care-label-symbols

ISO 3758 care label symbols -- machine-readable data with SVG icons.

A structured, machine-readable dataset of textile care symbols as defined by ISO 3758, with clean SVG icons for each symbol. Designed for fashion tech developers, PLM systems, garment labelling tools, and brands that need to generate accurate care labels.

What's included

• 31 care symbol definitions with ISO codes, ASTM equivalents, and human-readable descriptions
• SVG icons for every symbol (64x64, stroke-based, no fill)
• 5 symbol groups: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, professional care
• Country labelling requirements for US, EU, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, and Korea
• Example script that generates a care label from a fiber composition string

Symbols

| Symbol | ID | Name | SVG | |--------|----|------|-----| | | wash-normal-40 | Normal Wash 40C | svg/wash-normal-40.svg | | | wash-hand | Hand Wash | svg/wash-hand.svg | | | wash-do-not | Do Not Wash | svg/wash-do-not.svg | | | bleach-any | Any Bleach Allowed | svg/bleach-any.svg | | | bleach-do-not | Do Not Bleach | svg/bleach-do-not.svg | | | dry-tumble-normal-low | Tumble Dry Low | svg/dry-tumble-normal-low.svg | | | dry-flat | Dry Flat | svg/dry-flat.svg | | | iron-low | Iron Low (110C) | svg/iron-low.svg | | | iron-high | Iron High (200C) | svg/iron-high.svg | | | dryclean-any | Dry Clean, Any Solvent | svg/dryclean-any.svg |

See data/symbols.json for the full set of 31 symbol definitions.

Quick start

npm install @kobolabs/care-label-symbols

const symbols = require('@kobolabs/care-label-symbols');

// Find a specific symbol
const washHand = symbols.find(s => s.id === 'wash-hand');
console.log(washHand.description);
// => "Hand wash only, maximum 40C. Do not wring."

// Get all washing symbols
const washingSymbols = symbols.filter(s => s.group === 'washing');
console.log(`${washingSymbols.length} washing symbols`);
// => "12 washing symbols"

// Look up the SVG file path for a symbol
const svgPath = `svg/${washHand.svgFile}`;

Symbol groups

The ISO 3758 standard organises care symbols into five groups, each based on a distinctive base shape.

| Group | Base Shape | ISO Section | Symbols | |-------|-----------|-------------|---------| | Washing | Tub | Clause 5.1 | 12 symbols covering normal, gentle, very gentle, hand wash, and do-not-wash | | Bleaching | Triangle | Clause 5.2 | 3 symbols: any bleach, non-chlorine only, do not bleach | | Drying | Square | Clause 5.3 | 8 symbols for tumble dry (low/medium/high), gentle tumble, line dry, flat dry, drip dry | | Ironing | Iron | Clause 5.4 | 4 symbols: low (110C), medium (150C), high (200C), do not iron | | Professional Care | Circle | Clause 5.5 | 4 symbols: any solvent (A), petroleum (P), fluorocarbon (F), do not dry clean |

Mechanical action modifiers

Washing and tumble drying symbols use underlines to indicate reduced mechanical action:

• No underline -- normal/regular cycle
• Single underline -- gentle (permanent press) cycle
• Double underline -- very gentle (delicate) cycle

Temperature indicators

• Washing: temperature number displayed inside the tub (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 95)
• Tumble drying: dots inside the circle (1 dot = low, 2 dots = medium, 3 dots = high)
• Ironing: dots inside the iron (1 dot = 110C, 2 dots = 150C, 3 dots = 200C)

Country labelling requirements

Care labelling regulations vary significantly by country. The data/label-requirements.json file covers seven major markets.

| Country | Symbols Mandatory? | Symbol Standard | Key Notes | |---------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------| | US | No (text required) | ASTM D5489 (voluntary) | US requires text-based care instructions. Symbols alone are not sufficient under the FTC Care Labeling Rule. | | EU | No (voluntary) | ISO 3758 via GINETEX | Fiber content labelling is mandatory. Care symbols are voluntary but universally used across Europe. | | Canada | Yes | CAN/CGSB-86.1 | Bilingual (English + French) required. Symbols can substitute for text. | | Australia | Yes | ISO 3758 | Care labelling is mandatory for clothing. | | Japan | Yes | JIS L 0001 | Switched from legacy JIS symbols to ISO 3758-based system in December 2016. | | China | Yes | GB/T 8685 | Harmonised with ISO 3758. Labels must be in Chinese. | | Korea | Yes | KS K 0021 | Based on ISO 3758. |

Data format

symbols.json

{
  "id": "wash-normal-40",
  "group": "washing",
  "name": "Normal Wash 40C",
  "description": "Machine wash, normal cycle, maximum 40C",
  "temperature": 40,
  "svgFile": "wash-normal-40.svg",
  "isoCode": "200",
  "astmEquivalent": "Machine Wash, Warm"
}

symbol-groups.json

{
  "id": "washing",
  "name": "Washing",
  "isoSection": "Clause 5.1",
  "baseShape": "tub",
  "description": "Water-based cleaning processes"
}

label-requirements.json

{
  "country": "US",
  "regulation": "FTC Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR Part 423)",
  "required": true,
  "symbolSystem": "ASTM D5489 (optional, text required)",
  "notes": "US requires text-based care instructions...",
  "language": "English"
}

Example script

Generate a recommended care label from a fiber composition:

node examples/generate-care-label.js "100% Cotton"
node examples/generate-care-label.js "95% Polyester, 5% Elastane"
node examples/generate-care-label.js "100% Silk"
node examples/generate-care-label.js "80% Wool, 20% Nylon"

The script parses the composition, looks up care constraints for each fiber, selects the most restrictive care settings for the blend, and outputs the recommended symbol IDs with text instructions.

GINETEX trademark note

The care symbol system standardised in ISO 3758 was developed by GINETEX (Groupement International d'Etiquetage pour l'Entretien des Textiles). While the symbol definitions and their meanings are part of the published ISO standard, the specific graphic designs of the GINETEX care symbols are trademarked in many jurisdictions. Commercial use of the GINETEX symbol graphics on care labels may require a licence from the national GINETEX member organisation.

The SVG files in this repository are original, simplified representations created for educational and development purposes. They are not reproductions of the official GINETEX graphics.

Sources

• ISO 3758:2012 -- Textiles -- Care labelling code using symbols
• ASTM D5489 -- Standard Guide for Care Symbols for Care Instructions on Textile Products
• FTC Care Labeling Rule -- 16 CFR Part 423
• GINETEX -- www.ginetex.net
• CAN/CGSB-86.1 -- Care Labelling of Textiles
• JIS L 0001:2014 -- Textile care labelling code using symbols

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on submitting corrections, adding new symbols, or expanding country coverage.

License

MIT

Built by the team at Kobo -- modern PLM for fashion brands.