Introduction:

Label is an important part of a garment. A label is more than just a piece of fabric,
which directly communicates with the customer. Its something like that drawing
the full attention of the customer. Also describes what the product quality actually
is in. on the basis of label, customer decides whether he/ she buys the garments
or not. So, a label has a great importance on selling the garment.
Definition of Label:
A garment label is a communicator between the buyer and product. A garment
label contains various types of information of that garments, such as buyer name,
country of origin, types of fabric, types of yarn, fabric composition, garments
size, special instruction about care etc. Without any types of label a garment
cannot be sold in the foreign market.
Types of Label used in Garments:
There are mainly two types of label and these ares

Main Label,
Sub Label.

Those are discussed in the below:

A. Main Label:
Main label contains the Brand name or Brand logo of buyer such as H&M,
American Eagle, Nautical etc. Brand name is the important factor for any product.
Because the customers are targeted the Brand during buying any product. A
Brand name is the mental satisfaction about the product from the customers
point of view. A main label is totally certified the right quality of the brand.
B. Sub Label:
Sub Label is not a label by itself but it includes different types of label. These are
in the following:
1.

Care Label,

2.

Size Label,

3.

Price Label,

4.

Composition Label,

5.

Special Label,

6.

Flag Label.

All kinds of Sub Labels are discussed in the following:

1. Care Label:
Care label is other important types of label for the garments. It assists the
customers to know how the product should be cared. It indicates different types
of care instruction about the garments such as Washing, Bleaching, Drying,
Laundering and Ironing, if it can be maintained in directed way, then the
garments will achieve higher durability and garments shade will be perfect for its
highest period of time.
2. Size Label:
Size label indicates the size of the garments. Size labels are indicated as S, M, L,
XL, where S for small, M for medium, L for large and XL for extra large.
3. Price Label:
Price label indicates the price of the garments.
4. Composition Label:
Composition label indicates the fabrication and composition percentage of any
garments. That means, it indicates which fabrication (Cotton Sub denim, Cotton
Regular denim etc.) and composition percentage (95% Cotton 5% Spandex,
100% Cotton etc.) have followed during its manufacturing.
5. Special Label:
Sometimes the buyer advised to use special label in the garments to attract the
customers on their items. Special labels are 100% silk, 100% Cotton and 100%
Leather etc.
6. Flag Label:
Flag label is a very small label contains Brands name or Brands logo of the
buyer. It is attached in the side seam of bottom parts of the garments.

Why Need for care label ?

It indicates how to clean textile articles in the best possible way. It provide
info on washing, bleaching, ironing ,dry cleaning and tumble drying.
Symbols refer to maximum permissible treatment that a textile article can
bear without irerversible damage.

Who needs to label and what needs labeling

Following needs to be aware of the use of care labels
mfgers and importers of textile wearing apparel
Mfgers & Importers of pieces good sold to consumers for making apparel
Any person or organisation that controls the manufacturing and importing
of textiles wearing apparel or piece goods for making wearing apparel
American care labeling system:
Generally written instructions have been used on care labels . But from
july 1997 the FTC permitted mfgers to use care symbols dvpd by ASTM
FTC wanted the written info explaining what symbols mean on hangtags
with garments till the end of 1998 so that consumers become familiar with
these symbols and understand which symbol means what. This was due
to NAFTA in 1994

FTC decided that adaption of the ISO system of symbols used by EU is

not appropriate for US at this time as its not comprehensive as ASTM and
also due to issues associated with the fact that the ISO stds is
trademarked have not been adequately resolved.
Five basic symbols will be used to identify care recommendations on
garments. A series of dots or lines will serve as modifiers. The basic
symbols are:
a cross on them means treatment shall not be used and a bar
under the symbols indicates milder treatments is needed (broken bar
indicates a very mild treatment

ISO care symbols --it requires that the symbols be legible and
proportional to size of garment.
It does not have symbols for natural drying use of non chloring bleach or
use of steam in ironing.
Its symbols for drycleaning does not address all the warnings required by
the american rule for care labeling.
In ISO an underlined circle warns professional drycleaners generally about
potential harm from mechanical action and drying temp and water addition
in the solvent
International care labeling system-GINETEX:
Internationally many countries follow different care instructions and have
different laws and rules governing the same. The International care
labeling system-(GINETEX) had therefore dvpd a language independent
care labeling system in 1975
ISO 3758 1991 provides a code of reference for the use of these symbols.
Washing by hand or by machine:
Washing by hand or by machine
Lbl must say if its machine or handwash. It should also give a water temp
setting if regular use of hot water will harm the product.
Bleaching if all commercially avbl bleaches can be used on a regular
basis without harming the product the label does not have to mention
bleach.

If using cholrine bleach on a regular basis would harm the product but
using non chlorine bleach on a regular basis would not , the label must
say only non chlorine bleach when needed
If all commercially avbl bleaches would harm the product when used on a
regular basis the label must say no bleach or donot bleach
Drying label must say whether the product should be dried by machine
or method. Unless regular use of high temp will harm the product when
machine dried its not necessary to indicate temp setting.
Ironing
ironing info must be given on a care label if ironing will be needed on a
regular basis. if regular use of a hot iron will not harm a product its not
necessary to indicate a temp setting.
Warning (including dry cleaning
if consumer reasonably could be expected to use care procedure that
would harm the product, the label must contain a warning like do not
,no only to warn against the harmful procedure . For example if
ironing will harm a garment even if ironing is not regularly needed,the label
should state do not iron if the customer can be expected to touch up
the garment occasionally .
If a care procedure on one product could cause harm to another product
being washed with it ,a warning must be included. For example if an item
is not colorfast ,the label must say ,wash with like colors or wash
seperatel,
Warnings are not necessary for alternative procedures that could be
harmful For
Dry cleaning instructions a simple dryclean
instructions may be used under two conditions
first if all commercially avbl types of solvent can be used the label does
not have mention any particular solvent. If one or more solvent would
harm the product a safe solvent must be mentioned (ex dryclean
,petroleum solvent)
second a simple dryclean may be used if the drycleaning process as
can be used on a garment with no modifications. If any part of the
drycleaning process would harm the product the dryclean instructions
must include the warning to avoid or modify that part of the process. For
ex- if steam would damage a garment the label would say dry clean .no
steam

Dryclean only is a warning that the garment cannot be washed . You may
label Dryclean only but only if you have evidence that washing will
damage the garment.
ISO care symbols:
The astm and iso use same basic five symbols. The difference in system
consist in the manner in which refinements to the basic processes are
conveyed.
ISO care labeling system assumes that washing machine have internal
mechanisms for heating water to a precise temperature setting. In addition
it includes only normal and low temp ranges for tumble drying. Both of
these aspects of ISO are inconsistent with the technology of laundry
equipment used in the US