Relabeling blank t-shirts is the fastest way for a merch project or a small brand to look like a "real" label without developing its own garments. You buy quality blanks, print your design and swap the manufacturer's neck label for your own. It sounds simple, but there are two traps: a technical one (removing the old label without leaving a hole) and a legal one (what you are not allowed to remove). Here is the full process, step by step.
Step 1: Choose suitable blanks
Make life easier at the buying stage. Many blank manufacturers offer styles with a tear-away label, made from a material that tears along a perforation at the seam without a seam ripper. Others are fully tagless, with size and composition printed at the neck. If the shirt has a conventional sewn-in label, plan for more time and care.
- Tear-away label – removal takes 2–3 seconds, suitable for runs of hundreds.
- Tagless shirt – nothing to remove, but you need to add your own information.
- Sewn label – needs a seam ripper and resewing of the neck seam.
Jacquard woven label LBL 0030 6 x 3 cm – black style with white letters, soft premium design, with logo
Jacquard woven label LBL 0055 6 x 5 cm – white background with black letters, soft premium design, with logo
Jacquard woven label LBL 0035 5 x 5 cm – black with white letters, woven letters, soft premium design, with logo – 3 cmStep 2: Remove the original label properly
With a tear-away label, grip it close to the seam and pull sharply on the diagonal; a thin strip remains hidden in the seam. With a sewn label, use a seam ripper and cut the threads from the inside rather than the label itself, so the neck seam stays closed. Never snip with scissors right at the seam: the stub scratches and the seam can open in the wash. We cover damage-free label removal in detail in a separate blog article.
Important: many tees carry two labels – a brand label at the neck and a composition and care label in the side seam. Remove only the brand label. The composition label stays unless you replace it with an equivalent one of your own.
Step 3: What must remain
When you make the shirt available on the EU market, you as the seller are responsible for it carrying a fibre composition label under Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 – durably attached, legible, and in the language of the country where you sell. In practice:
- If you keep the original composition label in the side seam, the requirement is met.
- If you remove it, you must add your own label with the same composition (for example "100% cotton"), sewn or printed.
- Do not estimate percentages. If the shirt is 95% cotton and 5% elastane, that is exactly what it must say.
- Country of origin is not mandatory under EU rules, but if you state "Made in", it must be true. Swapping the label or printing a design does not let you put your own country on it.
Some blank manufacturers have explicit relabeling terms and require the composition label to be kept. Read them before you start.
Step 4: Choose your new label
| Option | Look | Comfort | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woven label, centre fold | Classic, premium | Good with ultrasonic cut | Brands wanting a polished look |
| Woven label, end fold | Flat, visible | Good | Stitching onto the neck tape |
| Satin label | Soft, lustrous | Very good | Womenswear, babywear, lingerie |
| Printed canvas | Natural, crafted | Good | Eco and minimalist brands |
| Heat transfer at the neck | Tagless | Excellent | Sport and everyday tees |
For a t-shirt neck, typical finished sizes are 4–6 cm wide and 2–5 cm high. Anything wider than about 7 cm starts to bend around the neck curve.
Step 5: Sew on the new label
- Position. Centre the label on the back seam. Fold the shirt down the middle of the back and mark the centre with chalk.
- Centre-fold label. Open the neck tape seam for 6–7 cm with a ripper, insert the open ends of the label and close the seam with a straight stitch, following the original line.
- End-fold label. Place it on the neck tape (inside) and stitch only the two short ends, or all four sides 1–2 mm from the edge.
- Thread. Use polyester thread matching the shirt, not the label, because the stitch shows on the face of the fabric.
- Stitch. Stitch length 2.5–3 mm. A shorter stitch on jersey can make the tape ripple.
Step 6: Alternative – neck printing
If you do not want to sew, a heat transfer at the neck is a fast alternative: logo, size and composition are printed directly below the seam, typically 1.5–2 cm under it. It removes label itch but looks less premium. Many merch brands combine both: a neck print for information and a small woven flag in the hem for branding.
How much time relabeling takes
With a tear-away original and an end-fold woven label, an experienced person swaps a label in 2–3 minutes per shirt, including positioning and stitching. With a sewn-in original and a centre-fold label that goes into the neck seam, the time roughly doubles. On a run of 200 tees that is the difference between one and two working days. So when budgeting a merch drop, count labour as well as label cost; sometimes the more expensive blank with a tear-away label turns out cheaper overall. If you are ordering your own labels for the first time, add 3–5% spare for sewing mistakes and samples.
Pre-sale checklist
- A composition label is present and accurate.
- Information is in the language of the market.
- The label is centred and the neck seam is fully closed.
- No scratchy stubs of the old label remain.
- One shirt has been test-washed.
Bul-tex manufactures woven, satin and printed labels for brands and merch; see the styles in our labels collection. For sewing thread browse our threads. If you want a label with your logo sized for a t-shirt neck, contact us. More practical tips are in our label articles.
