Why do Some Clothing Tags Use Symbols Instead of Text?

A clothing tag is a logo sewn onto clothing that carries key information such as fabric composition, washing instructions, origin, etc.  Traditional labels are often presented in words, but more and more brands choose to replace them with symbols.  Behind this trend, there are multiple practical and business logic.

So what's the point?

Consumers in different countries and regions use a variety of languages. If the clothing tag is labeled with text, the brand often needs to produce multilingual versions, which not only drives up production costs, but also may lead to distortion of information transmission due to translation errors.  The symbol system has the characteristics of "world language," which can be quickly understood by consumers from different cultural backgrounds without relying on words, greatly reducing the barriers to cross-regional communication.

The area of clothing tag is usually limited, especially for children's clothing, intimate clothing and other categories, and the label size is narrower.  Do not bleach if the washing procedure is described in words, such as gentle machine wash at 30℃.  This often requires multiple lines of formatting, which can easily lead to crowded label information and reduced readability.  The symbols transmit information in a graphical manner, which can accurately express the washing temperature and method in a single line of space, realizing the efficient information transmission of "replacing text with pictures" and keeping the labels clear and concise.

Although there are differences in details in the specifications of clothing tags in various countries, a widely recognized standard system has been formed internationally in the fields of washing symbols and so on.  The use of standardized symbols for brands can not only ensure that products comply with local regulations in different national markets, avoid compliance risks caused by differences in textual expression, but also maintain consistent label design in the global supply chain and reduce production and management costs.