Treating labels done on my printer...

[MeowWow]

I'm trying to make some labels on my ink jet printer, using 1) T-shirt transfer paper and 2) the sheets that come with fabric on one side. Both work pretty well, but the problem is the instructions for making them colorfasts and fadeproof.One says to soak the printed labels in cold water and after that you can machine wash them in cold water and dry them on low. BUT: You are told at the end that when washing them you shouldn't use detergent! My customers will probably want to wash my kids' aprons with detergent, not just cold water! If I go ahead and try it anyway, what will happen? Have any of you tried this?

Another kind says to soak the printed labels in vinegar and water (after printing) to set the ink. This made the labels quite stiff.

The type I printed directly on to fabric sheets look nice, and the instructions for making them colorfast was fairly simple (machine wash and dry at cool settiings). HOWEVER: Directions say to remove the items promptly from the washer or the labels may fade. My customers wouldn't be happy to have faded printer ink on their kids' aprons just because they had to let the aprons sit in the washer for awhile.

I keep trying to come up with a cost-effective, nice label that can be washed normally and that won't fade. Anyone have some advice?

I did order some labels done for me by someone on etsy, but the print was so tiny as to be almost unreadable. So, I guess I'll have to learn how to make my own.

Also, how do I make labels frayproof? Will Fray Check work, or is that a difficult, time-consuming way to do it?

Thanks,
M.

[BikiniSandi]

I print my own labels. I use muslin fabric and do a prewash to remove any sizing from the factory that might interfere with the ink. After it dries, I iron it on the shiny side of freezer paper. Then I use masking tape to keep any frays from jamming my printer. Once it is printed, I cut out the labels, and peel off the freezer paper. Go back to the ironing board and iron over the label to heat set the ink. Wait 12 hours before washing. I use pinking sheers to cut down on fraying. I tried using Fray Check but it made the muslin brittle around the edges and after it was washed I was not a happy camper.

[Former_Member]

Great idea yoursandi! I think I will try that!

[BikiniSandi]

Do try it! I have moved beyond the fear stage with the FTC labels and noticed this week that I'm feeling pretty confident with the whole printing on muslin. I tried all the wrong ways and this one has held up through even a hot wash and hot dryers at the laundromat.

[BikiniSandi]

I also like the rustic handmade look and feel about it. Seems to fit me. I'm not a big company, why do I need fancy labeling that cost an arm and a leg? Everything I sell is handmade, the labels should be, too.

I even printed some hangtags on cardstock the same color as my muslin so they match. The hangtag says Handmade and it goes along perfectly. I found them on the HP site and filled in my name before printing them out.

I had to make this labeling thing enjoyable before I pulled all my hair out. You know?

[Former_Member]

Thank you, yoursandi. I'm in the hair-pulling, crying stage as I just spent the past two hours reading about the FTC label laws on here. I'm soooo sad and deflated and exhausted. Do the pinking sheers really work? What is this about the ink needing to be tested?

[BikiniSandi]

DistinctlyDaisy click on the links that take you to the information booklets on labeling. They are rather easy to read and you'll find examples in them. Use those as a guide to practice writing your own labels on a piece of paper. Once you do that you should start to relax and before you know it you'll be thinking "this ain't so hard". The booklets have links for more information.

I chose to stop making items for children for awhile because it was too much for me to absorb all at once with the extra rules. I had to break it all down into manageable chunks because quitting was not an option I could deal with. And yes pinking shears work.

[LazyTcrochet]

Thanks for the tips. I printed some with the iron-on transfer onto cotton twill tape. It is pretty tiny print though. I'd like to try the muslin.

[MeowWow]

yoursandi, today I'm going to try cold water washing the labels I printed directly on fabric-coated sheets. It's been 12 hours. But I can't believe that the company that makes them (June Tailor, Inc.) would sell a product that they say shouldn't be laundered with detergent! I mean, they say to rinse gently in cold water (after itoning to se the ink), and then they can be laundered normally in cold water. But not to use detergent and to remove promptly! I'd like to just do it anyway, but I don't want any future customers to have the labels fade on the aprons I make.


The other kind I bought are Avery Ink Jet T-shirt transfers. These are the sheets you iron onto fabric. After washing the labels separately the first time, you can machine wash normally with cold water and detergent. But then they say that you should remove promptly from the washer; otherwise colors may bleed if left wet too long. (Yikes!) And if they bleed, you're supposed to rewash immediately. I can't imagine busy parents rushing down to take my items out of a load of wash promptly. What do you think?

I'm wondering whether any of you have already tried these two kinds, and whether you think I should just go ahead and finish processing these labels and sew them on. I'm about at my wit's end here.

