A logo approved on flat fabric may crack, distort or lift when a compression garment is worn. Decoration approval should reproduce the material, color, location and extension of the final garment, then assess washing and storage effects before the artwork is released for production.
Specify the application and its location together
Record artwork version, size, color and position using garment landmarks. Identify the decoration supplier and product reference where applicable. A transfer designed for one substrate may not suit a different finish or a highly extensible panel, even if both fabrics are described as polyester-elastane.
Check the logo on a worn or appropriately extended sample as well as a relaxed one. A chest logo can change shape or move relative to the body as the garment stretches. Large solid areas may also change local resistance, so the placement decision should include movement and contact comfort.
Test decorated and undecorated areas
Make trials on the actual proposed fabric and colors. Compare the decorated zone with an undecorated control using an agreed extension sequence. Inspect edge lifting, cracking, whitening, surface marks and whether the decoration creates an unacceptable stiff patch.
For embroidery, review backing, thread coverage and the effect on local extension. For printed or transferred logos, obtain the supplier’s process recommendation and verify it on the intended material. Record the approved settings rather than inventing a universal temperature, pressure or dwell time.
Evaluate dye migration separately from adhesion
On polyester-rich fabrics, dye can migrate into a light-colored decoration, sometimes after the initial inspection. A transfer may adhere well yet become tinted. Include the actual dark or saturated colors of concern and ask the decorator or laboratory for a suitable aging or migration assessment.
Compare an aged or conditioned trial with a retained control and record the conditions. Do not treat an informal warm-storage check as a universal shipping simulation. Where a blocker layer or different ink system is proposed, repeat extension and adhesion checks because the change may affect thickness and flexibility.
Include care and any special claim
Wash and dry the finished trial under the proposed care procedure, then repeat the agreed extension and appearance review. Inspect the logo after relaxation as well as while extended. Check whether the decoration sticks to adjacent surfaces, transfers color or develops tackiness during the relevant storage assessment.
A reflective logo needs additional evidence for any reflectivity description. A small reflective element does not make the garment high-visibility protective clothing. Likewise, a logo that says “medical” or implies a health benefit requires separate claim review; decoration durability does not substantiate the words printed on it.
Logo approval matrix
Use one matrix for each fabric-color-decoration combination that may behave differently. If a representative combination is selected, document why it covers the remaining variants and what still needs verification.
| Trial condition | What to record | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Relaxed placement | Artwork revision, size and distances from landmarks | Appearance and manufacturing position |
| Wearing extension | Direction, degree or defined form and sequence | Distortion, restriction, cracking or edge lift |
| Application process | Material reference and actual settings | Repeatability and fabric compatibility |
| After washing | Procedure, cycles, drying and conditioning | Adhesion and appearance retention |
| Aging/migration | Method, conditions, fabric shade and control | Color contamination or tackiness |
| Special feature | Reflective or other claimed function and test scope | Approved wording supported by evidence |
| Bulk first-off | Production lot and comparison with approved trial | Release or hold before the run continues |
Keep artwork approval separate from process approval
The designer can approve the visual file while the technical team still needs to approve the application. Record those decisions separately so a signed artwork proof is not interpreted as permission to use any transfer or print process. Keep the accepted physical trial and its washed or aged counterpart with the file.
Check first-off garments from the production fabric and color before the full run proceeds. Reapprove when the fabric finish, dye, transfer reference, artwork coverage or application process changes. The final specification should identify both what the logo looks like and how its compatibility with the garment was demonstrated.
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