Custom shirt labels and t-shirt tags
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Custom shirt labels and t-shirt tags
Custom shirt labels, also called shirt tags or tshirt labels, are woven labels sewn into the neck or side seam of a shirt, carrying your brand name, size or logo. Super Label Store weaves them in damask on a jacquard loom, from 5 pieces per design, OEKO-TEX certified, with a free 1:1 proof before you order.
On a t-shirt the neck label does more work than on almost any other garment. It is the first thing a customer sees when they take the shirt off a rail, the thing they check when they pull it on, and often the only branded surface on the garment if your artwork is a front print. A blank with a Gildan label in the collar reads as a blank. The same shirt with your own woven label reads as your product.
It is also the hardest label placement to get right. A shirt collar is narrower than most people expect, the label touches skin all day, and a quarter inch too wide is the difference between a label that looks original and one that looks stuck on afterwards. Add to that the fact that most small brands are relabelling blanks rather than manufacturing shirts, which brings its own set of steps and one legal consequence people routinely miss. The sections below cover the relabelling process, where the label goes, which fold suits a neck, how much text fits, and what you still need on the garment once the manufacturer's label is out.
Why Super Label Store?
Super Easy
Easy to use configurators help you to design and order in minutes.
Super Quality
Premium quality from start to finish. FROM 5 TO 10.000+ PIECES
Super Fast
Fast production time. 4-12 business days or less
Free Digital Proof
Download and print your proof (pdf) before ordering, scale 1:1.
Relabelling blanks: how to do it properly
Most small clothing brands do not manufacture shirts. They buy blanks from Gildan, Bella+Canvas, AS Colour or Comfort Colors, print them, and sell them as their own. Relabelling is the step that turns a printed blank into a branded product, and it is the part most people get wrong the first time.
Removing the original label. Most blanks carry either a sewn-in woven label or a printed tagless neck. A sewn label comes out with a seam ripper, working from the inside and cutting the stitches rather than pulling the label. A printed tagless neck cannot be removed at all, which is why brands buying blanks for relabelling usually choose a style with a sewn label. Check that before you order a hundred shirts.
Where the new label goes. Straight back into the neck seam where the old one was, so the stitch line hides in the existing seam. That gives the cleanest result and it does not mean unpicking the neckline itself.
What you are also removing. Taking out the manufacturer's label removes the care instructions, the fibre content and the country of origin along with it. In the United States that information has to stay on the garment. Your woven label carries your brand; the compliance information needs a separate care label, usually sewn into the side seam.
Size the label to the blank. A neck label wider than the neck tape sits proud of it and reads as added rather than original. Measure the tape on your actual blank, since it varies between manufacturers and even between styles from the same one.
Where a shirt label goes
Super Label Store produces shirt tags for five placements, each with its own size range.
- Back neck, inside. The standard placement. Centre fold or end fold, caught in the neck seam. Typical size 1.5 x 0.75 in to 2 x 1 in.
- Side seam, near the hem. Where a care label or a secondary brand mark usually sits. Typical size 0.5 x 1.5 in to 0.75 x 2 in.
- Outside hem, small tab. A folded label caught in the bottom hem so a small tab shows on the outside. Common on streetwear and a cheap way to add a visible mark.
- Sleeve hem. The same idea on the cuff of a long sleeve.
- Inside the neckline, on the facing. Straight cut, stitched flat, where there is no seam to catch a fold in.
Custom shirt label specifications
Every shirt label and tshirt tag from Super Label Store is woven in damask from polyester yarn, OEKO-TEX 100 certified, from a minimum of 5 pieces per design, produced in 8 to 12 business days.
- Size range: 0.4 x 0.4 in up to 11.8 x 11.8 in, fully custom. Neck labels typically 1.5 x 0.75 in to 2 x 1 in
- Material: Damask woven polyester, OEKO-TEX 100 certified. Recycled PET yarn available
- Colors: Up to 8 thread colors per design
- Yarn: 50, 75 or 100 denier, selected to suit your artwork
- Folds: Straight cut, centre fold, end fold or Manhattan fold
- Application: Sew-on, iron-on, or a combination backing that irons on and can also be stitched
- Edges: Hot cut, sealed so the label does not fray
- Minimum text width: Approximately 2 mm (0.08 in)
- Minimum order: 5 pieces per design
- Price: From $43 for 5 labels at the smallest size
- Production: 8 to 12 business days plus shipping. Rush 4 to 8 business days
- Proof: Free Digital Proof as a PDF at scale 1:1
Which fold for a t-shirt
The neck of a t-shirt is the least forgiving placement in the label business, because whatever you put there touches skin all day.
- End fold is the usual choice for a neck label. Both short ends fold under, the label lies flat against the neck tape, and there is no raw edge at the back of the neck.
- Centre fold works where the label is caught in the neck seam and hangs down inside the shirt. Simple to sew and the standard on manufactured garments.
- Straight cut for a label stitched flat onto a facing, or for a tab on the outside hem.
- Manhattan fold for a side seam or hem tab where the label reads from both sides.
