Flexible, vivid and virtually indestructible, rubber labels are a great way to inject vivid individuality into your brand!
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In this article we’ll show you what makes silicone (rubber) labels special, where they can work really well and what you need to watch out for when placing your first order.
Even though the clothing industry commonly refers to ‘rubber labels’, these labels are actually made from silicone. Silicone delivers a crisp, colourful, delightfully bumpy label … and it’s virtually indestructible.
Just like rubber, silicone is waterproof and flexible. Silicone can handle hot and cold temperatures and it doesn’t fade in direct sunlight, which makes it the perfect labelling choice for extreme sports and industrial products.
Rubber Labels Are Chunky: The sense of depth you get from a rubber label is so much richer than with a woven or even an embroidered label, because the label is so much thicker. Rubber labels vary from 1mm to 5mm in thickness — that’s a depth that even the heftiest embroidered badge can’t match.
Rubber Labels Are Vivid: Silicone labels are poured from a mould in pantone-perfect colours. You get crisp corners on even the most finicky lettering, so contrasting colours really stand out and logos look pixel-perfect. There’s none of the compromise that you expect from a fabric label (more on the detail limitations of woven & printed labels here).
Rubber Labels Are Flexible: Silicone has a bit of give in it — it can bend and stretch a little if you pull/twist it — but it will always return to its original shape. This makes it perfect for attaching to advanced hard-working textiles like neoprene and canvas.
Rubber Labels Are Clean: Silicone is inert and odourless. It doesn’t leech colours or melt and it’s very hard to scuff up. It also doesn’t absorb water! If you’re looking for a label that’s physically impossible to bleach or stain, then look no further!
Rubber Labels Are Durable: It’s hard to tear a silicone label, and they perform really well in extreme temperatures. You can even run your iron over a silicone label without any melting or loss of detail (just keep it under 220˚C).
Rubber Labels Are Different: Another great thing about rubber labels is that they’re still pretty rare! If you’re looking for a way to differentiate your brand from anything else out there, a rubber hem tag (or even some promotional badges) can make a big impact.
Rubber labels are the go-to for hardy workwear, industrial strapping and sports, but you can use them in a variety of situations:
Ski Gear will often use rubber labels for exterior branding. You’ll find a lot of salopettes and ski jackets with rubber logos: the logo will still look great after a few seasons of sub-zero temperatures, damp and direct sunlight.
Swimwear often uses rubber labels, too. Whether you’re labelling up trunks and bikinis full-body scuba suits, you need a material that can handle the harsh underwater environments. Chlorine and salt water can cause a fabric label to fade over time, so waterproof silicone solutions are perfect for all things swimming-related.
We also get a lot of orders from makers of climbing gear and industrial strapping. Whether you’re a tree surgeon, a port stevedore or just someone who loves to go mountaineering on the weekends, you need to know that your straps and harnesses are going to hold under extreme weight.
Silicone labels are often seen just above the pop stitching (a safety stitch that ‘pops’ open when your straps are exposed to too much weight) on racking straps and climbing harnesses.
Silicone isn’t just for clothing and workwear! Accessories can look great with a rubber label, too. In fact, one of our customers, Salteria, complements their range of bright, bold printed purses with stand-out rubber labels that add a lot of depth and texture to the finished product:
Because a silicone label is poured into a mould rather than woven on a narrow fabrics loom, there’s technically no limit to what you can achieve in terms of shape, depth and size. That said, rubber labels tend to fall into one of three categories:
Labels & Tags
If you’re selling sportswear or apparel, a rubber tag at the hem or the outer side of the neckline can look fantastic. Just make sure it’s not in a location where it could rub against the wearer’s skin. The wearer won’t suffer any allergic reaction, but the bumpiness of the label could cause irritation.
The best way to fix a silicone label to a garment is to stitch it. Most labels are between 1mm and 5mm thick; if your label is on the thick side, we recommend you add a sewing channel. A sewing channel is just a thin border that goes the whole way round the label (like a castle moat), giving you a nice thin area to stitch the label securely to the fabric.
Badges & Stickers
Silicone can take the heat from an iron without melting (it doesn’t actually melt if you go at it with a really hot iron — it just stiffens and hardens). This makes it perfect for iron-on adhesive backings. If jacron or metal just isn’t the right choice for your iron-on badges, you might find that a silicone option is just what you need.
Peel-and-stick label backings are available for silicone labels, too, but if you’re working with fabrics, we always recommend that our customers go for a sew-on or iron-on option wherever possible.
