Switching to tagless pad printing allows manufacturers to replace sewn-in or heat transfer labels with durable, printed garment labeling. The process involves evaluating production needs, testing samples, and implementing equipment for in-house printing.
Here are the typical steps involved in switching to tagless labels for different scales apparel manufacturing, and how Inkcups can help throught the process:
| Step | Phase | What Happens | Who Is Involved / What You Need to Provide | Manufacturer Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Requirements discovery | An Inkcups salesperson analyzes production volumes and technical requirements, including colors, wash resistance, and abrasion resistance, then prepares a tailored ROI analysis. | Internal stakeholders across Packaging, Engineering, Trims, Supply Chain, R&D, and Marketing. Note: Contract manufacturers require prior brand approval before this step. |
HQ | CM | SMB |
| 2 | ROI presentation & quotation | Inkcups presents the tagless solution and its business ROI. A formal quotation is sent to decision-makers. | Decision-makers at your company. | HQ | CM | SMB |
| 3 | Sample creation & testing | Inkcups technicians print, test, and refine samples until they meet or exceed requirements, then ship physical samples for your internal testing. Not applicable to contract manufacturers. They proceed directly to a trial order. |
You provide original garment/product parts and artwork files with color specifications. Note: Inkcups can approximate logos and parts, but this significantly extends the sampling timeline. |
HQ | SMB |
| 4 | Compliance approval | Inkcups supplies all required compliance documentation to your Compliance and/or Marketing teams. | Your Compliance and Marketing departments. | HQ |
| 5 | Official brand approval & BOM update | If you use contract manufacturers, Inkcups is added to your Bill of Materials and introduced to key contacts at your major contractors. | Brand HQ procurement/supply chain team and contractor decision-makers. | HQ |
| 6 | Trial order | The factory places an initial trial order for equipment and installation/training services. | Factory procurement team. | HQ factory | CM |
| 7 | Equipment installation & staff training | Inkcups engineers install the equipment on-site and train production staff. | Factory floor and operations teams. | HQ factory | CM | SMB |
| 8 | Factory sampling, testing & brand sign-off | The factory produces and tests tagless label samples, then submits them to brand headquarters for final approval. | Factory QA team and brand HQ approvers. | HQ factory | CM |
| 9 | Production order | The factory orders production-scale machines. Full in-house tagless label printing begins. | Factory procurement team. | HQ factory | CM | SMB |
| 10 | Consignment inventory agreement | If Inkcups has no local distribution site and volumes do not justify opening one, a consignment inventory arrangement is established to ensure ink supply continuity. | Inkcups supply chain and factory purchasing team. | HQ factory | CM |
Explore a tagless printing solution built around your production needs. to discuss testing, equipment, and implementation next steps.
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