Direct‐to‐Garment Quick Response (QR) Code Printing: An Eco‐Friendly and Sustainability‐Oriented Alternative to Conventional Apparel Labels

Labeling is crucial for enabling customers to identify and purchase apparel items accurately by providing necessary and reliable product information. However, conventional apparel labels, produced using various fibers and processes, have significant environmental and economic impacts. To address these challenges, replacing conventional labels with printed Quick Response (QR) codes presents a unique, eco‐friendly, and sustainability‐oriented alternative. This study evaluated the feasibility of using QR code labels with screen printing, as well as direct‐to‐film (DTF) transfer printing techniques. DTF prints on cotton and polyester retained complete scannability with a recognition time of around 1 s and good‐to‐excellent color fastness (Grade 4–5) after five wash cycles. On the other hand, screen‐printed labels on polyester failed after three washes and on cotton after two to three. Although DTF prints were somewhat rigid, they were still within tolerable comfort ranges. The results showed that DTF printing outperformed screen printing in clarity and durability. Although the printed fabric exhibited slightly increased stiffness, the fastness properties were acceptable and had minimal impact on user comfort. Therefore, conventional fabric labels may be replaced by DTF‐printed QR code labels. This eco‐friendly labeling method reduces auxiliary material inputs, enhances transparency and traceability for textile and apparel products, and promotes more sustainable manufacturing through emerging circular‐economy practices while improving consumer engagement with product information through digital integration.