Custom Garment Labels

Folds and Sewing Styles

How the label is folded decides where and how it can be sewn. Choose the fold first, then size the artwork to the visible area.

If you are sewing labels yourself on a domestic machine, end fold and centre fold labels are the easiest to handle. Loop folds and mitre folds need a little more care to sit straight. For hand-knitted or crocheted items, a straight cut or end fold label stitched on by hand around the edges looks neat and stays put. Our guide to print and finish options explains how woven-look and printed surfaces differ.

• Centre fold: folded in half and sewn into a seam, showing on both sides
• End fold: both short ends tucked under and stitched flat onto the fabric
• Loop fold: folded in half and sewn into a seam with the loop standing out
• Straight cut: flat label sewn on all four edges, often used on outside hems
• Mitre fold: angled fold that lets the label stand off a seam as a tab

Getting the Size Right for Custom Garment Labels

Neck labels are usually small. Something around 50 x 15 mm fits a T-shirt or jumper neckline without peeking out. Hoodies, coats and bags can take larger labels, perhaps 70 x 25 mm, and outside hem tabs are often narrow strips around 40 x 10 mm.

Measure the visible area once the label is folded. A centre-folded label of 50 mm finished length starts out as a 100 mm strip, but only the front half shows. Remember to leave 5 mm or so at each sewn edge free of artwork, as it disappears into the seam.

Comfort matters too. Large, stiff labels at the back of the neck are the first thing customers cut out. Soft fabrics, rounded corners and a modest size keep your label where it belongs. The measuring guide for small items covers the same visible-area approach.

Care Labels and Legal Details

Clothing sold in the UK must state its fibre content, and care symbols are strongly expected by customers. A printed care label is the neatest place for this information, along with the size and your brand name or web address. Keep text at a readable size and use standard care symbols so the label is understood wherever the garment ends up.

We print the information you supply exactly as you give it. Check the fibre percentages against your fabric supplier's details before approving the proof, because labels are hard to change once garments are sewn.

If you sell the same garment in several fibre blends or sizes, a separate small size label alongside a shared care label keeps your stock of labels manageable. Size tabs in different colours also make picking easier in a stockroom, because the right size can be spotted at a glance on a shelf of folded tops. Stickers for the outer packaging are part of our labels and stickers range.

Colours, Fabrics and Matching Your Range

Label colour should sit happily inside the garment. Black or navy labels with white text suit dark clothing; cream or white labels suit light colours and knitwear. Some brands choose one signature label colour for everything, so it becomes part of the identity.

If you also use swing tags or printed packaging, matching the label colours to them gives a consistent feel from the box to the neckline. Send us your brand colours and we will match them as closely as the fabric allows; woven-look labels in particular have a narrower colour range than print on paper.

Edges matter more than most people expect. Heat-cut edges can feel slightly firm, while ultrasonic cut edges are smoother against the skin. For anything worn next to the body all day, such as base layers or nightwear, we recommend the softer edge finish, and it is worth asking for when you request a custom quote. Boxed knitwear sets from the same brand usually ship in apparel boxes with lids that pick up the label colour.

Choose the Fold Before Sizing the Artwork

With labels, the fold decides everything else, so settle that first: centre fold for a neckline seam, end fold to stitch flat on a facing, loop fold for a tab, straight cut for an outside hem. Then size the artwork to the visible area only: a 50 mm centre-fold label is cut from a 100 mm strip, and 5 mm at each sewn edge vanishes into the seam. Count labels per garment, because a hoodie with a neck label, a care label and a hem tab uses three for every one you sell.

Have the fibre percentages checked against your fabric supplier's sheet before you send the care label text, since labels cannot be changed once garments are sewn. Send the artwork, fold, fabric, size and quantity, and a custom quote comes back by email within one working day, with low minimums quoted per job. The free proof shows the label at actual size. Production takes 4–7 working days after approval and the labels ship free and tracked to UK mainland addresses in 2–3 working days. Misprinted batches reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded. Finished garments often leave in apparel sleeve boxes printed in the same colours.