Short answer: specify branding and packaging as production components, not as a note saying “add my logo.” Define the method, artwork, colors, dimensions, measurable placement, label copy, materials, barcode ownership, unit packing, carton rules, market requirements, approval sample and durability checks. Quote setup, component MOQ and surplus separately from the garment price. Ready Styles start from 50 pieces per style with limited approved branding; Full Custom starts from 200 pieces per color and style for complete product and packaging control.
Linked Sourcing uses two routes:
- Ready Styles from 50 pieces per style: select a current standard style from the private Excel catalogue, then discuss an approved logo application, hangtag and packaging. The base fabric, color, fit, pattern and construction stay standard. Request the current Ready Styles files.
- Full Custom Manufacturing from 200 pieces per color and style: define the garment, branding, labels, trims and packaging as one controlled specification. Start a Full Custom inquiry.
The garment MOQ is not automatically the production MOQ for every woven label, molded badge, printed bag or box. Ask for the component minimum, setup charge, usable quantity, expected surplus and storage or delivery plan before approving the quote.
Build a branding and packaging system, not a logo list
A retail-ready activewear style can contain several different information layers:
| Component | Main job | Typical approval evidence |
|---|---|---|
| External logo or decoration | Brand recognition and product appearance | Vector artwork, color, dimensions, placement, strike-off or application sample |
| Main/brand label | Brand identity inside the garment | Material, weave/print, fold, finished size, orientation and sew position |
| Size label | Fast size identification | Size range, wording, dimensions, color and relationship to the main label |
| Care/content/origin label | Consumer care and required market information | Approved legal copy, fiber data, care method, languages, layout and attachment |
| Traceability label | Style, batch, PO or other internal identification | Data owner, format, placement and link to order records |
| Hangtag | Removable product story, price or merchandising information | Artwork, substrate, finish, hole/string/fastener and attachment position |
| Barcode/SKU sticker | Retail, warehouse and fulfillment scanning | Final SKU mapping, barcode data, quiet zone, size, contrast and scan result |
| Individual package | Product protection and unit identification | Material, dimensions, closure, warning/marking, stickers and folding method |
| Shipping carton | Assortment, handling and transport control | Board/specification, dimensions, weight limit, markings, packing ratio and sealing |
One artwork PDF cannot safely control all of these. Give every component a code in the bill of materials and connect it to one dated artwork file.
Common activewear logo methods
The best method depends on fabric stretch, surface, hand feel, design detail, order size, use, wash care and target appearance. The table is a briefing tool, not a promise that every method fits every selected Ready Style.
| Method | Useful for | Specification questions | Main approval risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat transfer | Low-profile chest, back, hip or leg branding | Transfer type, finish, dimensions, color, press location, stretch and wash requirement | Peeling, cracking, gloss change, edge lift, fabric marking |
| Screen print | Solid graphics, larger placements and repeat programs | Ink system, number of colors, underbase, dimensions, mesh/finish and curing requirement | Hand feel, color variation, registration, cracking or incomplete cure |
| Sublimation | Compatible polyester-based panels or all-over artwork | Fabric compatibility, artwork scale, repeat/panel map, color profile and white-base control | Shade shift, ghosting, migration, distortion and panel mismatch |
| Embroidery | Textured premium marks on stable areas | Thread colors, stitch file, dimensions, density, backing and placement | Puckering, stiffness, abrasion, distortion on high-stretch fabric |
| Silicone/TPU/rubber badge | Raised, matte, glossy or molded identity | Material, thickness, dimensions, color, edge, mold and attachment method | Mold/setup cost, weight, detachment, edge irritation, color mismatch |
| Woven or printed patch | Sewn-on identity or decorative badge | Yarn/ink colors, weave, border, backing, dimensions and stitch line | Fraying, curling, stiffness, inaccurate sew position |
| Jacquard elastic or knitted branding | Waistbands, underbands and straps | Repeat, usable width, stretch/recovery, yarn colors and joining position | High component minimum, repeat distortion, seam mismatch, recovery change |
Do not choose only from a mockup. Approve the application on the intended production fabric because pressure, heat, ink, backing and stitch density can change stretch, recovery, hand feel and shade.
For all-over artwork, engineered panels or a process decision between sublimation, screen print, heat transfer and DTF, use the activewear printing guide. This page remains the wider branding, labels and packaging specification; the printing guide controls substrate compatibility, print workflow, strike-offs and print-specific evidence.
The 12-field logo specification
For each external logo or artwork placement, record:
- component and artwork code;
- editable master-file name and revision;
- proof that the buyer owns or is authorized to use the artwork;
- application method;
- finished width and height;
- brand-approved color reference and finish;
- placement measured from two stable seams or reference points;
- orientation and left/right rule;
- substrate/fabric and colorway covered;
- required strike-off, trim sample or garment application sample;
- wash, stretch, abrasion or other durability requirement with method and pass condition;
- bulk tolerance and defect classification.
