Label Materials Explained – Damask, Satin, Cotton, Leather and More

The material you choose for a clothing label decides how it feels on the skin, how it copes with the washing machine and what kind of logo it can carry. As a label manufacturer, we work with every base material in this guide in our own production in Bulgaria – here is how they differ and where each one performs best.

Start with three questions

1. Where does the label touch? A label against the neck needs a soft hand and smooth edges; one on a bag strap needs toughness.
2. How is the garment cared for? Hot washes, tumble drying and industrial laundry rule out delicate materials.
3. What must it show? A fine logo, a long multilingual care text, a 3D emblem or a debossed mark each point to a different family.

With those answers in mind, the materials below fall into four groups: woven qualities, printable tapes, moulded and leather-look materials, and boards for hang tags. For dimensions, see the companion label size guide.

Woven qualities: the weave is the material

On a jacquard loom the design is built from the yarns themselves, so a woven label’s “material” is really its weave construction. All of the following are used for woven labels.

Damask

Fine polyester yarns woven very densely. Damask reproduces small lettering and thin lines with the greatest precision of any woven quality, lies smooth and flat, and survives washing almost indefinitely. It is the natural default for brand neck labels across every garment category.

Woven satin

Here the yarns float over several threads, giving a glossy face and an exceptionally soft touch – popular in lingerie and babywear. The floats reduce definition slightly, so very intricate logos are usually better rendered in damask.

Woven taffeta

A plain, lighter weave with a crisp hand. It is an efficient choice for bold, simple logos, size tabs and inner labels where detail is less important.

Canvas

Heavier and coarser, with a visible texture and often natural or ecru tones. Canvas gives a rugged, handmade character to bags, outerwear, workwear and home textiles. It is woven or screen-printed and usually stitched on all four sides.

Printable tapes

Printed labels begin as a narrow tape decorated by screen printing, thermal transfer with wash-resistant resin ribbons, or digital printing, then cut ultrasonically or with a hot knife for a sealed edge.

Polyester satin and acetate satin

Polyester satin is the all-rounder: soft, smooth, gently lustrous and highly wash-resistant, available single-face or double-face. Acetate satin is cellulose-based, with a deeper silky sheen and a more fluid drape that suits lingerie, eveningwear and tailoring. It prefers lower wash and ironing temperatures and is less abrasion-resistant, so it belongs on hand-washed or dry-cleaned pieces.

Nylon and polyester taffeta

Thin, crisp, coated tapes that bond tightly with thermal-transfer print. Nylon taffeta is the reference for care labels, keeping small symbols and multilingual text readable after many washes. Polyester taffeta behaves similarly, tolerates heat and sunlight a little better, and is the usual base for recycled care tapes. We seal both ultrasonically so the cut edge stays soft.

Cotton and organic cotton

A matt, natural, breathable tape with woven selvedges that prevent fraying at the sides. It fits natural-fibre collections, kidswear and home textiles. Organic cotton tape is available too – ask us which documentation comes with the specific tape.

Twill tape

Cotton or polyester with diagonal ribs; firmer and stronger than plain cotton tape. It is used for hanger loops, neck tapes, drawstring channels and logo ribbon on rolls – see woven tapes and ribbons.

Non-fray synthetic paper

A non-woven made from synthetic fibres. It looks and prints like paper yet resists tearing, water and washing, and does not fray when cut. It suits workwear, bags, technical items, home textiles and law labels that need a paper look with real durability.

Recycled polyester (rPET)

Yarns and tapes made from recycled PET, from post-consumer bottles or pre-consumer waste. They can be woven as damask, satin or taffeta, or supplied as printable satin and taffeta tape, with strength and wash performance equal to virgin polyester. We offer GRS certified recycled options for collections that need verified recycled content.

Moulded, leather and leather-look materials

Silicone and TPU

Liquid silicone is moulded into flexible 2D or 3D labels with a soft, rubbery feel; TPU is a thermoplastic alternative that can be heat-applied or stitched. Both are waterproof, vivid and very durable, ideal for sportswear, swimwear, outerwear and bags. More on silicone labels.

Genuine leather and PU leather

Genuine leather develops a patina, takes deep debossing and laser engraving, and signals craft on denim, outerwear and accessories. It is sensitive to repeated hot washing and has to be declared as a non-textile part of animal origin. PU leather is uniform in colour, lighter, vegan, more tolerant of washing and easier to print. Compare both on our leather labels page.

Jacron

A paper-based board with a leather-like appearance – the traditional jeans back patch. It is light, embosses and prints well, and creases into a vintage character over time. It handles normal denim care, though it is less tough than genuine or PU leather.

Boards for hang tags

Kraft board is unbleached, brown and matt, matching eco and casual lines; it takes one- or two-colour print, hot-foil and debossing. Coated board offers a smooth white surface for full-colour print, lamination, spot UV and foil on premium tags. Both are typically 300–600 g/m², with recycled-content grades available. See hang tags.

Comparison table

Material	Feel	Washing	Method	Good for
Damask	Smooth, flat, finest detail	Excellent	Jacquard weaving	Brand neck labels
Woven satin	Glossy, very soft	Very good	Jacquard weaving	Lingerie, babywear
Woven taffeta	Light, crisp	Very good	Jacquard weaving	Size tabs, simple logos
Canvas	Coarse, textured	Very good	Weaving, screen print	Bags, workwear
Polyester satin tape	Soft, slight sheen	Very good	Screen, thermal, digital	Printed brand and care labels
Acetate satin tape	Silky, fluid	Moderate, low temperatures	Screen, thermal	Eveningwear, tailoring
Nylon / polyester taffeta	Thin, crisp, coated	Excellent print retention	Thermal transfer	Care and composition labels
Cotton / organic cotton	Matt, natural	Good	Screen, thermal	Natural-fibre lines, kidswear
Twill tape	Firm, diagonal rib	Very good	Screen, roll print	Loops, neck tape
Non-fray synthetic paper	Paper-like	Good, tear-resistant	Thermal, flexo	Workwear, law labels
Recycled polyester (GRS)	As damask, satin or taffeta	Equal to virgin	Weaving, printing	Recycled collections
Silicone / TPU	Soft, rubbery, 2D or 3D	Excellent	Moulding, heat application	Sportswear, swimwear
Genuine leather	Natural grain, patina	Limited, avoid hot washes	Deboss, laser, print	Denim, accessories
PU leather	Uniform, vegan	Good	Deboss, print, laser	Denim, kidswear, bags
Jacron	Paper-leather, vintage	Fair to good	Emboss, print	Jeans back patches
Kraft / coated board	Natural or smooth white	Not washed (tag)	Offset, digital, foil	Hang tags

Quality and certification

Every textile label material we use is OEKO-TEX certified, and synthetic tapes are cut ultrasonically for soft, sealed edges. Colours are matched to Pantone references, and we send a digital proof and samples before production so you can feel the material on your own garment.

Tell us the fabric, the end use and the care instructions, and we will recommend a material. Contact [email protected], WhatsApp/Viber +359 876 766 050, or our contact page, and explore the full label range.