Clothing Label
Design Guide
Everything you need to know about clothing label fold types and care symbols — from technical diagrams and seam allowances to the international care symbol standard. A complete reference for designers, brand owners, and production teams.
Custom Clothing Label Fold Types
The fold type of your custom clothing label determines how it attaches to the garment, how much design surface area is available, and the overall look and feel. Choosing the right fold is one of the first decisions in any custom clothing label project — and getting it right means your branding looks exactly the way you intend.
Below are the seven primary fold types used in custom clothing label manufacturing, each with a technical flat-layout diagram showing dimensions, seam zones, and fold lines.
1 Straight Cut
A flat custom clothing label with heat-sealed edges and no folds. It can be sewn directly onto the garment on all sides, or inserted into a seam with a ¼" margin. Straight cut is the only fold type that accepts iron-on or peel-and-stick backing. For flat patch-style branding applications, end fold labels are usually preferred so the cut edges are tucked back for a cleaner finish.
2 Center Fold
The most common custom clothing label fold type. The label is folded in half with a crease, creating a front panel for your brand logo and a back panel for care information. Both raw edges are sewn into the garment seam with a standard ¼" seam allowance on top and bottom. Center fold labels are the go-to for inside neck placement and are used across every garment category.
3 Loop Fold
Same flat layout as the center fold, but not creased — the custom clothing label forms an open loop that stands away from the garment. Loop fold labels are commonly used for hem tags looped around a garment edge, and for side seam tags on delicate fabrics where flexibility matters. The open loop construction moves with the fabric rather than sitting stiff.
4 End Fold
Both ends of the custom clothing label are folded under, creating soft finished edges with no exposed raw corners. The ¼" fold on each side tucks back behind the label face. End fold delivers a professional, high-end finish and is preferred over straight cut for flat patch-style applications on premium garments. Ideal for inside neck placement where a clean, polished appearance is essential.
5 Mitre Fold
The mitre fold creates 45° angled folds at each end, forming tabs that are sewn into a garment seam. The custom clothing label hangs down and doubles as a functional hanger loop. The fold zone width (x) equals the label height, with a ½" tab on each end. Mitre fold works best with wide, landscape-oriented logos and is popular on delicate fabrics like silk and lingerie where flexibility is important.
6 Manhattan Fold
A center fold plus the top edge is tucked behind to create a minimalist hem tag. The Manhattan fold wraps over the garment edge — perfect for t-shirt hems, beanie brims, and sleeve cuffs. It's lighter and thinner than the book cover fold because there's no bottom tuck. Ideal when only the front panel of your custom clothing label needs to be visible.
7 Book Cover Fold
A center fold with both the top and bottom edges tucked behind — all edges are completely clean with no raw corners visible. The book cover fold is the most finished custom clothing label fold type, ideal for reversible applications where both sides of the label are visible. It adds more bulk than the Manhattan fold, so it's best suited for thicker fabrics that can absorb the extra material.
Seam Allowance Quick Reference
Seam allowance is the extra label material that gets sewn into the garment seam or folded back — it's not part of your visible design area. Getting seam allowances right means your logo and branding sit exactly where they should.
| Fold Type | Seam Allowance | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Cut | ¼" on seam side (if sewn into seam) | One edge is inserted into the garment seam. If sewn flat on all sides, the entire perimeter has a stitch zone. |
| Center Fold | ¼" top AND bottom | Extra material added to top and bottom — this portion gets sewn into the garment seam. |
| Loop Fold | ¼" top AND bottom | Same as center fold. Both raw edges are captured in the seam. |
| End Fold | ¼" per side | Fabric is added to each end and folded back to tuck the cut edges behind the label face. |
| Mitre Fold | ½" tab + height (x) per end | Angled ends include material that forms the hanger loop and gets stitched into the seam. |
| Manhattan Fold | ¼" top tuck | The top edge folds behind to wrap over the garment edge. No bottom tuck. |
| Book Cover Fold | ¼" top AND bottom tuck | Both edges fold behind, fully enclosing all raw edges. |
Fold Selection by Use Case
Not sure which fold type to choose? This quick-reference table matches common garment applications with the best custom clothing label fold types.
| Use Case | Recommended Fold | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Inside neck label | Center fold or end fold | Center fold maximizes content area (front + back). End fold gives a premium flat finish. |
| Side seam label | Center fold or loop fold | Unobtrusive, easy to stitch into existing seam during production. |
| External hem tag | Manhattan or book cover fold | Manhattan for one-sided (lightweight). Book cover for reversible (both sides clean). |
| Garment with hanger loop | Mitre fold | Creates a functional hanging loop directly from the label — eliminates a separate loop. |
| Relabeling over existing labels | Straight cut or end fold | Sewn flat over the existing label to cover it cleanly. |
| Delicate fabrics (silk, lingerie) | Loop fold or mitre fold | Flexible construction moves with the fabric rather than sitting stiff. |
| High-end designer finish | End fold | Premium appearance with soft, tucked-back edges for luxury branding. |
Understanding Care Label Symbols
Care symbols are the universal language of garment maintenance — the small icons on your custom clothing labels that tell consumers exactly how to wash, dry, iron, and clean their garments. The international standard (ISO 3758 / GINETEX) uses five base symbol shapes, always displayed in a specific order: washing → bleaching → drying → ironing → professional care.
Below is a reference covering the most common care symbols you'll encounter when designing custom clothing labels.
1. Washing — Washtub Symbol
The washtub (tub with water) is the base shape. Numbers inside indicate maximum wash temperature in °C. Bars underneath indicate gentler cycles. An X through the tub means do not wash.
2. Bleaching — Triangle Symbol
The triangle is the base symbol for bleaching instructions on custom clothing labels.
3. Drying — Square Symbol
A circle inside the square means tumble drying — dots indicate temperature. Lines inside the square (no circle) indicate natural drying methods.
4. Ironing — Iron Symbol
The iron shape is the base symbol. Dots inside indicate maximum sole-plate temperature.
5. Professional Care — Circle Symbol
Letters inside the circle indicate the type of professional cleaning. P = perchloroethylene (most solvents), F = hydrocarbon only, W = professional wet cleaning.
Example Care Label Designs
Understanding fold types and care symbols is essential — but seeing them applied on an actual care label brings it all together. Below are two fully-designed straight cut satin care label examples showing standard layouts for different fabric types. These examples follow the care symbol order required by ISO 3758: washing → bleaching → drying → ironing → professional care.
1. Basic Garment Care Label
This is a standard care label layout for a basic cotton garment. The fiber content (100% Cotton) sits at the top — this is required by FTC regulations for all textile products sold in the US. Below that, the country of origin (Made in USA). The care symbols follow the ISO standard order, with text translations underneath for US compliance. Note the ¼″ seam allowance at the top — this margin gets sewn into the garment seam and won't be visible on the finished product.
2. Delicate Fabric Care Label
This label demonstrates care instructions for delicate fabrics — a silk/polyester blend requiring gentler treatment than the cotton example above. Key differences: hand wash replaces machine wash, tumble drying is prohibited (not just reduced), and professional dry cleaning with perchloroethylene (P) is added as a fifth symbol. Different fabric compositions require different symbol combinations — always verify the correct care instructions for your specific textile content. Note that this label uses the same ¼″ seam allowance and straight cut satin construction as the basic example.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different clothing label fold types?
What is the most common fold type for custom clothing labels?
What do the care symbols on clothing labels mean?
How much seam allowance do I need for custom clothing labels?
What is the difference between a Manhattan fold and a book cover fold?
Are care symbols required on clothing labels in the United States?
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