Care Label and DPP QR Code: A Guide for Garment Factories
The sewn-in care label is where most garment Digital Product Passport QR codes are likely to go. This guide keeps what EU law requires today apart from what DPPLive recommends, so merchandising and label teams can plan the next label order.
Written by the DPPLive Team · Last updated: 9 November 2026
| Item | Status | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre composition | Required on textile products made available on the EU market | Reg. (EU) No 1007/2011, Art. 14(1) |
| Label quality | Durable, easily legible, visible and accessible; a label must be securely attached | Reg. (EU) No 1007/2011, Art. 14(1) |
| Language | Official language(s) of the EU country where the garment is sold to consumers, unless that country decides otherwise | Reg. (EU) No 1007/2011, Art. 16(3) |
| Care symbols | Voluntary in the EU; the common system is ISO 3758 (current edition 2023), based on the GINETEX symbols | No EU-wide care-labelling rule |
| DPP data carrier | On the product, its packaging or accompanying documents, as the delegated act specifies | ESPR Art. 10(1)(b) |
| Preferred place | On the product itself where possible | ESPR recital 37 |
| Carrier type and position for garments | Not set yet; the apparel delegated act (expected 2027) will specify them | ESPR Art. 9(2), points (b) and (c) |
| QR on the sewn-in care label | DPPLive recommendation, not a legal rule | — |
| Textile labelling revision | Announced by the Commission, including physical and digital labelling; not adopted | Commission review of Reg. 1007/2011 |
What a Garment Label Needs for the EU Today
The one EU-wide rule for garment labels is the Textile Labelling Regulation, (EU) No 1007/2011. It requires the fibre composition, using the official fibre names in its Annex I with percentages, whenever a textile product is made available on the EU market. The label must be durable, easy to read, visible and accessible, and securely attached (Art. 14(1)). For sales to consumers it must be in the official language or languages of the country of sale, unless that country decides otherwise (Art. 16(3)). That is why one care label often repeats the composition in several languages.
Care symbols are not required by EU law. They are still on almost every garment sold in Europe, because brands use the ISO 3758 care-labelling code (current edition ISO 3758:2023), which is based on the GINETEX symbols. The symbols are registered trademarks in most countries, so brands use them under the GINETEX rules.
Most labels also carry style, size, batch or PO numbers and brand codes. These come from the buyer's label specification, so follow that document for anything beyond fibre composition.
Where the DPP QR Code Goes
Under ESPR (Regulation (EU) 2024/1781), a Digital Product Passport is reached through a data carrier, such as a QR code, linked to a unique product identifier. The carrier must be physically present on the product, its packaging or documentation accompanying the product, as the product's delegated act specifies (Art. 10(1)(b)). Recital 37 adds that, where possible, it should be on the product itself so the data stay reachable for the product's whole life. Which carrier, its layout and its position are left to the delegated act (Art. 9(2), points (b) and (c)). For apparel that act is expected in 2027.
DPPLive's recommendation: plan the QR on the sewn-in care label. Hangtags are cut off after purchase and polybags are thrown away, while the care label stays with the garment through use, resale, repair and sorting for recycling. If the delegated act later says something different, follow the act.
The QR is added to the label. It does not replace the printed fibre composition, which the Textile Labelling Regulation still requires. The Commission has announced a revision of that regulation that covers digital labelling too; until a new rule applies, keep the printed text.
A Sample Care Label With a DPP QR
The sample puts the QR on the lower, flat part of the label, away from the seam and the fold, dark on a light background with clear space around it, and with a short caption so people know what it is for. These are DPPLive's suggestions; the brand's label specification and, later, the delegated act decide the final layout. For print size, contrast and wash testing, see the print specs in our DPP QR code guide.
Model, Batch or Item: How Many Different Labels?
| Level | One passport per | Effect on the label order |
|---|---|---|
| Model | style (product model) | Every piece of the style carries the same QR, so it fits into the normal care-label artwork |
| Batch | production batch or lot | A new QR for each batch; labels are ordered or printed per batch |
| Item | single garment | Every label has its own serial QR; needs variable-data printing and a list linking each code to its garment |
ESPR leaves the choice of level to the delegated act (Art. 9(2)(d)). Until it applies, the brand decides, so ask your buyer before ordering labels. See model vs batch vs item.
Brand, Factory and Label Supplier
- Brand or importer: owns the label specification, is legally responsible for the passport once the rules apply, and registers it in the EU DPP Registry.
- Garment factory: supplies the product data, approves the label proof, and passes the QR file to the label supplier.
- Label supplier (woven or printed labels): prints the QR to the artwork and checks that the printed code scans.
- DPPLive: hosts the passport and gives a QR image for each published passport. By default the QR opens the passport's own DPPLive link; a GS1 Digital Link QR is used only if the factory chooses it and has GTINs. See Do you need a GS1 GTIN?
Before the Next Label Order
- Ask the buyer whether they want a passport QR on this order and at which level (model, batch or item).
- Publish the passport first, so the QR opens a live page from day one.
- Send the QR file to the label supplier together with the approved care-label artwork.
- Scan the physical label proof with two or three different phones before approving bulk.
- Wash a sample label before bulk production and scan it again (DPPLive recommendation).
- Keep the passport link stable. Labels cannot be reprinted cheaply, so the QR must keep working for the garment's life.
Quick Answers
Go Deeper
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR) — full text on EUR-Lex — Articles 4(4), 9(2), 10(1)(b); recital 37
- Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 (Textile Labelling Regulation) — EUR-Lex — Articles 14 and 16
- European Commission — review of Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 — planned revision, incl. digital labelling
- GINETEX — international care labelling system — basis of ISO 3758
Plan the Label Once
Care labels are ordered in thousands and cannot be changed after printing. Publish the passport first, then print a QR that will keep working. In a free pilot, DPPLive sets up your first passport and its QR with you.