Labels for Towels, Bed Linen and Robes: Woven, Satin, Digital Print or Embroidery

A brand label shows your name or logo. A care label tells people what the item is made of and how to wash it. Some products carry one label that does both.

There are four common ways to make them. A woven label is made on a loom, so the logo is part of the label. A satin label is a smooth tape with the words printed on it. A digital print satin label is the same tape printed in full colour. Embroidery is not a label at all. The logo is stitched straight onto the product.

Satin labels are sometimes called sateen labels. It is the same thing.

Neither is better everywhere. They do different jobs. A woven label is stronger and looks more premium, and the logo cannot wash off. A satin label is softer and cheaper, and small text is easier to read on it.

That is why many brands use both. A woven label carries the brand where people see it. A printed satin label carries the care text inside a seam.

A woven label is made on a small loom from fine threads, usually polyester. The logo and the background are woven at the same time. Because the colour is in the thread, it cannot wash off.

Woven labels come in three main qualities. Taffeta uses thicker threads. It is the cheapest and suits simple logos. Damask uses fine threads woven tightly. It shows small text clearly and feels softer, so most towel and bed linen brands choose it. Satin woven has a smooth, shiny face. It is the softest woven label and suits robes and anything that touches the skin.

Very thin lines and very small letters can still blur on any woven label. If your logo has fine detail, ask for a woven proof before you order.

A satin label is a smooth polyester tape. The words and logo are printed on it in one or a few colours. It is soft, thin and cheap, and it can hold a lot of small text. That makes it the usual choice for care labels.

Ink sits on the surface, so print can fade after many hot washes. Hotel linen is washed hot and often. If that is your use, wash a sample label with the product before you approve it.

Care labels are sometimes printed on cotton tape or thin nylon tape instead. Cotton tape feels natural. Nylon tape is thin and low cost but less soft.

A digital print label is a satin label printed by a digital printer, like a very fine office printer. It can print any colour, shading, small photos and QR codes. A normal print label cannot do this well.

There is no printing plate to make. That suits small runs and many designs, such as one label for each size or each colour.

The ink still sits on the surface, so treat it like any printed label. Wash a sample with the product first.

Use embroidery when you want people to see the logo on the product itself. Hotels and spas often put their logo on towels, robes and pillowcases this way.

On a towel, the loops get in the way. A thin film goes on top so loops do not poke through the stitches. A backing goes underneath so the towel does not stretch. Ask your supplier to stitch a sample on the real towel, not on flat cloth.

The price depends on the size of the logo, how many stitches it needs and how many thread colours it uses. A small logo with one or two colours costs least. If your towels are bleached, ask for polyester thread. Rayon thread is shinier, but bleach weakens it.

A logo can also be woven into the towel border instead. That is called a jacquard border. It costs more to set up, but it cannot fray or come loose.

A heat transfer label is printed onto the fabric with heat, so there is no tag to cut off or itch. It works well on smooth fabric, such as a robe lining or a jersey sheet.

It does not stick well to towel loops. For towels, a sewn label or embroidery is the safer choice.

Answer three questions. Must the logo show on the product? Choose embroidery. Will the label carry a lot of text? Choose a printed satin label. Does the logo have shading, photos or a QR code? Choose a digital print satin label. If none of these apply, a damask woven label is the safe choice.

The same label can be cut and folded in different ways. The fold decides where it can go.

Put the label where it will not rub the skin and where laundry staff can find it fast. On towels it usually sits in the side hem near a corner. On robes the brand label goes at the back neck and the care label goes in a side seam.

On a fitted sheet the label usually sits in one corner seam. Some brands add a small tag that marks the long side, which makes the bed faster to make. On a pillowcase it goes in the side seam near the opening. On a duvet cover it goes inside near the opening.

Common brand label sizes are 25 x 25 mm, 40 x 25 mm and 55 x 30 mm. A care label is usually longer, because it carries more text.

A care label usually shows the fibre, such as 100 percent cotton, the washing symbols and the country of origin. Some markets also want the name of the maker or seller.

What is required by law differs by market. The packing and labelling guide covers the rules for the US, the EU, the UK and the Gulf.

Always approve a real label sample, or a stitched embroidery sample, before production starts. A screen proof does not show how thread or ink will look.

Either works. You can send us your own labels, and we sew them on. Or we have them made in India to your artwork and include the cost in your quote.

Private label is possible at 50 pieces per size if you supply your own labels.

Labels must be ready before stitching starts. Approve the label at the same time as the product sample, which takes 7 to 14 days, so it does not hold up the order.

Anabyn is an export house based in Thrissur, Kerala. We make towels, bed linen and robes to your spec, add your labels, embroidery and packaging, check the goods before they ship and handle the export papers.

Send us your logo, the products and the quantities. We will reply with the label options and a quote.