Personalised name labels for clothes
Personalised woven name labels for clothes, from 5 per name
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Personalised name labels for clothes
A name label is a small woven label carrying one person's name, stitched or ironed into their clothing so it comes back to them after a wash. Super Label Store makes personalised name labels for clothes in the UK from 5 pieces per name, woven in damask polyester with up to 8 thread colours, from £34 for 5 at the smallest size.
Because the name is built from coloured thread rather than printed ink, there is nothing on the surface to lift, crack or fade. That is the difference between a woven name label and a printed one, and it is why garment name tags of this kind survive school terms, care home laundries and commercial washing that gets nowhere near a domestic 40 degree cycle.
Every label is hot cut so the edges do not fray, and you choose how it attaches: sew in, iron on, or a combination backing that irons on and can be stitched afterwards for good measure.
Iron on name labels
Iron on name labels attach with heat instead of thread, which is what most parents want in August and most care homes want on a Monday. Super Label Store supplies iron on name labels for clothes with a heat activated backing on the same woven label, from 5 pieces per name, so the label itself is identical to the sew in version and only the back differs.
Applying them takes about twenty seconds each:
- Set a dry iron to the cotton setting, with the steam off.
- Place the label where you want it, backing side down, on a flat and dry part of the garment.
- Press firmly for around 15 seconds without sliding the iron around. A pressing cloth between iron and label protects delicate fabrics.
- Let it cool completely before you handle the garment, because the adhesive sets as it cools rather than while it is hot.
- Wait 24 hours before the first wash.
Cloth iron on name labels hold well on cotton, polycotton and most school uniform fabrics. On waterproofs, fleece, heavily textured knits and anything with a coating, choose the combination backing and add a few stitches at the corners, because those surfaces give the adhesive very little to grip. The same goes for any item that goes through a tumble dryer every day: heat plus tumbling is the one combination that will eventually work an iron on label loose, and two stitches solve it permanently.
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Download and print your proof (pdf) before ordering, scale 1:1.
Iron on labels for clothing: which kind do you need?
Iron on labels for clothing do two different jobs, and it is worth knowing which one you are after before you order. Iron on laundry labels carry a person's name and exist so the garment finds its way back to them, which is what this page is about. Brand labels carry a logo or a company name and exist so whoever owns the piece knows who made it, and those live on our woven labels page. The label is woven in exactly the same way in both cases. Only what is written on it changes, and so does the quantity you are likely to want.
Custom iron on labels at Super Label Store are made to order rather than picked from a range of stock designs, so iron on clothes labels with your own wording, your own colours and your own size start at the same 5 pieces per design as everything else. That matters most when you are labelling for one person: five iron on fabric labels for one name is a complete order, not a sample.
Sew in and sew on name labels
Sew in name labels are the version that outlasts the garment. Super Label Store weaves them in the same damask polyester with the same 8 colour limit, and the fold you choose decides how they are stitched.
- End fold. Both short ends are folded under, leaving a finished label with two tucked ends to stitch down. This is the fold that suits name labels best and the one most people picture when they think of a name tape.
- Centre fold. Folded in half so the name reads on the front and the raw ends sit inside the seam. Used when the label is caught in a side seam rather than surface stitched.
- Straight cut. A flat rectangle, stitched on all four sides. The right choice for towels, bedding and bags.
- Manhattan fold. Both long edges folded to the back, giving a slim finished label with no visible edge.
Sew on name labels take a little longer to fit than iron on ones, and that is the whole trade. A stitched label does not care how hot the wash was, how many times the item has been tumble dried, or whether it has been through an industrial laundry a hundred times. If the clothing is going somewhere it will be washed by someone else, stitch it.
School uniform name labels
School name labels answer one question: whose jumper is this. Super Label Store supplies personalised name labels for school uniform from 5 pieces per name, and because the minimum is per design rather than per order, you can order a different name for each child in one go.
What tends to get lost, in rough order, is PE kit, jumpers, coats and swimming things, which is to say everything that gets taken off during the day. Those are the items worth labelling first. Shirts and trousers stay on the child and go missing far less often.
A few things worth knowing before you order school uniform name tags:
- Check what the school asks for. Some schools want the surname only, some want the full name, and some want the class or form added. A label with the class on it needs replacing every year, so most families put the name on and leave the class off.
- Count generously. Thirty labels covers a typical primary school child for a year once you include PE kit, a coat, a book bag and a swimming towel. Secondary school runs higher because of games kit.