“Small white logo on the left leg” is not inspectable. A specification such as “60 mm wide, centered 35 mm below the waistband seam and 45 mm from the wearer-left side seam” can be sampled and checked.
Use the activewear tech pack checklist to keep the artwork code, bill of materials, colorway and placement diagram on the same revision.
Artwork files the factory can actually use
Send editable vector artwork such as AI, EPS, SVG or production-ready vector PDF when the process supports it. Also send a locked visual PDF showing how the result should look. Keep text converted to outlines when appropriate and include any licensed font information needed for editing.
The artwork package should identify:
- brand/project and style code;
- logo version and revision date;
- exact dimensions rather than “scale to fit”;
- Pantone or another approved color reference, plus physical approval where color is critical;
- positive/reversed versions for light and dark garments;
- minimum line, gap or text detail accepted for the selected method;
- transparent, matte, gloss, metallic, reflective, raised or other finish;
- placement diagram and garment orientation;
- whether the logo may be resized or recolored;
- the person authorized to approve the final proof.
Do not send a competitor’s logo, social-media screenshot or low-resolution JPEG and ask the factory to redraw it. The buyer should confirm trademark and artwork rights before files enter production.
Main, size and care labels are different components
Main label
The main label communicates brand identity. Specify whether it is woven, printed, heat-transfer or another approved construction; give finished dimensions, fold, edge, hand feel, color, orientation and attachment. For tight activewear, evaluate skin contact, edge irritation and visibility through the outer fabric.
Size label
Decide whether size is integrated into the main or care label, printed as a separate transfer, or sewn as a separate tab. Use one controlled size naming system across garment labels, hangtags, barcode stickers, Excel order breakdown and cartons.
Care/content/origin label
This label carries market and product information. Its required content, permanence, language and placement vary by destination. Common data fields can include:
- fiber composition using the permitted market terminology;
- country of origin;
- care instructions or approved symbols;
- manufacturer, importer, marketer, responsible person or other business identity where required;
- product/style, batch or traceability reference;
- size;
- required warnings or additional product information.
The buyer, importer or qualified compliance adviser should provide approved copy. The factory can typeset, proof, attach and inspect it, but should not guess the legal entity, importer address, fiber wording, care method or destination-language rule.
Market label snapshot reviewed August 11, 2026
This section is a sourcing checklist, not legal advice. The brand or importer remains responsible for confirming the exact product and destination rules.
United States
The FTC clothing and textiles guidance says most textile and wool products need fiber content, country of origin, and the identity of the manufacturer or another business responsible for marketing or handling the item. The FTC’s textile-label guide explains that a qualifying company name or Registered Identification Number can be used and that required information must not be contradicted or obscured by extra marketing copy.
The FTC Care Labeling Rule guidance requires covered manufacturers and importers to attach care instructions and have a reasonable basis for them. The label must be permanent, secure and legible for the product’s useful life. If packaging hides the care information at point of sale, the FTC says additional information may be needed on the package or an attached hangtag.
Do not assume that ISO care symbols alone create a US-compliant label. The FTC guidance has its own position on care-symbol systems, so use the current US requirement for the actual sale date.
European Union
Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 governs textile fiber names and related fiber-composition labeling or marking. Its scope and component rules mean one generic composition copied across a multi-component garment can be wrong.
The current consolidated EU General Product Safety Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, includes product-identification and economic-operator traceability information. Depending on the requirement and product constraints, relevant information may appear on the product, packaging, parcel or accompanying document. The importer/economic operator should approve the exact identity, postal/electronic address and traceability data before printing.
For packaging, Regulation (EU) 2025/40 entered into force in 2025 and applies from August 12, 2026. Its obligations are staged: for example, the harmonized packaging material-composition label in Article 12 applies from a later trigger in 2028 or after implementing acts, not automatically to every apparel bag on August 12, 2026. Review the current Commission guidance and destination implementation instead of inventing one universal recycling icon.
Great Britain
The UK government textile-labelling guidance applies to England, Scotland and Wales. It states that the label must show fiber content, including fur and other animal parts, and that components with different fiber contents may need separate information. Northern Ireland and destination-specific requirements should be checked separately.
Australia
Australia’s care-labelling mandatory standard is based on the Consumer Goods (Care Labelling) Information Standard 2023. The official guidance allows care instructions in English, international care symbols, or both for covered products. Confirm any other origin, fiber, safety or retailer requirements separately.
ISO 3758:2023 is the current international care-labeling code using symbols, but market adoption is not identical. A single “global” care-label artwork should not be released until the intended countries and languages are known.