I also wish I knew how people can avoid fraying without using fray check. It really does make them kind of scratchy, as you said. I don't know if using a pinking shears around the edges would hold up or not.

As you can see, I really need advice here. Two local shops/galleries are waiting for my kids' aprons and I'm still fiddling around with labels. Very frustrating. Thanks for any advice you can give me.

[Former_Member]

I was wondering this same question, so when I saw you asked it, I had to read your responses! Thanks for asking because you helped me out!

[JVintiques]

I was just reading in another post that Fraycheck is not testing its product because it is not a childrens product. Beware. I never liked using the Fraycheck on things that would be on childrens clothing due to its scratchiness.

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

If you are making your own labels out of muslin that you are ironing on to freezer paper, try cuttin your fabric on the bias, in the 8 1/2 x 11". Bias doesn't fray like straight of the grain. Hence, no fraycheck needed.

[Former_Member]

Great thread. I've been wondering about making labels too. :)

[Former_Member]

I buy the ink jet fabric and it says to make it colorfast to iron it with a hot iron. I use Steam-A-Seam and add a backing fabric to the label and it makes it sturdier and allows very little raveling. I also bond the label on directly to some of the items or stitch them to others.

[MeowWow]

lalasporch, what is Steam-A-Seam and where might I get it? It sounds like such a smart idea...thanks for the tip.

When you bond the label on some of your items, what do you use to bond it? Something like Stitch Witchery? (I have that on hand and use it for appliques a lot.) Does what you use to bond the label on hold up well to repeated washings? Thanks very much for this.

[MeowWow]

Faye Malone, I'll bet it would work with the T-shirt transfer paper too, if you ironed it onto the fabric that was placed on the bias. Great idea!

[MeowWow]

lalasporch, you mentioned that you buy ink jet fabric? Where might we get that? Looks as though there are several people here who'd like to try these ideas.

And thanks for sharing. This can be pretty frustrating.

[Former_Member]

Jacquard products makes inkjet fabric and you can get it online at Dick Blick among others.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/jacquard-cotton-and-silk-inkjet-fabric-kit/

The Steam-A-Seam is a bonding sheet similar to Heat-N-Bond or Stitch Witchery. You can get that at Hancock Fabrics, Hobby Lobby or online at fabric.com and other places.

[Former_Member]

Marking great info. Thanks

[MeowWow]

Thanks very much, lalasporch!!! And the labels will be colorfast with regular machine washing at cold or cool temperatures, right?

Wow, that would solve some problems for several of us here!

[Former_Member]

I also print labels on iron-on t-shirt transfers, iron that to lightweight fabric and attach to the garment with steam-a-seam double stick fusible web. Just like an applique. I also contacted Avery, the iron-on label company and they said their labels were cpsia compliant, for what it's worth. Don't know if I should actually be getting them tested, that's probably another thread....

[Former_Member]

marking, thanks...

[Former_Member]

Great Instructions yoursandi!
Thanks for asking this MeowWow.

[BikiniSandi]

Pinking shears work. Cutting on the bias works, too. Test everything for your own satisfaction. I use HP black ink, the regular black not the photo version. I have an inkjet printer.

You must remove all the chemicals put into the fabric by the factory. Really, if you just run it through a rinse cycle and do not add anything to the water such as fabric softener, you'll have a clean canvas to print on after it dries. Line dry it to cut down on fraying in the dryer. Cut it down to size so it fits in your printer tray. Iron it on the freezer paper--the shiny side is the one that adheres to the fabric. I use masking tape around the edges to prevent any strings from jamming my printer.

Once it is printed I iron it on both sides using a high heat setting. Then I wait the 12 hours reccommended by HP before laundering.

I got my information from HP when I bought the quilt labeling software. You can buy the fabric sheets pre-cut and ready to go into your printer but it gets expensive. That's why so many use the freezer paper to mount the fabric sheets and cut their own. Muslin is cheap. It works and it comes in a variety of grades. Buy the best grade you can afford. Cut it on the bias and use pinking shears, too.

When you type the words to go on your labels--use 14 point type. That way the letters are big enough to read. You can go larger, but 14 point is the smallest type you should use according to the FTC guidebook.

Bias twill tape was brought up in this thread and if you can get it--it works very well without the fraying. But do enlarge the print.

[Former_Member]

I'm going to have to try the muslin idea! I've been using the June Tailor sheets right now, but they are really expensive! BTW... I've had no problems laundering the labels with detergent. I printed my first labels in a solid chocolate color w/ my logo and they haven't faded much. The white ones held up even better.