- Nurseries often want them on everything. Nursery settings usually ask for a name in every single item including wellies, sun hats and spare clothes, which pushes the count up considerably.
- Iron on for speed, sew in for the things that matter. A reasonable split is iron on labels for the bulk of the uniform and sew in labels for the coat and the PE bag, which are the expensive items.
Name labels for kids and children's clothes
Kids name labels are the same product as the school version, in friendlier colours. You have up to 8 thread colours to work with, so a name in a colour the child recognises does more for the lost property pile than the neatest possible typography. Children who cannot read yet can still recognise a colour and a shape, which is why a small icon next to the name works well for nursery age.
For childrens name labels the end fold at around 50 x 15 mm is the usual choice: long enough for most first names with a surname initial, short enough to sit flat inside a neckline without catching.
Name tapes and care home name labels
Name tapes are what the same product is called once it goes into a care home, a boarding school or a hospital, and the requirement changes with the setting. Super Label Store supplies woven name tapes that hold up in commercial laundry, because the name is woven rather than printed.
Care home name labels have to survive a process no domestic machine comes close to: high temperature washing, industrial tumble drying and sometimes chemical disinfection, repeated several times a week for years. Printed labels and stick on markers do not last that cycle, which is the single most common reason a resident's clothing ends up in someone else's wardrobe.
Practical guidance for care homes and care home laundries:
- Count 30 to 60 items per resident. That is a realistic wardrobe once you include nightwear, cardigans, towels and bedding alongside day clothes.
- Use the same placement on every item. Laundry staff check one spot. If the label is in a different place on every garment, the benefit of having one disappears.
- Sew in rather than iron on. Industrial laundry is exactly the environment where a stitched label earns its extra minute.
- Order per resident, not per home. Each name is its own design with its own minimum of 5, so a new resident is a new small order rather than a reprint of everything.
Personalised name labels for clothes
Name tapes and care home name labels
Where to place a name label
Back neck is the standard placement for tops and the first place anyone looks, whether that is a teaching assistant or a laundry assistant. The five placements that cover nearly everything:
- Back neck, inside. The standard. End fold, stitched flat against the existing neck tape.
- Inside the waistband. For trousers, skirts and pyjama bottoms. End fold, stitched flat.
- Side seam near the hem. Discreet, and the easiest place to add a label to a garment that is already finished.
- Corner of towels and bedding. Straight cut, stitched on all four sides.
- Inside a shoe or a bag. Straight cut, stitched to the lining.
Whichever you pick, use the same spot on every item belonging to the same person.
Custom name label specifications
In prose, for anyone who wants the numbers in one line: Super Label Store weaves personalised name labels in damask polyester, from 10 x 10 mm up to 300 x 300 mm with 25 x 10 mm to 50 x 15 mm typical for a name, in up to 8 thread colours, from 5 pieces per name, from £34 for 5, produced in 8 to 12 business days.
- Size range. 10 x 10 mm up to 300 x 300 mm, fully custom. Name labels are typically 25 x 10 mm to 50 x 15 mm.
- Material. Damask woven polyester, OEKO-TEX 100 certified. Recycled PET yarn available on request.
- Colours. Up to 8 thread colours per design.
- Yarn. 50, 75 or 100 denier, selected to suit your artwork.
- Folds. Straight cut, centre fold, end fold or Manhattan fold. End fold suits name labels best.
- Application. Sew in, iron on, or a combination backing that irons on and can also be stitched.
- Edges. Hot cut and sealed, so the label does not fray.
- Minimum text width. Approximately 2 mm per character.
- Minimum order. 5 pieces per design, and each name counts as a design.
- Price. From £34 for 5 labels at the smallest size. Free UK delivery on orders over £175.
- Production. 8 to 12 business days plus delivery, or 4 to 8 business days with rush production.
- Proof. A free digital proof as a PDF at 1:1 scale, which you download and check yourself in the design tool. A physical Photo Proof is available for £26.
On text length: roughly twelve to fifteen characters fit on one line at a readable size on a 40 mm label, because woven text needs about 2 mm of width per character. A first name and a surname initial almost always fits. A long double barrelled surname usually needs a wider label or a second line.
Name labels or name patches?
A name label is woven and thin, and it goes inside the garment so nobody sees it. A name patch is embroidered and thicker, and it goes on the outside where it is meant to be read. Choose a label for laundry identification and a patch for a uniform, a work shirt or a club kit. If you need the name on show, our page on custom name patches covers the embroidered version.
If you are labelling things you have made yourself rather than things you own, sewing labels is the page you want, and for wash and content information rather than a name, see our care labels.
