Garment Label Printing: Garment Manufacturers on Track to Cut Costs

In recent years, so-called label-printed garments (t-shirts, jeans, underwear, and other garments that do not have sewn-in care labels) are becoming the new standard in garment manufacturing. Not only is this trend popular with consumers (who are spared annoying labels and the need to cut them off), but it also creates a huge amount of cost savings for producers.

Heat transfer (also known as thermal transfer) was the first technology implemented by some of the major garment manufacturers. This method involves outsourcing the production of label rolls and applying the rolls to fabric in-house using heat presses. There have been many changes in the heat transfer label industry, following some hiccups in the garment label printing market. In particular, in 2008-2009 in the US, heat transfer labels reportedly caused skin allergies in infants and a small number of adults. Some companies had to reformulate their plastisol inks. Newer types of labels tend to be less wash resistant after a limited number of wash cycles, parts of the label start to peel off. When the label is pressed into the fabric, the minimum industrially acceptable durability levels are approximately 6 to 12 seconds for each label. Application time for heat transfers cannot be shorter than sewn-on labels.

Small custom decor shops that wanted to do short-run, on-demand production owned screen printing machines. These small shops then tried to screen print their own garment labels to save the cost of buying labels (on average, the cost of a minimum order starts at $1000) or to save time waiting for the labels to be manufactured. Screen printing is capable of producing high-quality, detailed labels that are durable and customizable on demand. However, screen printing did not offer much of an advantage in terms of speed of production because garments had to be turned over for printing, then given time for the ink to dry (in some cases requiring the use of drying ovens) and then they turned to the right. out to pack. For multi-color labels, production time increased as each color must dry before the other color is applied. Screen printing is currently being used, but does not appear to have a future in high-volume garment label print production.

Unlike screen printing, used for textile imaging for centuries, textile pad printing was secondary in comparison until recently. Pad printing was originally developed and used to obtain precise images of irregular and relatively rigid surfaces, such as golf balls, watch faces, dolls and other promotional products, etc.

The basic mechanism of pad printing is as follows: the ink deposits the ink from the cup onto the engraved image on the printing plate (cliché); the silicone printing pad collects the ink and presses it onto the part; the part is removed and the next part is positioned for printing by a conveyor or human operator.

The benefits of pad printing garment labels are numerous. Pad labels are dry to the touch and ready to pack within 1-3 seconds after printing. Average production speed for garment label printing is limited only by operator speed and averages 1,000 labels per hour for one color images approximately 2″ in diameter. Multi-color labels (can be completed in a single machine print run) can print up to 900 labels per hour.A printed label costs around $0.003, compared to a heat transfer label at $0.02-0.09 each. of garment labels makes short runs cost effective and long runs quick to implement due to newly developed computer-to-plate laser technology.

Test prints by Govmark Inc. resulted in 100% virtually intact labels after 50 industrial grade washes at 70°C (160°F) with bleach. Pad printing ink penetrates the fabric and therefore does not settle on it; Printed labels stretch and shrink with the fabric, resulting in the retention of the printed label and brand identity.