Printing QR labels

Every box in Kalta has a unique QR code. You stick it on the physical box so you can scan to jump into the box’s contents later. This page covers how to actually produce those labels.

Two ways to print

  1. Direct to a Brother Bluetooth label printer — smoothest experience, real label tape, sticks well.
  2. Share as an image and print elsewhere — works with any regular printer, or even hand-cut from a screenshot.

Both come from the same Print QR button on the box detail screen.

Option 1: Brother Bluetooth label printer

Kalta integrates with the Brother Print SDK. Tested with:

  • Brother QL series (QL-820NWB, QL-1110NWB, etc.) — dedicated label printers with rolls of pre-cut labels.
  • Brother PT (P-touch) series (PT-P710BT, PT-P300BT, etc.) — “DIY label maker” style with continuous tape.
[Screenshot: Print QR screen with Brother printer selected]

Pairing

  1. Turn on the printer and put it in Bluetooth pairing mode (refer to your printer’s manual — typically a button on the side).
  2. iOS Settings → Bluetooth → find the printer → tap to pair. Complete any on-screen prompts.
  3. Open Kalta → open a box → Print QR → Select printer.
  4. Your printer should appear in the list. Tap it.

Kalta remembers the selected printer for next time.

Printing

From the box detail screen:

  1. Tap the QR label preview or the Print button.
  2. Pick label size from the dropdown (options depend on what roll is loaded in your printer).
  3. Tap Print.

A single label prints in ~2 seconds. Peel it off and stick it on the physical box.

Label size guidance

  • Small labels (17×54 mm) — fine if the QR is the only content. Scannable but tight.
  • Medium labels (29×90 mm) — recommended. Room for the QR plus a readable human-readable box name.
  • Larger (62 mm continuous) — for larger boxes where you want the label to be visible from across a room.

Option 2: Share as image

If you don’t have a Bluetooth label printer (or you prefer a regular printer or hand-labeling):

  1. Open the box → tap the QR preview.
  2. Tap the share icon (top right of the preview).
  3. iOS share sheet opens:
    • Save Image — saves to your Photo Library; print from the Photos app later.
    • AirDrop — send to a Mac to print from there.
    • Print — if you have an AirPrint-compatible regular printer, print directly.
    • Copy — paste into Pages, Word, Notes, etc.

The exported image is a high-resolution PNG with the QR code and the box’s name below.

Practical tips for non-Brother printing

  • Print on label paper (Avery, etc.) for easy peel-and-stick.
  • Or print on plain paper and tape over — use packing tape covering the QR, which protects it from wear and moisture.
  • Make sure the QR is big enough — at least 25×25 mm on the printed page. Smaller and phones struggle to focus on it.

If the label gets damaged

QR codes have error correction built in, so they can still scan with up to ~30% of the pattern damaged (depending on the error correction level). Kalta uses medium error correction by default.

If a label is too damaged to scan:

  • Open the box in Kalta (tap through the warehouse list) → reprint the label.
  • Replace the damaged label with the new one.

You never lose the box’s contents just because the label is damaged — the data lives in the app, not the label. The label is just a shortcut.

What the QR encodes

Each QR contains a Kalta-specific URL like kalta://box/{opaque-id} (or https://kalta.app/box/{id} via Universal Links in the future). Scanning with iOS’s built-in camera app will prompt to open Kalta; scanning from within Kalta jumps directly into the box.

Nothing sensitive is in the QR — just an opaque ID that only someone with access to your warehouse can use.

Troubleshooting

Printer not found during pairing

  • Printer must be on and in pairing mode (often indicated by a blinking LED).
  • iOS Settings → Bluetooth — printer must appear as a paired device before Kalta can select it.
  • Some older Brother firmware requires a button press on the printer to confirm pairing. Consult the manual.

Prints blank or truncated labels

  • The label size chosen in Kalta must match the roll loaded in the printer.
  • Reload the label roll (some Brother printers misalign after a paper jam).

Printer disappears after a while

  • Bluetooth connections time out. Open Kalta, tap Select printer, pick your printer again. Kalta re-establishes the connection.

No Brother printer and no printer at all

  • Use the share as image path and print from a nearby library, co-working space, or office printer.
  • Or hand-write a unique short code on the box that matches the box name in Kalta. You lose the scan-to-jump magic, but the app still tracks the contents.

What’s next

This is the last core feature page. For a global view of what’s in the docs, return to Docs overview — or jump back to Getting started for a refresher on the basics.