Who orders personalised name labels
- Parents labelling school uniform, PE kit and nursery clothing before the start of term.
- Care homes and residential settings marking residents' wardrobes for a shared laundry.
- Boarding schools and school outfitters ordering name tapes against a pupil roster.
- Hospitals and hospices identifying personal clothing that leaves the ward for washing.
- Summer camps, scout groups and sports clubs where kit is stored and washed together.
- Uniform and workwear services issuing garments to named staff.
Design your personalised name labels
Set the size, the fold, the backing and the thread colours in the design tool, type the name, and download your free digital proof at 1:1 scale to check before you order. Production starts once you order, in 8 to 12 business days, or 4 to 8 with rush production. Ordering several names is the same process repeated: each name is its own design, from 5 pieces each.
For quantities above the standard ranges, or for a roster of names in one go, ask for a custom order quote. The full specification of the underlying product is on our woven labels page.
Frequently asked questions
What are name labels?
A name label is a small woven label carrying one person's name, attached inside their clothing so the item can be identified after washing. Super Label Store weaves them in damask polyester in up to 8 thread colours, from 5 pieces per name, from £34 for 5 at the smallest size.
What is the difference between a name label and a name tape?
Nothing. Name tape is the traditional British word for the same thing, used most often around school uniform, boarding schools and care homes, and it usually implies the end fold shape. Super Label Store weaves name tapes and name labels as one product, from 5 pieces per name.
What are iron on labels for clothing?
An iron on label is a woven label with a heat activated backing, fixed to a garment with a household iron instead of a needle and thread. Iron on laundry labels carry a person's name for identification, and brand labels carry a logo. Super Label Store weaves both from 5 pieces per design, with the same damask polyester and up to 8 thread colours either way.
Do iron on name labels stay on?
On cotton, polycotton and most school uniform fabrics, yes. Press with a dry iron on the cotton setting for around 15 seconds, let the label cool completely before handling, and wait 24 hours before the first wash. On waterproofs, fleece, coated fabrics and anything tumble dried daily, choose the combination backing and add a few stitches at the corners.
Should I choose iron on or sew in name labels?
Iron on for speed and volume, sew in for anything washed by someone else. A stitched label is unaffected by wash temperature, tumble drying and industrial laundry, which is why care homes and boarding schools stitch them. A common split is iron on for the bulk of a school uniform and sew in for the coat and the games bag.
How many name labels do I need for school uniform?
Around 30 covers a typical primary school child for a year once you count PE kit, a jumper, a coat, a book bag and a swimming towel. Secondary school runs higher because of games kit. Nursery settings usually ask for a name in every item, including wellies and spare clothes.
How many do I need for a care home wardrobe?
Between 30 and 60 for a typical resident, once you count nightwear, cardigans, towels and bedding alongside day clothes.
Will name labels survive industrial laundry?
Woven ones do. The name is formed from coloured thread rather than printed onto the surface, so there is no ink layer to lift or fade at high temperature. Stitch them rather than ironing them on if the garments go through a commercial laundry.
What is the minimum order for name labels?
5 pieces per design at Super Label Store, and each name counts as its own design. Five labels for one name is a complete order. Three names is three orders of five, which is how families with several children and care homes with several residents normally order.
How much do personalised name labels cost?
From £34 for 5 labels at the smallest size. The unit price falls as the quantity rises, and UK delivery is free on orders over £175.
How much text fits on a name label?
Roughly twelve to fifteen characters on one line at a readable size on a 40 mm label, because woven text needs about 2 mm of width per character. A first name with a surname initial almost always fits. A long double barrelled surname needs a wider label or a second line.
Where should a name label go?
Back neck inside for tops, inside the waistband for trousers and skirts, the side seam near the hem for anything already finished, and a corner for towels and bedding. Use the same placement on every item belonging to the same person, because whoever is sorting the laundry checks one spot.
Can I order labels for several different names?
Yes. Each name is a separate design with its own minimum of 5 pieces, so you place one order containing several designs. Adding a name later is a new small order rather than a reprint.
What is the difference between name labels and name patches?
A name label is woven, thin and goes inside the garment out of sight. A name patch is embroidered, thicker and goes on the outside to be read. Labels are for laundry identification, patches are for uniforms and kit.
How long does production take?
8 to 12 business days plus delivery, or 4 to 8 business days with rush production. You download your free digital proof in the design tool and check it at 1:1 scale before ordering, so production begins as soon as you place the order.