Guide
How to choose a blank
The shirt matters more than the print. A good design on a bad blank still ends up in a drawer, and most people ordering merch have never been told what actually separates one blank from another.
Weight is feel, not quality. Around 5.3 oz is the classic midweight. Lighter drapes, heavier holds its shape.
Ring spun beats carded for softness and for print detail, and costs more.
The blank should match the job. A retail piece and a back of house staff shirt are not the same purchase, and paying premium for both is money you did not need to spend.
Weight, and what it actually tells you
Blanks are described in ounces per square yard. It is a measure of how much fabric is there, not how good it is.
| Weight | Feel | Suits | The trade off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 to 4.5 oz | Light, drapey, slightly sheer | Fashion fits, summer, retail pieces people wear out | Thin enough that a dark skin tone or a bra line can read through a white one |
| 5.0 to 5.5 oz | The classic tee weight | Almost everything. Staff shirts, counter stock, events | Safe rather than special. Nobody remembers it |
| 6.0 oz and up | Heavy, structured, opaque | Workwear, kitchen crew, anything taking abuse | Hot to wear, slower to dry, and it hangs boxy on smaller frames |
Lighter fabric is not cheaper fabric. Some of the most expensive blanks on the market are light, because getting a thin shirt to hold its shape takes better cotton. Heavier is not automatically better either, it is simply more material.
How the cotton is spun
This is the difference people can feel but cannot name.
Carded or open end cotton is spun quickly with short and long fibers together. The yarn is coarser, the surface is slightly fuzzy, and the shirt costs less. It is perfectly serviceable and it is what most budget blanks use.
Ring spun cotton is twisted and thinned repeatedly into a finer, smoother yarn. The shirt is softer, the surface is more even, and ink sits on it more cleanly. Combed ring spun goes a step further, brushing out the short fibers before spinning.
For printing, the surface matters. Fine lines and small text hold their edges better on a smooth ring spun shirt than on a fuzzy carded one. If your artwork has detail in it, the blank is part of whether that detail survives.
Cotton, blends, and the polyester problem
100 percent cotton is the default and the best print surface. It takes ink cleanly, holds color, and behaves predictably. It also shrinks, which is why most blanks are sold preshrunk.
50 50 cotton and polyester resists shrinking and wrinkling and wears hard. A sensible choice for shirts that get washed constantly.
Tri blends mix cotton, polyester and rayon. Very soft, very drapey, with a heathered look. They print softer and more muted, with the fabric texture showing through. Excellent when you want a vintage feel, wrong when you need a crisp logo in exact brand colors.
The thing nobody mentions: dye migration. Polyester dye can creep into the ink after printing and discolor it, most visibly turning white ink pink on a red shirt. Preventing it takes extra steps and adds cost. It is a real consideration on poly heavy blanks, and it is worth raising before you fall in love with a color.
Fit is a separate decision
Two shirts at the same weight can wear completely differently.
Classic or standard fit is boxier, wider through the body, shorter in length. It suits a broad range of bodies, which is why it is the default for staff shirts where you are buying a size run and hoping it works.
Retail or fashion fit is narrower and longer, closer to what people buy for themselves. If the shirt is going on a shelf with a price on it, this is usually the one, because it is competing with what is already in their closet.
Getting this wrong is the most common reason a retail run does not move. A boxy shirt with a great design still sits on the shelf.
Matching the blank to the job
We do not push one brand. Tell us the feel you are after and roughly what the shirt is for, and we will put two or three real options in front of you rather than send you to browse a catalog.
Back of house staff shirts. These get bleached, burned and destroyed. Buy the durable midweight and spend nothing extra. A premium blank in a kitchen is money set on fire.
Front of house. Customers see these all shift. Worth stepping up to a ring spun blank in a fit that looks intentional.
Retail stock. This is the one to spend on. Someone is choosing to pay for it, and it competes with every other shirt they own. Soft ring spun, retail fit, a color worth wearing.
Events and giveaways. Volume matters more than feel. Budget blank, simple print, get the count right.
Common questions
What does the weight of a T shirt mean?
Ounces per square yard. Around 4.2 oz is lightweight and drapey, 5.3 oz is the classic midweight, 6 oz and up is heavyweight. Heavier is a different feel, not automatically better.
What is the difference between ring spun and carded cotton?
Ring spun yarn is twisted into a finer, smoother thread, making a softer shirt with a better surface for print detail. Carded cotton is coarser and cheaper, and prints slightly rougher.
Do tri blend shirts print well?
They print differently. Colors read softer and more vintage as the fabric texture shows through. Great for that look, wrong for a crisp logo in exact brand colors.
Why do some shirts cost more to print on?
Polyester dye can migrate into the ink and discolor it, usually turning white ink pink or grey. Blocking it takes extra steps and adds cost.
Not sure which blank fits?
Tell us what the shirt is for and the feel you want. We will put two or three in front of you, and say plainly when the cheaper one is fine.
Start an order →