Clothing label design is different from designing a logo for a website or a business card. A woven label is built from yarn, not pixels or ink, so every letter, line and colour has to survive the grid of warp and weft. A logo that looks flawless on screen can turn blurry on a label 2 cm wide. Here are 10 practical rules to help you prepare artwork that weaves cleanly, reads clearly and looks professional on the garment.
Rule 1: Respect a minimum text size
On woven labels, the minimum legible text size is around 6 pt, with letters ideally at least about 1.5 mm tall. On taffeta, which is a looser weave, starting at 7 pt is safer. Lowercase letters with descenders such as g, y and p lose legibility first.
Good: brand name at 10 pt and a tagline at 7 pt. Bad: address and website at 4 pt under the logo, which will merge into a line.
Woven label 8 cm x 3 cm - brand and logo
Jacquard woven label LBL 0030 6 x 3 cm – black style with white letters, soft premium design, with logo
Woven label 5 cm x 5 cm – logo for brandsRule 2: Keep colours to 2 to 5
Every colour is a separate yarn. More colours mean a thicker label in places, more complex weaving and a busier result. Labels with 2 to 5 colours, including the base, look cleanest. If your logo has eight shades, prepare a simplified version for the label.
Rule 3: Think in contrast
Light on dark or dark on light is the foundation of legibility: white on black, black on white or ecru, gold on navy. Avoid close tones such as grey on silver or beige on ecru, which blend together on a small area.
| Combination | Legibility |
|---|---|
| White on black | Excellent |
| Black on white or ecru | Excellent |
| Gold on navy or black | Very good |
| Red on white | Good |
| Grey on silver | Poor |
| Beige on ecru | Poor |
Rule 4: Thicken fine lines
A hairline that looks fine on screen either disappears or breaks up on a label. As a practical guide, keep lines at about 0.5 mm or more, and thicker still on taffeta. If your logo is built from thin outlines, consider a solid version for the label.
Rule 5: Leave a margin around the logo
Don't push text and graphics right up to the edge. The edge is cut, sealed and sometimes folded or stitched. Leave at least a few millimetres of clear space on each side, plus the width of the fold if you use an end fold.
Good: a centred logo with a 3 to 4 mm margin. Bad: text touching the edge and disappearing under the stitching.
Rule 6: Match orientation to the fold
Landscape designs suit a left/right end fold; square and portrait designs suit a top/bottom fold. With a centre fold the two sides face opposite ways, so set up the file so both read correctly after folding. Our article on label folds covers this in more detail.
Rule 7: Avoid gradients and photos
Weaving works with solid areas of colour. Smooth transitions, shadows and photos don't reproduce well and end up with a stepped look. If a gradient is central to your brand, choose a printed satin or canvas label instead.
Rule 8: Pick clear typefaces
Simple sans-serif fonts with an even stroke weave most cleanly. Thin serif and script fonts look elegant, but at small sizes serifs and hairline strokes vanish. If your brand uses a delicate typeface, increase the size or use only your brand mark.
Rule 9: Less text, more breathing room
The brand label isn't the place for your full address, website, slogan and social handles. The brand name or mark plus perhaps one short line, such as "Made in Bulgaria", is usually enough. Mandatory information like composition, care and manufacturer details belongs on a separate printed label.
- Good: logo plus "Made in Bulgaria".
- Bad: logo, slogan, address, website, Instagram and size on a 5 x 2 cm label.
Rule 10: Send the right file
Send your logo as a vector file (AI, PDF, SVG, EPS) with text converted to outlines and Pantone colours specified. State the exact size, visible or unfolded, and the fold type. Add a photo or swatch of the fabric so the base colour can be matched. That way the digital proof is much closer to the final result first time round.
Quick check before you send
- The smallest text is at least around 6 pt (7 pt on taffeta).
- No more than 5 colours, including the base.
- Contrast is clear, light on dark or the other way round.
- Lines are at least around 0.5 mm.
- There's a margin of a few mm from every edge.
- Orientation matches the fold.
- No gradients or photos.
- The font is legible at real size; print it at 1:1 on paper to check.
Example: from a complex logo to a clean label
Picture a brand whose logo is a thin handwritten script with a pink-to-purple gradient and a tagline underneath. For a 5 x 2.5 cm label the design is simplified: the script is thickened, the gradient becomes a single solid colour, the tagline is dropped, the base turns dark and the lettering light. The result is a two-colour label that's recognisable, soft and stands up to washing.
Labels made to your design
Bul-tex manufactures and supplies woven jacquard labels to the customer's design, with raised lettering, metallic effects or double-sided layouts. See real examples in our labels collection and complete your branded look with buttons and ribbons. If you're not sure whether your design will weave well, send it to us and we'll give you recommendations. You'll find more tips in our label articles.