Hangtags: removable marketing, not a substitute for permanent information
A hangtag can carry brand story, price, collection name, QR code, feature explanation and qualified sustainability information. It can also expose care information when retail packaging hides a permanent label where the market requires that visibility.
Specify:
- finished dimensions and orientation;
- paper/board or other substrate and thickness;
- print colors, sides and finish;
- lamination, coating, foil, embossing or die cut;
- hole, string, seal or approved fastener;
- exact attachment location;
- barcode, price sticker or retailer fields;
- language versions;
- environmental claim evidence;
- packing orientation and count.
Do not place all mandatory copy only on a removable hangtag if the destination requires permanent garment labeling.
Barcodes, SKU data and QR codes
A barcode is a data carrier, not a decorative image. The brand or retailer should own the product-data decision.
GS1 explains that organizations obtain a GS1 Company Prefix to build GS1 identification keys; a GTIN identifies a trade item. Before artwork release, provide one locked table connecting:
- brand and product name;
- style code;
- color code/name;
- size;
- SKU;
- GTIN or retailer code;
- barcode symbology and approved size;
- human-readable text;
- sticker, hangtag, polybag and carton placement;
- quantity and destination.
The factory should generate or print only from the approved data, preserve the required clear space and contrast, and scan-check representative production. Do not reuse the same retail GTIN across different trade items merely because the garments look similar.
QR codes should have a defined destination owner, final URL, longevity plan, privacy review and scan test. A QR code that points to a temporary design-preview URL is not production-ready.
Individual packaging specification
Define packaging from the warehouse backwards. Ask what the retailer, marketplace, 3PL and destination need before choosing a branded bag or box.
Record:
- garment folding diagram and finished packed dimensions;
- tissue, insert, hanger or protective component;
- bag, paper sleeve, belly band, mailer or box material;
- material thickness/weight and supplier reference;
- transparency, vent holes, closure and reseal requirement;
- printed artwork and color;
- size/SKU/barcode sticker content and placement;
- warnings and language supplied by the buyer;
- package quantity per carton;
- moisture, abrasion and transit-protection needs;
- retailer or fulfillment manual revision;
- environmental claim and supporting evidence.
Branded boxes and rigid presentation packaging add volume and weight, which can change freight and damage risk. Compare the landed packing solution, not only the component unit price.
Grip socks require a product-specific pack decision because size/origin/fiber/care information often sits on the band or hangtag, while folding, heat and grip-to-grip pressure can affect the sole deposits. Use the grip sock manufacturing guide to connect original grip artwork, sock pairing, traceability, care instructions, storage simulation and post-pack traction checks.
Shipping-carton and assortment specification
The carton plan should agree with the purchase order and warehouse intake file. Define:
- carton material and dimensions;
- maximum gross/net weight;
- units per carton;
- solid-size, solid-color or mixed assortment rule;
- inner-pack structure if used;
- shipping marks, style, color, size and carton-number fields;
- barcode or logistics label supplied by the buyer/forwarder;
- sealing, strapping and corner protection;
- destination and consignee information;
- drop, compression or other transport test requirements when applicable.
Final inspection should verify actual assortment, markings, barcode scan, carton condition and packing method against the approved file. Use the AQL inspection checklist to keep packaging checks separate from laboratory or legal compliance evidence.
Environmental packaging claims need a named basis
Avoid unqualified words such as “eco-friendly,” “green,” “plastic-free,” “biodegradable,” “compostable” or “recyclable.” State which product or packaging component the claim covers and retain evidence for the exact material and destination.
The US FTC Green Guides summary warns against broad, unqualified environmental-benefit claims and explains that recyclable, recycled-content and compostable claims need specific substantiation and qualification. A third-party logo also does not automatically substantiate every express or implied claim.
For a packaging quotation, ask for:
- exact material specification;
- recycled-content percentage and whether it is pre- or post-consumer where relevant;
- supplier declarations or certificates tied to the material/order;
- ink, coating, adhesive and mixed-material details;
- applicable recycling or composting system and geographic limitation;
- authorization for any certification mark;
- disposal wording approved for the target market;
- current EU PPWR or other destination review.
What changes branding and packaging cost
Do not publish or compare a generic “logo price.” Quote the full specification.
| Cost driver | Why it changes the quote |
|---|---|
| Setup | Screens, molds, embroidery digitizing, jacquard setup, cutting dies and print preparation can be one-time or repeat-order costs |
| Number of colors/details | More print colors, stitches, fine detail or special finishes can add materials, setup and reject risk |
| Dimensions and placement count | A larger logo or multiple placements uses more material and production time |
| Component MOQ | Labels, bags, boxes, patches and trims can have supplier minimums independent of garment MOQ |
| Material/finish | Woven density, soft edge, silicone thickness, foil, lamination, embossing and specialty substrates affect cost |
| Colorways/SKUs | More artwork versions, sizes, languages and barcode combinations add proofing and sorting work |
| Testing and inspection | Wash, stretch, adhesion, scan or transport checks use samples, laboratory time and reporting |
| Packing labor | Folding, tissue, inserts, multiple stickers, sets and retailer-specific assortment add handling |
| Freight volume/weight | Boxes, inserts and oversized cartons can increase landed cost even when unit packaging is inexpensive |
| Surplus and storage | A component minimum above the garment quantity creates paid leftovers that need ownership, storage and reorder rules |
Ask the quotation to separate garment price, application price, setup/tooling, label/hangtag components, individual package, carton, testing and any surplus branded stock.
