaining offset.
Can I print a catalogue card for every object at once?
Yes, for one accession or the whole catalogue, and it is free.
Sources
Last reviewed 28 September 2026 against:
- Tip Sheet: How to Label Historic Artifacts, Museums Association of Saskatchewan, 2016 tip sheet, read 28 September 2026. Used for: The three part number with the full year, letter or number suffixes for components, starting a year at its first number, reversible and lightfast marking materials, paper tags for unstable objects, and never tape.
- Module 26: Numbering Systems, Oklahoma Museums Association, read 28 September 2026. Used for: Keeping a consistent existing system, the three number system for a new one, letter suffixes only for pairs and pieces that fit together, and separate numbers for the pieces of a set.
- Cataloguing, the Spectrum standard, Collections Trust, read 28 September 2026. Used for: Catalogue records linked to objects by their unique numbers, consistent names, dates and places, and regular backups.
This guide is our own summary, not a rule book. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and if this page disagrees with the current published rules, the rules win. Curatorbook is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any museum, association, standards body or software vendor, including the Collections Trust (Spectrum), the American Alliance of Museums, the American Association for State and Local History, the National Park Service, PastPerfect, CatalogIt, MUSARCH, CollectiveAccess and Omeka.