Choosing a t-shirt material sounds simple until you’re staring at a catalog with 40 options and no idea which one will actually work for your project. Cotton? Polyester? A 50/50 blend? Tri-blend? And what does “ringspun” even mean?
At RiverCity Screenprinting & Embroidery here in San Marcos, TX, we print and embroider on just about every fabric type you can think of. We’ve seen firsthand how the wrong material choice can wreck an otherwise great design, and how the right one can make a $6 blank feel like a $30 retail shirt. Here’s what we’ve learned about the most common t-shirt fabric types and when each one makes sense.
100% Cotton: The Go-To for Screen Printing
Cotton is the original t-shirt fabric and still the most popular choice for custom printing. It’s soft, breathable, and takes ink beautifully. If you’re ordering screen printed tees for an event, a company, or a fundraiser, 100% cotton is probably where you’ll start.
Cotton’s natural fibers absorb plastisol and water-based inks well, which means your prints will look bold and feel smooth. It’s also hypoallergenic, so people with sensitive skin won’t have issues wearing it all day.
There are a few subcategories worth knowing about:
Carded Open-End Cotton
This is your standard, budget-friendly cotton. The fibers are shorter and less uniform, which gives the fabric a slightly rougher feel. It’s the most affordable option and works fine for basic promotional tees, volunteer shirts, or large-quantity orders where cost matters more than hand feel.
Ringspun Cotton
Ringspun cotton goes through an extra manufacturing step where the cotton fibers are continuously twisted into a tighter, finer yarn. The result? A noticeably softer shirt with a smoother surface. Ringspun tees hold printed designs well and feel significantly better against the skin compared to standard cotton. If your budget allows the small upcharge (usually $1 to $3 per shirt), ringspun is worth it.
Combed Cotton
Combed cotton takes things a step further. Before spinning, the fibers are combed to remove short strands and impurities, leaving only the longest, strongest fibers behind. This produces an even softer, more durable fabric. Combed ringspun cotton (yes, you can have both) is what you’ll find in most premium retail-quality blanks. It’s our recommendation for brands that want their custom apparel to feel high-end.
Polyester: Built for Performance and Durability
Polyester is a synthetic fabric that excels where cotton falls short. It resists wrinkles, holds its shape wash after wash, and retains color better than any natural fiber. If you need shirts that will survive heavy use without looking worn out, polyester delivers.
The big advantage of polyester for active use is moisture wicking. Polyester fibers don’t absorb water. Instead, they pull sweat away from your skin to the fabric’s surface, where it evaporates. This is why most athletic wear, gym shirts, and performance tees are polyester or polyester-dominant blends. You’ll stay drier and more comfortable during physical activity.
For printing, polyester requires some adjustments. Standard plastisol inks can suffer from “dye migration,” where the polyester dye bleeds through the ink (especially with lighter ink colors on darker shirts). We use low-bleed or polyester-specific inks to prevent this. Sublimation printing, on the other hand, works exclusively on polyester and produces photo-quality, full-color prints that won’t crack or peel since the ink becomes part of the fabric.
Cotton vs Polyester: How to Decide
The cotton vs polyester question really comes down to purpose. Cotton is softer, more breathable in casual settings, and better for traditional screen printing. Polyester is tougher, lighter weight, moisture wicking, and better for athletic or outdoor use. Neither is universally “better.” They just serve different needs.
Blend Fabrics: Getting the Best of Both
Blended fabrics combine two or more fiber types to balance out each material’s weaknesses. The most common blend you’ll encounter is the 50/50 cotton-polyester, though ratios vary (60/40, 65/35, etc.).
50/50 Cotton-Polyester Blend
The classic 50/50 blend gives you cotton’s softness with polyester’s durability and wrinkle resistance. These shirts tend to shrink less than 100% cotton, hold their shape longer, and cost about the same. They’re a solid middle-ground choice for custom screen printing projects where you want comfort without sacrificing longevity.
The 100% cotton vs 50/50 blend debate is one we have with customers regularly. For everyday wear and traditional designs, cotton usually wins on feel. For work shirts, uniforms, or anything that’s getting washed frequently, the 50/50 blend often makes more practical sense.
CVC Blend (Chief Value Cotton)
CVC blends are typically 60% cotton and 40% polyester. The higher cotton content keeps that soft, natural feel while the polyester component adds durability and reduces shrinkage. CVC is a popular choice for retail-style custom apparel because it combines comfort with a slightly more polished appearance than straight 50/50. If a client wants a “nicer” feel without going full premium, we’ll often recommend a CVC blank.
Cotton-Spandex Blend
Adding a small percentage of spandex (usually 3% to 5%) to cotton creates a fitted, stretchy shirt that moves with your body. This blend works well for form-fitting designs, women’s tees, and athletic casual wear. The fabric recovers its shape after stretching, so the shirt won’t bag out over time.
Tri-Blend: The Premium Pick
Tri-blend fabric combines three fibers, typically around 50% polyester, 25% cotton, and 25% rayon. This combination produces what many people consider the most comfortable t-shirt material available.
Here’s what each fiber contributes: cotton provides familiar softness and breathability, polyester adds structure and durability, and rayon gives the fabric a beautiful drape with a slightly heathered, vintage look. Tri-blend tees feel lightweight, move well, and have that “worn-in” character right out of the bag.
Tri-blend shirts are more expensive than standard cotton or 50/50 options, usually running $3 to $6 more per blank. But for brand merchandise, retail products, or any situation where the shirt itself is part of the impression you’re making, the cost difference pays for itself. We print a lot of tri-blend orders for breweries, restaurants, and local businesses around the Austin to San Antonio corridor that want their merch to actually get worn.
