If you’re in or thinking about establishing a t-shirt printing business, you’re probably well aware that there is A LOT of competition out there. Whether it’s the low barrier of market entry or the fun, creative process, t-shirt printing is a highly saturated market.
So:
How does your product or business stand out from the competition?
As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to show how your product or business is different from everyone else. One way that you can do this in your t-shirt printing business is to create customized printed inside labels for your apparel.
Inside labels are that professional touch that shows customers that you care about your product, down the most minute detail, and creates a permanent brand for your business.
So, how do you up to your branding game and get printing labels for your products? Let’s go over precisely what printed labels are, how you can do this with your DTG printer, and other helpful tips to get you up and running to differentiate your products on the market!
What is an Inside Printed Label?
While this may seem like a bit too much detail, let’s just make sure we’re on the same page with our terminology.
Inside labels are a shirt manufacturer’s tags that are attached to the back of the collar. It includes required information, by law, about the article of clothing, including country of origin, size, fabric, and care instructions.
Look at the back collar of the shirt you’re wearing; it’s the white tag that you typically see back there, but may also be printed on the back of the shirt as well.
Inside labels have a variety of benefits for manufacturers and business owners. When you order supplies like blank shirts from manufacturers, you’ll have their tag on the back collar.
Creating your own inside label ensures that the garment is entirely under your brand (not Champion or Hanes), adds to your professionalism and shows customers that you have thought about even the smallest detail.
Inside tag label printing also highlights that you care about your customers. Those annoying white labels can become scratchy and uncomfortable.
Printing directly inside your shirts allows you to be able to present all the required legal information, customize the branding of your product, and that you care about your customer’s comfort.
Not to mention:
Permanent inside label printing ensures that your customer has a constant reminder of your brand.
When someone asks you where you got your shirt, don’t you check the label in the back to refresh your memory? You want YOUR business’ name there, where it will stay as long as your shirt lasts.
How to Print Inside Labels Using DTG
Getting your custom branded inside labels onto your t-shirts is done much in the same way as you print your t-shirts themselves. You have a variety of options, including screen printing and DTG printing.
Here we’ll look at the DTG printing method.
DTG, or “direct-to-garment,” printing is the use of an inkjet printer specifically made for print on fabric and works just like a regular inkjet printer for your computer. You’ll create your label design, just as you would the image for the front of a shirt, and then load up your fabric and print right on it.
DTG printing method is perfect for printing tiny graphics (like the size of an interior clothing label!), quickly, efficiently, and most of all, cheaply.
Once you’ve designed your label, it’s as simple as setting up your garment and DTG printer as follows:
- Remove large tear-away tag, usually provided by the manufacturer that includes the federally required information.
- Position your shirt on the raised profile, lining up the inside back where you want the label to print.
- If another small tag is present, and you don’t want to remove it, tape it down to keep it out of the way.
- Press start and watch the printer work it’s magic!
It’s really that simple! However, you should keep in mind that DTG printing is best for fabrics that are 100% cotton. And as always, you should pre-treat your garments before printing or purchase already pre-treated ones.
Tips & Guidelines for Inside Label Printing
Now, before you get going on creating your custom inside labels and get ready to print them, here are a few of the things you should keep in mind.
Size matters
When creating your design, keep in mind that the average starting size of an interior label is 2.5” x 2.5”. You don’t want to make your label so small that it’s illegible, nor do you want it to take over the entire backside of the shirt.
Opt for tear-away labels
When sourcing your t-shirts, many brands offer tear-away labels so you can easily remove them for printing inside labels. You can still print on garments with sewn-in labels, but it won’t be as seamless.
Don’t go color crazy
Tags are typically single color, so you should keep your artwork as simple as possible. Grey is most commonly used by businesses for inside label printing because it’s light enough to not go through the backside of a shirt but still visible.
Keep it clear
Choose a bold, legible font to ensure that your business’ name is clearly visible and easily read on a glance.
The t-shirt printing business is an incredibly competitive space, and even the smallest of details can impact your success.
If you’re looking to build brand awareness, and acquire that elusive tribe of loyal consumers, you need to ensure that they know who you are and remember you, and an inside printed label is a step towards that achievement.
DTG printing allows you to create that brand awareness quickly, easily, and efficiently by stamping your name across your products. Would you consider adding these to your t-shirts to make your t-shirt printing business stand out in the crowd?
Questions? Get in touch with an Imaging Spectrum representative at 214-342-9290 or email inkjet@imagingspectrum.com
