Ordering Labels from Our Own Production: What It Means for You

A label is a small part of a garment, but it carries your brand name, your size system and the legal information your customers rely on. Getting it right depends on dozens of technical decisions: yarn count, tape type, fold allowance, cutting method, ink choice. When you order labels from our own production, every one of those decisions is made together with the people who will carry it out. This guide walks through what that means in practice, from the first question to the tenth reorder.

A dedicated contact person for every step

Label questions are rarely abstract. Will a 6 pt slogan stay legible when woven at 15 mm wide? Which satin tape keeps black print sharp after repeated washes at 60 °C? How much extra length does a mitre fold need on a 25 mm tape? At our factory in Bulgaria, the colleagues who answer your email work alongside the weavers, printers and finishers. Your question goes to someone who can check the loom programme or run a test strip on the press the same day.

That direct line helps most at the start of a project, when small details decide the result. Our designers can adapt stroke widths so a logo reads well in thread, suggest a denser weave for fine text or propose a printed alternative where it suits the artwork better. If you are still preparing artwork, our express label design service turns a logo or sketch into print-ready label artwork, with a digital proof typically within 24–48 hours.

Samples made on the production line

A digital proof shows layout and colour intent. A physical sample shows the real thing: how the yarn picks up light, how the edge feels against skin, how the fold sits in a seam. We produce samples of your own design on the same equipment that will make the bulk order, so what you approve is what you receive. Physical samples are available before production, and we recommend them for every new design, new material or new colour combination.

When you hold the sample, check colour against your Pantone references, measure the finished size, read the smallest text and try the fold in a real garment. Your approval of that sample becomes the reference for production and quality control.

Consistent repeat orders

For most brands the real test comes later: the second season, the restock, the new colourway of an existing style. Labels should look identical every time. Because we produce in our own factory, each approved design has a production file with the loom or print set-up, yarn and tape references, colour standards, fold and cutting settings and the approved sample itself. A reorder is made from that same file on the same type of equipment, with raw materials from the same sources.

To reorder, you can simply send the reference of the previous order. If you want to change a detail, such as a new size range or an updated composition line, we adjust only that element and keep everything else as before.

Clear lead times you can plan around

When the production schedule is managed in-house, a delivery date is based on real machine capacity. After you approve the proof or sample, production typically takes 10–20 working days, depending on label type, quantity and finishing. Finished labels are packed and shipped from Bulgaria by courier or road freight. As an EU-based manufacturer, we deliver within the European Union without customs formalities, so planning stays simple.

For urgent launches, express options are available. Mention your deadline in the quote request and the production team will tell you straight away what is realistic for your label type and quantity. You can read more about timing on our fast delivery page.

Documentation and certification from the source

Retailers, marketplaces and auditors increasingly ask for documentation on trims, labels included. Because the labels are made in our own production, the certificates and material information come directly from us:

• OEKO-TEX — our production is OEKO-TEX certified, which covers testing for harmful substances in the materials used.
• GRS — we are certified to the Global Recycled Standard, so recycled polyester labels can be documented with our scope certificate and, where your supply chain is certified, a transaction certificate for your shipment. See recycled and GRS-certified labels for details.
• Material details — fibre content of tapes and yarns, ink types and finishing methods, ready for your technical files and compliance checks.

For the legal content of the label itself, such as fibre names and care symbols, our guide to EU care label requirements sets out what is mandatory.

Quality built into every step

Quality control is built into production from the first metre to the last. Our teams check each stage in sequence: artwork against the approved proof, the first metres off the loom or press against the approved sample, cutting and folding against the specified finished size. Ultrasonic cutting seals synthetic edges cleanly, so labels stay soft and do not fray or scratch. We use industrial-grade yarns, tapes, boards and compounds selected for wash durability and stable colour.

One factory for the whole label set

A garment often needs several labels that should work together: a woven brand label, a printed care label, a size tab, a hang tag and sometimes a leather or silicone badge. Producing them in one place makes it easier to match colours across materials, align sizes and fold types and deliver everything in one shipment. To see the range we produce, browse the Labels 2026 catalogue.

More than 30 years of label production in Bulgaria

Polkom has been producing garment accessories for more than 30 years. Over that time our teams have built practical know-how in weaving, printing and finishing for very different products, from fine fashion and children's wear to workwear and home textiles. That experience shows up in the details: the right tape for a seam that rubs, the right fold for a slim neckline, the right density for a small logo. Learn more about the team and the factory on our about page.

How to start

Send us your logo or artwork, the label type you have in mind, approximate sizes, quantities and your target delivery date. The minimum order is usually 1,000 pcs per design. We reply with technical suggestions, a quote and, if you wish, a physical sample of your own design. Our step-by-step guide on how to order custom labels lists everything worth preparing.

Frequently asked questions