Custom Woven Labels.

A woven label is made on a loom, so the artwork is the thread itself and there is no ink sitting on top to crack or fade. That's why it usually outlasts the garment it's sewn into. A printed label can reproduce photographs and gradients, which weaving cannot.

For a brand mark and a size, woven is the long-lived choice. For a detailed illustration we'd point you to printed satin instead.

Choose damask for most brand labels, because its high thread count holds small text and fine lines that the other two weaves lose. Taffeta is lighter, softer and cheaper to run, but fine serifs come back illegible on it. Satin gives a lustrous surface that suits an elegant mark, with slightly softer edges on the lettering.

We'd go with damask whenever the logo has serifs or a tagline underneath. Taffeta is fine for a bold one-word mark on a budget line.

Centre-fold is the classic neck label, and end-fold is the usual pick for a side seam or a pocket. A loop-fold is attached at both ends and sits as a small tab. Cut-and-fold is the other standard option, and the right one depends on where the label will be stitched.

Heat-cut edges keep the ends from fraying. Tell us the application point and we'll set the fold and seam allowance on the drawing.

Yes, metallic thread can be woven in as an accent, and several solid thread colours can sit in one label. Each colour is laid down as its own thread, so gradients and soft shadows can't be reproduced. A few flat colours with strong contrast between them read best at label size.

Metallic thread looks right on a simple mark or a border. We match thread to your Pantone references as closely as the yarn range allows.

Ask for soft-edge finishing, because a stiff label with sharp corners is the one customers cut out, and the brand mark goes with it. Taffeta and satin both sit more gently against skin than a dense damask. Heat-cut edges should be sealed smooth.

Put softness on the spec sheet next to size and colour. If you want a sustainable thread, recycled polyester yarn is available and weaves the same way.

The common sizes are 1 × 2 in and 0.75 × 1.5 in, and any other size can be woven to your measurement. Give us the finished face that will show on the garment. We then add the extra length each fold style needs, so a centre-fold label is cut at roughly twice its visible height.

Send the size along with the seam it goes into, and the drawing comes back to scale for approval.

Woven labels start at 500 pieces per design. A single design can run to 100,000, so one loom set-up can cover a small drop or a whole year of production. Most brands order the main neck label in a larger quantity than seasonal specials, because that set-up is shared across the run.

Size tabs and care labels can be added to the same quote as the brand label.

Production takes 7 to 10 business days once you approve the woven proof. A rush slot of 5 to 7 business days is there when a garment run is waiting. A physical sample can be woven first in 5 to 7 business days, and its fee comes off the bulk order.

Order labels before the fabric is cut, so they are already on hand when sewing starts.