Printed label appliques offer a clean, simple, and sleek look, similar to woven label appliques. Types of printed label appliques include screen printed labels and sublimated labels. Screen printed labels work best with one-color application, while sublimated labels can work for all complexities of logos. Screen printed labels and sublimated labels can work with many custom logo apparel products, but work best with hats and caps. Applique is defined as the craft of sewing small fabric pieces onto larger pieces of fabric to make a pattern or design.
For headwear, printed label appliques - either screen printed labels or sublimated labels - work well with unstructured cap styles and lighter weight fabrics. Examples of unstructured cap types are dad hats and relaxed style caps without a stiff backing or firm hat panels. Examples of lighter weight fabrics include beanies, knit hats, and lightweight hat styles, which can better accommodate the printed label appliques.
Simple shapes are ideal for printed label appliques in order to tack down the appliques. The screen printed label appliques or sublimated label appliques are usually stitch applied to the apparel product with a running stitch tack down. Screen printed labels and sublimated labels can be used with a few layers of fabric to offer a more dimensional look and provide greater decoration options. The maximum size for printed label appliques on headwear is 1 3/4” H x 3 1/2” W.
Screen printed label appliques normally have a higher minimum order quantity compared to sublimated label appliques. Sublimated labels use heat and pressure to embed ink into the label, while screen printed labels use a woven screen and squeegee to press onto the fabric. Sublimated labels usually offer better durability compared to screen printed labels because the ink becomes part of the fabric. This results in fade-resistant colors that last as long as the apparel product does. While screen printed labels are durable, prints may fade or crack over time with use and washing.