Understanding GSM: T-Shirt Weight Matters
GSM stands for grams per square meter, and it’s how t-shirt weight is measured. This number tells you a lot about how a shirt will feel, drape, and hold up over time.
- Lightweight (under 150 GSM): Thin, breezy, great for summer events or layering. Can feel flimsy if you go too low.
- Midweight (150 to 200 GSM): The sweet spot for most custom t-shirts. Substantial enough to feel quality without being heavy. Most popular blanks from Bella+Canvas, Next Level, and Gildan Softstyle fall here.
- Heavyweight (over 200 GSM): Thick, structured, durable. Think Carhartt or classic Hanes Beefy-T. These hold up to heavy use and give screen prints a very solid surface, but they’re warmer to wear.
For screen printing specifically, midweight to heavyweight shirts tend to give the best results. The fabric is dense enough to provide a smooth printing surface, and the extra material prevents ink from bleeding through. Here in Central Texas, where it’s hot most of the year, we typically steer customers toward midweight options that balance print quality with comfort.
Specialty Fabrics Worth Knowing About
Beyond the core materials, several specialty fabrics show up in the custom apparel world:
Rayon (Viscose)
Rayon is made from natural cellulose (usually wood pulp) processed into a semi-synthetic fiber. It drapes well, breathes easily, and has a silky feel. You’ll mostly encounter rayon as part of tri-blend or other blended fabrics rather than on its own for t-shirts.
Bamboo
Bamboo fabric is soft, naturally moisture wicking, and breathable. It’s made from bamboo pulp and has a silky hand feel similar to rayon. Bamboo is also naturally anti-microbial, which helps prevent odor buildup. It’s popular for eco-conscious brands, though it’s more expensive and less common for bulk custom printing.
Hemp
Hemp is lightweight, durable, and gets softer with each wash. It’s UV resistant, naturally anti-bacterial, and mold resistant, making it a solid choice for outdoor and sustainability-focused apparel. Hemp fabric has a distinctive texture that some people love and others find too rough. Blending hemp with cotton softens it up considerably.
Linen
Linen is strong, lightweight, and moisture resistant without feeling damp. It’s hypoallergenic and breathable, making it comfortable in hot weather. The trade-off: linen wrinkles easily and doesn’t stretch, so it works better for relaxed-fit designs or embroidered pieces rather than screen printed tees.
Silk
Silk is smooth, lightweight, and eye-catching, but it’s delicate. You won’t see silk t-shirts in a custom screen printing catalog. It’s more relevant for specialty fashion pieces or accent elements on garments.
Choosing the Best Fabric for Screen Printing
The best fabric for screen printing depends on your priorities, but here’s a quick breakdown based on what we see produce the best results:
Best overall for print quality: 100% ringspun or combed cotton. Ink sits cleanly on the surface, colors pop, and the fabric cooperates with both plastisol and water-based inks.
Best for durability: 50/50 or CVC blend. The polyester content helps the shirt (and the print) last longer through repeated washing.
Best for premium feel: Tri-blend. Prints look great on heathered tri-blend fabrics, especially with vintage or distressed design styles.
Best for athletic/performance: 100% polyester with sublimation printing. Full-color, permanent designs that don’t add weight or stiffness to the garment.
Fabric Technologies That Protect Your Investment
Some performance shirts include built-in fabric technologies worth considering:
- Moisture wicking fabric pulls sweat away from the body and speeds evaporation. Essential for athletic, outdoor, or work-environment shirts.
- Anti-microbial treatment prevents bacteria growth that causes odor and staining. Good for gym wear, workwear, or any shirt that’s going to see heavy use between washes.
- UV protection helps block harmful sun exposure and also protects printed designs from fading. Worth considering for outdoor event shirts, landscaping crews, or construction teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between ringspun and regular cotton?
Ringspun cotton goes through an extra twisting process that creates finer, softer yarn. The result is a noticeably softer shirt with a smoother printing surface. It typically costs $1-3 more per shirt but feels significantly better.
Which fabric works best for screen printing?
100% cotton (especially ringspun or combed) provides the best overall screen printing results. Cotton fibers absorb ink well, produce bold colors, and create smooth prints. Blends like 50/50 cotton-poly are also excellent and offer better durability.
Do polyester shirts shrink less than cotton?
Yes, polyester and cotton-poly blends shrink much less than 100% cotton. Pure cotton can shrink 3-5% in length, while polyester blends typically shrink less than 2%. Pre-shrunk cotton reduces this but doesn’t eliminate it entirely.
What’s tri-blend fabric and why does it cost more?
Tri-blend combines cotton (softness), polyester (durability), and rayon (drape and vintage look). This creates an exceptionally comfortable shirt with a heathered appearance, but the three-fiber construction increases manufacturing costs.
Which t-shirt weight is best for custom printing?
Midweight shirts (150-200 GSM) offer the best balance for screen printing. They’re substantial enough for good print quality without being too heavy for comfort. Very lightweight shirts can show print through the back, while heavyweight shirts may be too warm in hot climates.
Let Us Help You Pick the Right Shirt
Fabric choice affects everything: comfort, print quality, durability, and how often people actually wear the shirt. With dozens of blank options across every material type, narrowing things down can feel overwhelming.
That’s what we’re here for. At RiverCity Screenprinting & Embroidery in San Marcos, we work with customers from Austin to San Antonio every day to match the right fabric to the right project. You need 50 cotton tees for a family reunion or 500 moisture wicking polos for a corporate event, we’ll walk you through the options and make sure your finished product looks and feels exactly right.
Ready to get started? Visit us to discuss your fabric options or stop by our shop in San Marcos to see and feel fabric samples in person.