The approval sequence before bulk
- Data freeze: confirm market, style, color, size range, SKU and legal-copy owner.
- Artwork proof: approve text, layout, dimensions, colors, barcode data and revisions digitally.
- Physical component proof: review the actual woven label, transfer, print, badge, hangtag, bag or box where risk justifies it.
- Garment application sample: approve hand feel, placement, attachment, stretch and appearance on intended fabric.
- Pre-production sample: confirm all labels, logos and packaging against the final tech pack.
- Bulk first-off check: compare early production to the sealed references before the full run continues.
- Final inspection: check identity, workmanship, placements, label copy, assortment, barcode scans and cartons against the frozen specification.
Record every approval with a date, revision and named approver. A WhatsApp “looks good” beside an old image is not adequate bulk authorization.
Ready Styles branding brief — MOQ 50
Ready Styles are the fastest route when the existing product is acceptable and light branding is enough. First select the exact style in the private Excel catalogue; branding cannot be approved from an unidentified reference image.
Hi Jerry, please send the current Ready Styles Excel catalogue and stock quotation sheet. Product category: ____. Estimated quantity: ____ pieces per style. Target market: ____. After I select the style numbers, I would like to discuss [logo application / branded hangtag / packaging]. Please confirm the permitted branding methods, artwork requirements, setup, component MOQ, surplus quantity, added cost and lead time for the selected garments.
Ready Styles start from 50 pieces per style, with at least 15 pieces for each selected color and size combination. The selected garment keeps its standard fabric, color, fit, pattern and construction. Request the current Ready Styles files.
Full Custom branding and packaging brief — MOQ 200
Use Full Custom when branding, labels, packaging and the product itself need to be developed together.
Hi Jerry, I want to develop a custom ____. Quantity: ____ pieces per color and style. Target markets: ____. Logo methods/placements: ____. Main, size and care-label requirements: ____. Hangtag: ____. SKU/GTIN data owner: ____. Individual packaging: ____. Carton/3PL manual: ____. Required proofs and durability checks: ____. Please quote garment application, setup/tooling, each component MOQ, surplus, testing and lead time separately.
Full Custom Manufacturing starts from 200 pieces per color and style. Special molds, jacquard programs, boxes, retailer packaging or other components can have higher supplier minimums. Start a Full Custom inquiry.
For a matching sweat top and bottom, use the matching sweat set manufacturing guide to decide whether pieces are sold separately or always as a unit, preserve both component SKUs and lots, support independent size selection, prevent packing transfer and align care-label architecture with the actual destination and selling model.
Copy-and-send artwork checklist
Before the final quote, send:
- sourcing route and selected Ready Style or custom style code;
- quantities by style, color and size;
- destination markets and retailer/3PL manual;
- logo vector files, dimensions, colors, method and placements;
- main/size/care-label component specifications;
- approved legal copy and language versions;
- hangtag artwork and attachment;
- SKU-to-GTIN/barcode table;
- individual packaging and folding specification;
- carton assortment and markings;
- environmental-claim evidence;
- sample/proof, testing and inspection requirements;
- launch and delivery window.
This information lets the factory quote the real system instead of hiding setup, unused labels or bulky packaging inside an unreliable unit-price estimate.
For a heavyweight hoodie, label copy and branding must follow the actual body/rib/component composition, care route, dye or garment wash and decoration process. The heavyweight hoodie manufacturing guide also shows why an embroidery, applique, screen print or transfer must be approved on the production-weight finished substrate before the care label and bulk process are frozen.
Sources and scope
This guide was reviewed on August 11, 2026 against official sources including:
- US FTC clothing and textiles guidance, Textile and Wool Acts label guide, and Care Labeling Rule guidance;
- EU Textile Regulation 1007/2011, General Product Safety Regulation 2023/988, and Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation 2025/40;
- UK government textile-labelling guidance;
- Australian care-labelling mandatory-standard guidance;
- ISO 3758:2023 care-labeling symbols;
- GS1 identification keys and the FTC Green Guides summary.
Rules depend on product, market, business role and sale date. Linked Sourcing does not replace the buyer’s importer, retailer or legal/compliance adviser and does not invent label copy, GTINs, trademark rights or environmental claims.
