Manufacturer · Fashion & Home Accessories
Workwear labels must withstand far harsher conditions than fashion labels: washing at high temperatures, strong detergents, industrial drying and press ironing. That is why polyester taffeta or woven labels with printing or weaving suitable for intensive washing are chosen for them, sewn firmly into the seam. Besides the brand and composition, they often carry an employee’s name, a number or a size for easy sorting in the laundry.
How workwear is different
A fashion garment is washed at home, usually at a moderate temperature. Workwear – overalls, jackets, medical clothing, chef’s whites, hotel and restaurant uniforms, school uniforms – is often washed in industrial laundries. There the cycles are longer, the temperatures higher and the detergents more aggressive. The garments also go through tunnel finishers and presses. Each of these stages puts strain on the label: the print can fade, synthetic edges can harden, and a poorly sewn label can tear off.
There is also a special standard for testing workwear under industrial laundering – ISO 15797, which describes the washing and finishing procedures for testing. If your customer requires compliance with specific procedures, state it in your inquiry so that a suitable combination of material and marking can be selected and tested.
Workwear labels: materials
| Material | Advantages | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Printed polyester taffeta | Stable, does not shrink, legible small text | The choice of print is decisive for durability |
| Woven label (polyester) | The logo is woven in and does not fade | The most durable option for the brand |
| Satin | Soft, for clothing worn next to the skin | Test at the actual temperature |
| Cotton | Withstands high-temperature ironing | May shrink, check on a sample |
For the logo of the brand or organisation, a woven label performs best, because there is no print to wear off. For composition, size and number, printing on taffeta is practical, as it allows different data for each piece.
What information they carry
- Brand or organisation logo – hospital, hotel, company, school.
- Composition and care instructions – mandatory under Regulation (EU) 1007/2011, with symbols according to ISO 3758. A separate text is sometimes added for industrial laundering instructions.
- Size – often height as well, for overalls and jackets.
- Employee name or number – so that the garment is returned to the right person after washing.
- Department or shift colour – for sorting.
- Year or batch – for tracking wear and replacement.
Name and number labels
With centralised laundering, every garment must be identified quickly. There are several approaches:
- Printed name labels – printed for each employee and sewn on when the clothing is issued.
- Numbered labels – instead of a name, a number linked to the employee in a register is used. This is convenient with staff turnover – the garment is reassigned without changing the label.
- Iron-on labels – quick to apply, but with industrial laundering the corners can lift over time. That is why additional securing with stitching is recommended under harsh conditions.
Some laundries also use electronic identifiers sewn into the garment. These are added to, not instead of, the textile label, which remains human-readable.
Where to sew the label
On workwear the position is chosen so that the label is protected and easy to check:
- neck or back of the waistband – for the brand and size;
- side seam or inner pocket seam – for the composition;
- inside of the waistband or collar – for name and number, visible during sorting;
- never in areas subject to heavy friction or contact with machinery.
Sewing that lasts
Use a strong polyester sewing thread suitable for high temperatures. The label must be caught with a sufficient margin in the seam, or sewn along both ends with backstitches at the start and end. On end-folded labels, the seam should run close to the fold so that no free edge is left to catch. Labels attached with adhesive only are not recommended for industrial laundering.
Softness for long wear
Workwear is worn for a whole shift, often under physical strain and sweating. A stiff label at the neck is felt for hours. Choose a softer material for the neck label, such as satin or soft taffeta, with ultrasonically finished edges. Place large multi-page composition labels in the side seam, further from the skin.
School uniforms and staff clothing
For school uniforms and retail staff clothing, washing requirements are more moderate, but the number of pieces and sizes is large. Here it is important that size labels are clear and that the logo of the school or company looks representative. A woven logo label plus a printed size and composition label is a common combination. If the uniforms are issued to children, add a field or a separate label for the name.
Sample and test
Before a bulk order of workwear labels, ask for samples and wash them together with the fabric under the real conditions of the laundry that serves the customer – temperature, detergents, drying. Check legibility, shrinkage and edges after several cycles. This is the surest way to avoid replacing labels in the middle of a uniform contract.
How to prepare an inquiry
Describe the type of clothing, the fabric, the washing method (domestic or industrial, temperature), what information the label must carry and whether it will be personalised per employee. Also state the number of styles and sizes. With this data we can propose a set – brand label, care and composition label and name or number label – in one consistent style.
Uniform labels from Polkom
Polkom is a manufacturer of custom textile labels for makers of workwear, uniforms and medical clothing, as well as of care and composition labels. We make samples for testing, advise you on the material and deliver across the EU. Besides labels, you will also find buttons, zips and haberdashery for the same garments with us. Send an inquiry via Contact.