Zipper Pulls
Depending on the finish you’re aiming for, a neat, bright silicone zipper pull could be just what your zippers need! You don’t have to stuff a rubber zipper pull and you can go to 5mm thickness without any issue. You can also embed strings and hoops directly into the silicone, which makes for a really secure zipper pull.
For more silicone rubber labelsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
I hope this guide has got you excited about rubber labels! Just remember that, when you’re placing your order, you’ll need Pantones (to get your colours spot-on) and patience (to allow for the c. 4 week turnaround time).
The lead times are longer than they would be with a woven label. The process of making a silicone label is completely different to woven label manufacturing. First, you need specialist mould manufacturers to create your prototype label for you, then those mould manufacturers need to reproduce that mould on a larger scale so that they can deliver thousands of your bespoke labels. The moulds then need to be poured, tested and quality-controlled, which all takes time.
The minimum order for rubber labels is 1,000 pieces, but if you have a great idea, it’s worth the investment and the extra couple of weeks!
Thanks for reading!
Pete
Rubber, Silicone, PVC labels on clear, white, or black
Rubber PVC labels are made from Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) and are soft and rubbery to the touch. PVC Labels are great for outdoor products and clothing, like sports wear or adventure clothing because they are resistant to the weather. We add a sewing channel on the labels to make attaching them to your product as easy as possible. We can also match PMS colors to fit your brand.
If your design, requires a Silicone Label, the process is similar to that of the Rubber PVC labels, however with Silicone there are some design limitations.
They are soft and smooth
They are weather resistant
Sewing channel available at an extra cost making them easy to sew to your product
Custom made to fit your product giving you a variety of sizes to choose from
Can custom match your brand colors with FREE PMS Color Matching
Long-lasting bright colors
Production to suit your needs
Rubber, silicone and PVC material for clothing label
Rubber and silicone are popular materials for label making. Many qualities make these products very good for labels. They do not tear easily and last longer than many other materials used for making label. Among many features, its smooth touch and great look makes it a great choice among the product manufacturers.
Rubber & Silicone PVC Labels are smooth and flexible. They are smooth and come with stitching ends for easy implement. They are resistant to weather so are great options for outdoor use. However, their heavy touch may not be useful for soft fabrics. They may not fit well with party wear clothes or casuals. However, they are very good for sportswear in many ways. They are resistant to water and weather, so they are right for such use. Moreover, their touch and looks come out as symbol and gives a sporty look. Those who are interested in sportswear often love to show off their brand choice hence, rubber labels are very good for such show.
Silicone Rubber Labels
With Silicone Rubber Labels, you can use any design on your label. When you are selling a product, which is meant for brand show off, your brand image has to be special. You can emboss anything stylish that reflects your brand identity. You can make your brand logo curvy or add some carving designs for making it stylish. Rubber silicone tags give you good surface to add some good touchable designs without affecting the quality of your clothing. Such designs give a great look to your sportswear range.
You can get Silicone Rubber Labels that are PVC free. You can also get sewing free labels. There is no need to stitch them with threads. This silicone made labels are good for many purposes. They are famous in industrial works. If you are a manufacturer of industrial clothing, you need safe material that does not catch fire or heat. Silicone is a great way for tagging the industrial clothing. With silicone or rubber labels, you can give your clothing a 3D touch. Weld transfer is a good way to give your clothing a rubber embossing in a unique way.
The 3D technique is also available in Rubber & Silicone PVC Labels. PVC surface with raise logo will give a good look too. You can get variety of labels that are good for sewing or pasting in different ways including heat transfer and welding. The PVC labels have many advantages and usages. They have very less wear and tear. Their shape also does not change. It does not have any issues like hurting due to its soft material. For clothing, such a material is very comfortable.
Rubber & Silicone PVC Labels
While there are many advantages of having PVC labels on clothing, there is one more advantage on customer’s end. You may emboss the best design on clothing but sometimes buyers do not like any tags. In that case, such labels are easily removable. This gives buyers flexibility of using tags. If they like to show the brand image, these tags look best. These tags are like accessories. For sports people, these accessories are very much likable. They like something bold to wear without affecting their comfort. These tags are not only suitable for clothing but also makes other sports items look stylish. In fact, you can maintain a brand image in all the products of same category. You can use Rubber & Silicone PVC Labels on bags and shoes as well. You can also use such tags for precautionary information on products because they are heat and water-resistant. Prints may fade but such engraved or embossed designs do not fade and instructions remain safe for long time.
Are you interested in learning more about custom silicone patch? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!