Apparel labelling has more variants than almost any other category: every style carries a size run, a composition, a care set, and often several languages — multiplied across colourways. Pre-printed stock cannot keep up, which is why so many producers hold thousands of labels they will never use.
🖨️ Your printer almost certainly already works. Native ZPL, TSPL/TSPL2, TPCL, ESC/Label, EZPL and PPLB — the languages behind 50+ printer brands. Compatible brands →
Print the variant you need, when you need it
Care symbols, composition text and size all come from data. A size run prints as one batch from a spreadsheet — one row per size, per colourway — rather than being ordered as separate pre-printed stock months in advance.
What goes on the label
- Size — often in several conventions (EU / UK / US) on one label
- Fibre composition — percentages, frequently in multiple languages
- Care symbols — wash, bleach, dry, iron, professional care
- Country of origin and manufacturer identity
- EAN-13 or GS1 barcode for retail scanning
Sewn-in versus hang tag
| Sewn-in care label | Hang tag | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Satin, taffeta, nylon | Card or paper |
| Ribbon | Resin — survives washing | Wax-resin is sufficient |
| Lifetime | Life of the garment | Until sale |
Resin ribbon matters for sewn-in labels: wax ribbons do not survive repeated washing, and a care label that becomes illegible is a compliance failure as well as a customer complaint.
Multi-language without a separate template
Export markets usually require composition text in several languages. Rather than maintaining one template per market, the language block is a data field — so adding a market is a data change.
Print the size run you actually need
Import a spreadsheet of styles, sizes and compositions and print the batch on satin or paper.
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