# Selling Tees without tag finishing



## the_um (Sep 25, 2009)

What are your thoughts on absolutely no tags on printed tees and then selling them. I hear you need 3 things before selling them (quote from the local printer) Fabrics, logo, and something else, I think he said who made the tee. All that should be on a tag or tags on the tee somewhere. 

I contacted a tag maker and she's charging me 150 tags for 160 or something like that...I can't afford that. I was thinking of buying on of those small screens from the local hobby store and have the printer make a screen for me that has all that info, and at home I can just screen print it myself. I ask the guy to do it and he says "no, no, you need tags for that"

So I mean, it might be cheaper to do it myself who knows but uhh what are your thoughts? Should I not put tags or bother messing around with a screen printed tag?


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

As long as you have the legally required info (RN Number, Fiber Content, Country of Origin and Wash Instructions) than you an do either sewn tags or printed tags. It's really your personal preference. Printed tags are pretty popular right now since people don't like the feel of sewn tags, especially if your shirts are the thin, fashion fitted type. If budget is the major factor, then get price quotes for both methods and see what makes sense for you. Do you really need to relabel at all? What brand of blank are you using? What is your expected retail price?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Before you spend too much on buying your own screens and having them coated and burned, look into this EZScreenPrint - SCREEN PRINTING IN LESS THAN AN HOUR!. Cheaper, do it yourself developing and is perfect for tagless labels.


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## PoisonApple (Mar 20, 2010)

There are Pros and Cons to both styles:

Regular Tags: 
-----------------------------
Pros:
1) Looks professional
2) Clear and easy to read
3) Hard to screw up installation
4) One tag fits all

Cons
-----------------------------
1) Less freedom for artwork
2) Some people feel it's itchy
3) Expensive
4) Takes longer to install
5) You have to remove the previous tag
6) Harder to do for large orders
7) If you run out of tags you have to wait for someone to make it 

Screen Printed Tags
-----------------------------
Pros:
1) Easy to do mass quantities
2) Easy to incorporate large logo and artwork
3) Looks more stylish
4) You can choose to remove old tag or leave it on
5) Can be placed anywhere
6) You can print anytime and you won't run out of tags.

Cons:
-----------------------------
1) Lots more chance to screw up (e.g. get ink on shirt/bad print)
2) Hard to print if you don't have the right equipment (e.g. No way to cure ink)
3) Sometimes can be itchy depending on ink
4) Screen gets clogged
5) More clean up/Messier
6) If done badly can make you look amateurish
7) If pressed too hard it can bleed through to the back on thinner shirts

So I hope that helps you a bit. Find out what you like and don't like about each method and decide which will be better for you and your company.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Nice list Mark. The only one I might disagree with is your 'one tag fits all' on regular tags. In fact, a con to regular tags is you need a set of tags for each size shirt you carry. Set of smalls, set of mediums, etc. Miscalculate your needs for a certain size and your production comes to a halt.


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## moneymadness (Dec 3, 2009)

kimura-mma said:


> As long as you have the legally required info (RN Number, Fiber Content, Country of Origin and Wash Instructions) than you an do either sewn tags or printed tags. It's really your personal preference. Printed tags are pretty popular right now since people don't like the feel of sewn tags, especially if your shirts are the thin, fashion fitted type. If budget is the major factor, then get price quotes for both methods and see what makes sense for you. Do you really need to relabel at all? What brand of blank are you using? What is your expected retail price?


i buy 3 t-shirts from a (Large Company )last month and they did not have a rn #,100%cotton,made n usa,wash n cold water. so is that true u can sell t-shirts without rn #


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## muneca (Sep 30, 2008)

to tag or not to tag? that is the question.


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

moneymadness said:


> i buy 3 t-shirts from a (Large Company )last month and they did not have a rn #,100%cotton,made n usa,wash n cold water. so is that true u can sell t-shirts without rn #


The company name can be used instead of the RN#. All of that info needs to be on the shirt, otherwise it's a violation of FTC laws. Check the inside of the shirts you bought, sometimes there is a label sewn into the side seam that has the info instead of it being in the neck line.


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## PoisonApple (Mar 20, 2010)

moneymadness said:


> i buy 3 t-shirts from a (Large Company )last month and they did not have a rn #,100%cotton,made n usa,wash n cold water. so is that true u can sell t-shirts without rn #


Yes, you're right. Manufacturers aren't required to use the Registered Number if they have their company name on them. It's all just used for ID.


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## the_um (Sep 25, 2009)

Yah I know it will violate the law, I can't afford registering my company. Kimura-mma you said I previous post on a copyright thread to don't bother with it. The American Appeal t-shirts I'm getting printed have tear off tags already. Should I just tell the customer that they are tear off American Appeal tag t-shirts; and let them tear it off?


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## PoisonApple (Mar 20, 2010)

Hey Roh,

Do what's best for you. If this means you can't afford to put tags or print tags then make your shirts anyway. Seriously, no one in their right mind will come to try and sue you for something so frivolous especially when they know you're not a big company with money.

The only time you're going to have to worry about RN numbers or getting a DBA is when it's your main source of income. If you're just making and selling shirts on the side then just do it and try to build your brand. Worry about that stuff later when you have the money to do it.

When I first started, the first couple hundred shirts I sold had no sort of tag whatsoever. I just cut off the tag it came with and printed my logo. No one bothered me and no one cared. 

Is it nice to have? Yes. Is it a necessity to have when you're a larger company? Yes. Do you really need to worry about the legalities when you're selling dozens at first? No.

There are people who do much worse things like selling shirts with copyrighted images and they still get away with it. 

Do whatever you have to to build your company and make money. That's the bottom line.


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

Hey Roh,
I think you're getting some processes mixed up. I'll try to clarify a few things.

Registering your company:
You should *definitely* legally register as a business. There are legal, tax and liability implications involved. I won't even get into the benefits of doing so, because it doesn't matter. You should register your business.

Applying for an RN #:
This is free. Fill out the form and they will e-mail you the number within a day or two.

Copyrights and trademarks:
This is where I think it depends on your budget. If you can afford it, go ahead. Otherwise, spend your money on production and marketing.



the_um said:


> The American Appeal t-shirts I'm getting printed have tear off tags already. Should I just tell the customer that they are tear off American Appeal tag t-shirts; and let them tear it off?


Doing custom labels is a good thing if you can afford it. But if you're on a budget, then keeping the American Apparel tags in the shirts is perfectly acceptable. I don't think there is any reason to call attention to it to your customers.


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## blkfriars (Jan 31, 2010)

What size should the logo and all the required information need to be when printing them in the shirt tag line?


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

There is no required size for the logo and info. So whatever you think looks good and is legible is ok.


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## brOln_mYnd (Mar 24, 2010)

Where are you going to to get 150 tags for 160? That's a little over $1 a tag, that'll be perfect for me. And these are sewn in tags?


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## blkfriars (Jan 31, 2010)

where can you get the care logos from ( the little iron, washing machine etc.) to have screen printed on the inside?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

blkfriars said:


> where can you get the care logos from ( the little iron, washing machine etc.) to have screen printed on the inside?


Here's the font Notice 3 Std Font | dafont.com


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