# Tutorial video for removing tags from Gildan shirts?



## x2501x (Sep 15, 2011)

I want to brand my shirts with my own heat-transfer tags, after removing the cloth tags. I'm using Gildan, mostly Softstyle but also some 2000s and some fleece. I have seen a couple videos about tag removing, but they seem to be with a kind of tag that lends itself to removal without the need to cut the threads, while the Gildan labels seem to be sewn pretty firmly in and would require cutting threads and re-sewing to look right.

I want to try teaching myself to do this (or my shop assistant), but neither of us is an expert with a sewing machine. So I'm looking for a tutorial video that shows the fastest process of cut/remove/re-sew, so that we can at least know we're teaching ourselves the best technique. If my line gets to the point where I'm shipping 100s of shirts through retail stores at once, then I'll probably outsource this to a local seamstress, but for now I'm hoping to do them myself to keep costs down and also keep my turnaround times short.


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

Haven't seen a video.

When I remove tags I cut as close to the sewn edge as possible careful not to cut the threads, pick away closer, then firmly pull (with a little jerking motion) the remaining tag cross ways out. Leaves threads intact.


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## x2501x (Sep 15, 2011)

Do you use scissors or xacto knife to cut? You're saying you are able to reliably cut along the holes in the tag without cutting the threads? I tried that and either had to go excruciatingly slow or else wound up cutting threads about 1/3 of the time, meaning I'd have to sew them back anyway. So I though maybe it would be faster to just stop trying to avoid cutting, and just plan to cut/sew them all.


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

I've used both. And Actually I prefer an X-acto blade.

Of course all tags are different but the Gildan ones come out pretty easily. When you cut closely along the seam, the rest of the tag kinda pull apart in little threads. What's left at the seam pulls out to the side.

And some tags that feel kinda like paper just rip out if the seam is strong enough.


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

I just did it and probably a sharp pair of scissors would work better. A little more control and if you cut really closely you can barely see what's left over anyways.


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## x2501x (Sep 15, 2011)

Yeah, I just printed on some Next Level shirts for the first time for a client who wanted tags printed, and I found that the NL tags just rip out, even though they aren't advertised as such.


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## x2501x (Sep 15, 2011)

My main problem with leaving the leftover bit is when it's a darker colored shirt, because you see even the tiniest bit of the white tag.


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## Austin300 (May 24, 2009)

A Gildan Ultra 2000 has two labels. 
The care label and the Gildan label.


If you first cut the Gildan label off and then
sew your own label onto the seam you can get
a pretty good end product.

If you need to cut the label and print your information 
then you may see some white label threads hanging down.

I can use a sewing machine but tearing the labels out
and re-sewing a Gildan neck together again is a pain.

Sewing our label above the care label is about the
best end product we have come up with so far.

I have experimented a bit with the Gildan label after
cutting it and cutting it short and heating the end
to seal it from threading out.


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## Austin300 (May 24, 2009)

This is how a pretty big apparel company does their labels. (not our shirts)

I am pretty sure they contract out all of their work now.


They simply cut off the main label leaving the care label behind
and then Sew their own label right onto the seam.


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## Austin300 (May 24, 2009)

This is the neck label removal video.

I tried to post it in my original post here but no go.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUSYqrvdQa0[/media]






*Now remember ... This is NOT a Gildan ultra 2000 shirt.*



.


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## x2501x (Sep 15, 2011)

Yeah, that's the problem--the method she is using to remove those tags doesn't work with the Gildans. She is cutting through the tag except for the last edge, and then using that to pull the internal piece out to the side. That leaves you just a few random fine threads to clean up if you do it right, and whatever brand that is, it also works on American Apparel to do it this way also, but the Gildan tags seem to be sewn in more securely and this particular method doesn't work. I think the only way to cleanly remove the whole tag is to rip out the seam and sew back over it, unless you want to spend 5 minutes per shirt picking out the pieces of the tag...


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## Austin300 (May 24, 2009)

If you are putting your own labels over the care label
on a Gildan Ultra cotton I think you can make it work.

I used a Bic Lighter once to see how it would seal
the cut end on the label once and came up with mixed
results.

Again, Gildans are a tough neck to sew back. The thread
is a pain once it gets torn.


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## x2501x (Sep 15, 2011)

I appreciate the help, but I did say in the very beginning of this question that I'm putting in heat transfer tags, so advice on sewing in new tags really doesn't get me where I need to be.


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## botijas (Mar 22, 2010)

Austin300 said:


> I have experimented a bit with the Gildan label after
> cutting it and cutting it short and heating the end
> to seal it from threading out.


How you heat the end of the tag?

And please, tell me your opinion about cut the Gildan label, maintain the care/size label, and screenprint my brand in the neck (below the care/size label). Because if I only cut the Gildan label, the cutted piece remaining is dissimulated with the care label.


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## jayell (Dec 1, 2011)

I made this quick video so you can see how easy it is...I used an exacto to cut the labels and that was it.
Sorry if the angle is a little off!
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXZreNSDtw8&feature=colike[/media]


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## botijas (Mar 22, 2010)

jayell said:


> I made this quick video so you can see how easy it is...I used an exacto to cut the labels and that was it.
> Sorry if the angle is a little off!
> [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXZreNSDtw8&feature=colike[/media]


Thanks Jayell, the result is very clean, but how many labels you think is possible remove in 1 hour??? 

In how much time is possible remove 1,000 labels???

Thanks for the video...


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## jayell (Dec 1, 2011)

botijas said:


> Thanks Jayell, the result is very clean, but how many labels you think is possible remove in 1 hour???
> 
> In how much time is possible remove 1,000 labels???
> 
> Thanks for the video...


in one hour I would say for myself I can probably remove 70-80 tags.
I've got it down to a science now lol...I pull the 2nd label and cut right above where it's sewn into the collar and then cut the second one in the same place, cut any threads that are left that are keeping the tag from being removed by slicing vertically in between the threads on the collar then pulling from one side and it comes right out.
I could probably do them a bit faster but those Exacto blades are SHARP!! 
don't wanna slip up & slice my fingers...

since I'm still pretty much a newbie to screen printing the amount of shirt labels I need to remove is rather small compared to some of you guys on here...I did 30 today in under an hour but I never tried before and I made the video as well during that hour...
if I had to remove 1,000 labels I'd do it over a few days....

I'll make a better detailed video in a day or so..once I print the next batch of shirts.

One thing you might wanna keep in mind is if you remove the labels BEFORE you print the shirts you should use small pieces of masking tape to write the size on so you don't get them mixed up.
Once I print the shirts I put them in those big zip-lock freezer bags according to size so I don't mix up the sizes...it would suck big time to have 200 tagless shirts in a huge pile & not know which is which...


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## A FlyBoy (Feb 13, 2013)

Thanks for the video! Right now I'm buying Anvil 779s but may use this technique if I can in the future.


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## FulStory (Jun 5, 2013)

jayell said:


> in one hour I would say for myself I can probably remove 70-80 tags.
> I've got it down to a science now lol...I pull the 2nd label and cut right above where it's sewn into the collar and then cut the second one in the same place, cut any threads that are left that are keeping the tag from being removed by slicing vertically in between the threads on the collar then pulling from one side and it comes right out.
> I could probably do them a bit faster but those Exacto blades are SHARP!!
> don't wanna slip up & slice my fingers...
> ...


Hi, can I know relabel all these well known brand will cause piracy problem?


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

FulStory said:


> Hi, can I know relabel all these well known brand will cause piracy problem?


Why do you think it's piracy?


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