# Please help! Screening logo and keeping the tag in?



## jonnie23 (Dec 9, 2010)

Hey everyone,

I'm stuck on using AA 2001's to print my shirts, but don't want to deal with taking the tag out and re-labeling. What do you think if I kept the tag in and screened my logo and website underneath? Is that strange? Thanks so much for reading my post, and all help is greatly appreciated.


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

I can see it. It would look strange on a run of the mill Gildan or Hanes, but AA is considered top shelf so I would flaunt it.

Just don't repeat size and wash info on your label. Your company logo should be all you print.


----------



## jonnie23 (Dec 9, 2010)

awesome, thanks for the reply.


----------



## TopseyCret (Jun 4, 2010)

Get rid of it, AA is not your brand. Your brand is your brand..why leave traces of another brand even if it is reputable. People are paying for 'your' shirt..not AA's shirt.


----------



## blankCLOTHING (Feb 20, 2008)

TopseyCret said:


> Get rid of it, AA is not your brand. Your brand is your brand..why leave traces of another brand even if it is reputable. People are paying for 'your' shirt..not AA's shirt.


I agree with this. Even though AA is reputable, it just wouldn't look right. Just take the time to get the tags off, it's not too difficult. If you want, you can get blanks with tear-away tags, those are easy to rip off.


----------



## jonnie23 (Dec 9, 2010)

Bump....Any more thoughts on this?


Thnx


----------



## rawbhaze (Jan 29, 2011)

It is something that is commonly seen with indy and start-up designers. I have a local indirect competitor who is carried by some of the same boutiques as I am. The majority of her designs are placed on Bella blanks. She does one of two things, depending on the particular model of garment.

If the blank has one tag (brand tag) in the neckline and one tag (legal required info) in the lower seam then she will place her label under Bella's brand tag. Bella's tags are usually dull in color as well as long and narrow in shape. Her screened tag is a big box shape with various colors. Her tag easily stands out despite physically being under the Bella tag.

If the blank has both tags in the neckline (brand tag over legal tag but sewn in together) then she will cut the brand tag out at the seam, leave the legal tag as is and then screen her tag under it. Essentially ending up with the same appearance as the previous example.

I am not familiar with your blank but I would recommend exactly the same as she is doing for you to try.

You should use embroidery scissors for cutting tags out. They will allow you to cut as close to the seam as possible without damaging anything. They get extremely close. On the garments with two tags, the general public has no idea that there was once another tag of the legal tag that that see.

Here's an additional blurb about embroidery scissors:
"...scissors feature gold-plated shanks and bows of fine grade cutlery steel. Thin, needle-sharp points allow delicate cutting and trimming without damaging material. Ring bows for both right and left handed use. Perfect for monogram work, applique, or trimming intricate embroidery work."

Here are a couple of other approaches that I have seen and look absolutely terrible, IMO:
*Cut all neck tags out at the seam. It's almost always done in a manner that looks like Helen Keller used garden shears to remove them. Even when care is taken with embroidery scissors you still end up visible tag remnants. Unless it matches the garment color and it's a $10 t-shirt then you might as well not bother in the first place. An exception can be necklines that were significantly folded over with the tags sewn in as normal. This type of seam has a flap that covers the remnants of the cut out tag so long as you cut it out at the seam.

*Blank tags left as is with the designer tag placed over the top and separately sewn into the neckline. Looks so unbelievably bad. You might be able to pull this off on white garments but on colored garments... at least try to match the thread and fabric colors.

*Designer skips a shirt tag/label all together but attaches their hang tag to the blank's neck tags. What a waste of time and money. The end customer will remove it prior to the first wash, thereby removing any trace of the designer forever.

Hope this helps.


----------



## jonnie23 (Dec 9, 2010)

Thanks so much for the response. Shirts will be printed on American Apparel, so wanted to use that to my advantage and say something along the lines of...."proudly printed on american apparel" along with logo and website...what do you think?


----------



## tlpe548b (Jul 14, 2011)

Have you considered putting your logo on the back of the shirts? This still maintains your brand, as well as AA, and allows people to see where a shirt came from if they like it on someone else. I had the same issue, and that was my solution, printing my logo on the back right below the neckline. Later on if things work out and i'm super successful ill go to relabeling. Even if your shirt designs already have a front and back, you could still stick your label on the side stitching, like under your armpit, on the side of the shirt.

It's a great way to advertise, think about it, when you buy Nike anything their logo is plastered all over it, so when you see it on someone you instantly know what it is. You have to make your customers do the advertising for you, the way i look at it. American Apparel is an up and coming name brand, they have at least 1 store in every state and are rolling out more everyday. In my city they have a retail story in the most expensive mall in the city, so they are going for a designer style brand. I don't think it's a bad thing to leave the AA label on the shirts, especially if your just starting out.


----------



## ChameleonPrints (Apr 7, 2007)

In my opinion, the question you have to ask yourself is if the AA tag adds value to your line. If your customers hold it in high regard, then I would definitely keep it and find another spot on the shirt for my logo. If it doesn't add value and you want to market your brand not AA, then remove the tag. 

I have seen companies that have cute little animal type logos that they put on the bottom of the sleeve of every shirt to brand their shirts... I have seen companies that put their logo on the back of the neck... whatever you decide to do for branding the shirt, stick with it as your customer will start looking for it.


----------



## jonnie23 (Dec 9, 2010)

awesome, thanks so much...


----------



## jonnie23 (Dec 9, 2010)

I think I'm going to keep the tag in for now and print logo and website on the back below the neckline. This seems to make sense at the moment. Also, pretty bummed that american apparel stopped making heather gray in 50/50.


----------



## skinnyboyswag (Aug 22, 2011)

Bring them to an embroidery/printing place and they should offer a service on de-tagging them. I'd retag them with new neck tags just in case there are any issues with the stitching in the de-tagging process.


----------



## JOHNSY (Dec 20, 2010)

If you have strong designs and really want to make a mark this is the time to do it. The first thing everyone does is reach for the neck tag....if its folded on a table or hanging from the rack. be it to check size,brand,wash instructions or just material. Thats the moment to capture your audience. they will notice your logo later on the back but its in there head already that its an AA shirt. I vote, go the extra step. remove the tag and print on the inside. get size stickers so its not an issue to print that.I personally would be working on getting in stores already but put it off a few months to get the tagging right. neck and hangtag. if your going retail. pound the pavement and see what your competion is doing.
good luck to ya


----------

