# Does This Solution Meet Labeling Requirements?



## Firestrike (Aug 22, 2011)

In order to meet the myriad requirements for a new product line we're consulting on, we're going to be using a whole bunch of different shirt blanks from various manufacturers, utilizing tons of combinations of country of origin and fabric composition. All of these blanks will require custom relabeling with tag less neck labels.

To avoid the hassle of coming up with 65 different tag label combinations to screen print, we were thinking of printing a generic company-branded label in the neck for size and washing instructions, and then heat pressing the fabric and country of origin to suit each garment. The caveat is, we want to heat press this info on the bottom inside of the shirt, down by the hem line so that it's unobtrusive.

Is there any problem with doing this? I've seen plenty of blanks that have sewn tags down in that area with fabric/origin/washing, and a branded size label in the neck...but never this idea. Are there specific rules on WHERE this information needs to be, or what other information needs to be immediately adjacent on the garment (can you separate washing instructions from fabric info, for example?), beyond just requiring permanent attachment?

Being able to heat press just the country/fabric in an out of the way place is easily going to be the most elegant solution for us on this project, hoping we can make it work.

Thanks for any help!


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## Firestrike (Aug 22, 2011)

Further research has turned up what seems to be a requirement that labeling information on garments with neck holes should be located where the consumer "normally expects" to find such information, i.e. inside the neck.

This seems to fly in the face of those sewn care tags inside down closer to the hem line, as I mentioned previously. Plus I would argue that "consumer expectations" on where to find care information are fluid as printing techniques and preferences change over time.


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## Comin'OutSwingin (Oct 28, 2005)

You had already made your second post when I found this. 

But, according to the FTC, they get VERY specific with where this should be.

This comes directly from the FTC site:



> In a garment with a neck, a label disclosing the country of origin (on the front) must be attached to the inside center of the neck — either midway between the shoulder seams or very near another label attached to the inside center of the neck. The fiber content and manufacturer or dealer identity can appear on the same label (front or back) or on another conspicuous and readily accessible label(s) on the inside or outside of the garment.


It seems as though your solution won't be acceptable.

If I were you, since you're already considering heat pressing this information, it shouldn't be too costly to just get plastisol transfers made for the different countries of origin. And that's especially if that's the only change that will be made.

Have 2 different transfers ganged on a sheet. One will be a transfer with your brand, care instructions, and other required info. The other ganged transfer can just have the different countries on it. You've now got 2 labels. You press the first label onto ALL of the shirts. Then you pick the country of origin and press that one on second, just under the first label.

Problem solved.


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## Firestrike (Aug 22, 2011)

Yeah, that was the first option we thought of but was hoping to avoid having multiple transfers that would need to be aligned and pressed onto the blank next to each other without encountering crookedness issues. But, maybe that's what we'll have to do. We would need our basic size/care transfer, PLUS a second one for country of origin (five or six countries for this project), PLUS a third one for material (more than a dozen fabric compositions for this project).

Bummer.


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## deepbluex (Jun 24, 2011)

Comin'OutSwingin said:


> Have 2 different transfers ganged on a sheet. One will be a transfer with your brand, care instructions, and other required info. The other ganged transfer can just have the different countries on it. You've now got 2 labels. You press the first label onto ALL of the shirts. Then you pick the country of origin and press that one on second, just under the first label.
> 
> Problem solved.



But your solution requires two pressings and twice the time/effort... Why not print a batch of complete neck labels with country x, another batch with country y, etc. then, just press the right label onto the shirt once and be done with it?


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

You are talking about US rules?....Why blanks from so many countries?......What about labeling them at the factory so you do not have to remove sewn in tags?...


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## Firestrike (Aug 22, 2011)

Because we'd be looking at dozens of different labels, at least. This is for a full-fledged line of products that will be spanning cotton, blended, burnout and heather t-shirts, performance tees, polos, etc. being sourced from multiple different manufacturers to meet the needs of the project. Consider:

Small Shirt - Mexico - 100% Cotton
Small Shirt - Haiti - 100% Cotton
Small Shirt - Guatemala - 100% Cotton
Small Shirt - Vietnam - 100% Cotton

Small Shirt - Mexico - 50/50
Small Shirt - Haiti - 50/50
Small Shirt - Guatemala - 50/50
Small Shirt - Vietname - 50/50

Small Shirt - Mexico - 42/58
Small Shirt - Haiti - 42/58
Small Shirt - Guatemala - 42/58
Small Shirt - Vietnam - 42/58

Small Shirt - Mexico - 30/30/30
Small Shirt - Haiti - 30/30/30
Small Shirt - Guatemala - 30/30/30
Small Shirt - Vietnam - 30/30/30

etc. etc. And that's just to get started. And for sizes XS-3X.

Would be a lot nicer to have one set for the particular product, one set for country, and one set for fabric that could be mix and matched as needed at press time, even if it took two separate presses. I just didn't want to worry about having to perfectly align three distinct transfers next to each other, hence the hope that I could print the country/fabric elsewhere.


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## Firestrike (Aug 22, 2011)

royster13 said:


> You are talking about US rules?....Why blanks from so many countries?......What about labeling them at the factory so you do not have to remove sewn in tags?...


Budgetary considerations. We're able to shave about $1.5 off per piece this way, which is going to make a big difference for wholesale.


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Have you confirmed with the suppliers that the shirts will come from the same country as listed?...Many shirt makers switch between factories in 2 or more countries....

As far as not labeling at the factory, that does not make sense to me but I have not seen all the math so you would know better than me...


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## Firestrike (Aug 22, 2011)

royster13 said:


> Have you confirmed with the suppliers that the shirts will come from the same country as listed?...Many shirt makers switch between factories in 2 or more countries....
> 
> As far as not labeling at the factory, that does not make sense to me but I have not seen all the math so you would know better than me...


The transfers will be created from a stock of pre-purchased garments, so we'll be able to verify country of origin.


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Have you considered a pad printer?....


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## Firestrike (Aug 22, 2011)

royster13 said:


> Have you considered a pad printer?....


Not really, as we already have the pressing equipment on hand...


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Firestrike said:


> Not really, as we already have the pressing equipment on hand...


If you are doing a bunch of different variations, it may end better financially even if you need to acquire new equipment....But of course it would depend on the quantity of each variations....20 tags a minute for pad printer.....ink is less than a fraction of a penny each.....


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## Firestrike (Aug 22, 2011)

That's a fair point. Will definitely take it into consideration, thanks!


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Pad Printing Equipment, Textile Printers for Garment Printing, Industrial Inkjet Printers, Screen Printing Machines, Supplies & Inks | Inkcups Now can give you more information....


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uR5Z8hYiDQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfywZS1Ozzk


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## Comin'OutSwingin (Oct 28, 2005)

deepbluex said:


> But your solution requires two pressings and twice the time/effort... Why not print a batch of complete neck labels with country x, another batch with country y, etc. then, just press the right label onto the shirt once and be done with it?


Because you have the extra expense of having a multiple batches with the different country of origins.

The OP was going to be pressing twice, anyway.

You could also cut the transfers and press them both at the same time. That would save time and money.


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