The weave matters more here than on a bag or a cushion. A tightly woven damask label is noticeably smoother against skin than a looser construction, which is the difference between a label a customer forgets about and one they cut out.
Size labels and the tagless question
Two decisions to make before you design.
Separate size label, or size on the brand label? You can weave the size into the brand label, which means one design per size, or sew a small separate size label alongside it, which means one extra design per size. Either way each size is its own design carrying its own minimum of 5 pieces, so a four-size run is four designs.
Woven or tagless? Some brands skip the label entirely and print the neck instead. That is cheaper at volume and softer, but printed necks fade with washing and they do not read as premium. A woven shirt label is built from thread, so it holds its colour for the life of the shirt. If you want the tagless feel with woven quality, choose iron-on backing on a thin label rather than a printed neck.
Custom shirt labels & tags
Design your personalized shirt labels now
Designing a label small enough for a neck
A shirt label is a woven label placed at the neck or the side seam. If your range covers more than shirts, our custom woven clothing labels use the same damask, the same folds and the same minimum of 5 pieces per design.
What to plan around:
- Text weaves cleanly down to about 2 mm in width. On a 1.5 inch neck label that fits a brand name comfortably, a name plus a size at a push, and little more.
- Bold sans-serif reads best. Thin and serif faces lose their strokes at this scale.
- Up to 8 thread colors. Gradients and shadows cannot be woven and become solid blocks of color.
- Keep the width inside the neck tape. Wider than the tape and the label sits proud, which is the clearest visual sign of a relabelled blank.
Every design produces a free Digital Proof as a PDF at scale 1:1. Print it, cut it out and hold it against the collar of the blank you are using. Two minutes there is the cheapest way to avoid a label a quarter inch too wide across a whole print run.
Who orders custom shirt labels
- Streetwear and print-on-demand brands relabelling blanks with their own woven neck label
- Small clothing labels ordering a first run before committing to production quantities
- Merch and band shops using a custom tshirt tag to turn printed tees into branded product
- Uniform and workwear suppliers adding company branding to stock shirts
- Makers sewing their own shirts finishing them with a label rather than leaving them anonymous
- Teams, clubs and events ordering small runs for a single season
Frequently Asked Questions
What are custom shirt labels?
Custom shirt labels are woven labels sewn into the neck or side seam of a shirt, carrying your brand name, logo or size. They are woven from coloured thread on a jacquard loom rather than printed, so they hold their colour for the life of the garment.
What is the minimum order for shirt labels?
The minimum at Super Label Store is 5 pieces per design. Most label suppliers start at 500 or 1,000, which forces a new brand to buy years of stock before it knows the design is right.
How much do custom shirt labels cost?
Shirt labels start at $43 for 5 labels at the smallest size. Price is driven by size and quantity, and the unit price falls substantially at higher volumes. The design tool shows the full price ladder as you adjust either.
Can I remove the label from a blank t-shirt and sew in my own?
Yes, and it is what most small brands do. Use a seam ripper from the inside, cutting the stitches rather than pulling the label, then sew your own label back into the same neck seam. Blanks with printed tagless necks cannot be relabelled, so check the style before ordering a large batch.
Do I still need a care label if I relabel a blank?
Yes. Removing the manufacturer's label removes the care instructions, fibre content and country of origin, which in the United States have to stay on the garment. Your brand label carries your name; the compliance information needs a separate care label, usually in the side seam.
What size should a tshirt label be?
Super Label Store produces neck labels between 1.5 x 0.75 in and 2 x 1 in for most shirts. Measure the neck tape on your actual blank first, since widths vary between manufacturers and between styles. A label wider than the tape sits proud and looks added rather than original.
Which fold should I choose for a neck label?
End fold in most cases, since both ends tuck under and there is no raw edge against the back of the neck. Centre fold works where the label is caught in the neck seam and hangs down inside the shirt.
Are woven labels scratchy at the neck?
Not if they are woven densely. Our shirt labels use a damask weave, which is tighter than a taffeta construction and noticeably smoother against skin. The edges are hot cut and sealed, so there is nothing rough there either.
Should I use a woven label or go tagless?
A printed tagless neck is cheaper at volume and softer, but it fades with washing and does not read as premium. A woven shirt label holds its colour for the life of the shirt. For the tagless feel with woven quality, choose iron-on backing on a thin label.
Do I need a separate label for each size?
Yes, whether the size sits on the brand label or on a separate size label. Each size is its own design and carries its own minimum of 5 pieces, so a four-size run is four designs.
How long does production take?
Standard production at Super Label Store is 8 to 12 business days plus shipping. Rush production runs in 4 to 8 business days. The clock starts when your order enters production, since our design team checks your artwork first.
Can I see the label before I order?
Yes. Every design produces a free Digital Proof as a PDF at scale 1:1. Print it, cut it out and hold it against the collar of the blank you are using. That catches a label a quarter inch too wide before it is multiplied across a print run.
Design your custom shirt labels
Upload your logo or build a design from scratch, set your size and fold, and download a free 1:1 proof before you order. Custom shirt labels from 5 pieces, produced in 8 to 12 business days.
Related: care labels for the compliance information, and hang tags for clothing.