Cotton vs polyester blanks: how to choose the fiber

Fiber is the first call on a blank order, because it decides which decoration methods will work and how the shirt behaves on the body. This guide sets cotton, polyester and the blends in between side by side, with a starting tee on each side.

The shortlist

• Gildan 5000 Unisex Heavy Cotton T-Shirt: 5.3 oz, 100% US cotton in most colors, classic fit, sizes S to 5XL. Best for everyday printed tees at volume.
• Tultex 202 Unisex Fine Jersey T-Shirt: 4.5 oz, pre-shrunk 100% ringspun cotton except the Heather colors, sizes XS to 5XL. Best for cotton tees where sizing has to stay put.
• Next Level 3600 Unisex Cotton Tee: 4.3 oz, 100% combed ringspun cotton in most colors, regular fit, sizes XS to 6XL. Best for a soft retail tee.
• Comfort Colors 1717 Unisex Garment-Dyed Heavyweight T-Shirt: 6.1 oz, 100% ringspun cotton, garment-dyed, relaxed fit. Best for a heavier cotton tee with a lived-in look.
• Gildan 8000 Unisex DryBlend T-Shirt: 5.5 oz, 50/50 cotton/polyester, classic fit. Best for screen-printed tees on an even 50/50.
• Next Level 6210 Unisex CVC Tee: 4.3 oz, 60/40 combed ringspun cotton/polyester, regular fit. Best for a cotton-led blend that still takes DTG.
• Next Level 6010 Unisex Triblend Tee: 4.2 oz, 50/25/25 polyester/cotton/rayon, regular fit. Best for a drapey, heathered retail tee.
• Tultex 241 Unisex Poly-Rich T-Shirt: 3.6 oz, 65/35 polyester/combed ringspun cotton, heat-set to minimize shrinkage. Best for a light, poly-leaning tee.
• Gildan 42000 Unisex Performance T-Shirt: 5 oz, 100% polyester, moisture wicking, modern classic fit. Best for sublimation on light colors.
• Team 365 TT11 Men's Zone Performance T-Shirt: 3.5 oz, 100% polyester interlock, moisture wicking, UPF 40+, men's cut, sizes XS to 6XL. Best for team and practice shirts.

What's the short version?

Cotton is the base for ink that soaks in. Polyester is the base for dye that bonds with heat, and for shirts that move sweat. Blends sit between.

• Screen print: easiest on cotton. On polyester and poly-rich blends, use low-bleed ink and a lower cure.
• DTG: needs cotton for the ink to grab.
• Discharge: needs a 100% cotton shirt.
• Sublimation: needs high polyester and a light color.
• DTF and vinyl: work across cotton, polyester and blends.
• Embroidery: weight and knit matter more than fiber, and light performance knits need a stabilizer.

For the full method-by-fabric map, see decoration method compatibility basics.

When is cotton the right call?

Pick cotton for screen print, DTG, discharge or everyday wear. Outside their blend colors, all four cotton tees above are 100% cotton, so DTG ink soaks in and screen ink sits on a clean surface. Discharge works for the same reason: the agent pulls dye out of cotton.

Weight is the next choice. The 3600 is 4.3 oz, the 202 is 4.5 oz, the 5000 is 5.3 oz, and the 1717 is 6.1 oz. Comfort Colors dyes the 1717 after it's sewn, for what it calls a lived-in feel.

When does polyester make more sense?

Pick polyester for sublimation, team uniforms and anything worn to sweat in. The Gildan 42000 and Team 365 TT11 are both 100% polyester and moisture wicking. The 42000 is 5 oz. The TT11 is a lighter 3.5 oz interlock with UPF 40+ and covers a wide size range, XS to 6XL, in a men's cut. For a mixed team, the unisex 42000 is the simpler single style.

Sublimation is the main reason to go all polyester. The dye bonds to polyester fibers under heat, so it needs a high-poly shirt in a light color. A 50/50 or 65/35 shirt won't give full color. For screen printing on polyester, see decorating on polyester. The sublimation guide lists the right blanks.

Where do blends fit?

The Gildan 8000 is an even 50/50, and Gildan says its high-twist yarns give a smoother printing surface. The Next Level 6210 leans cotton at 60/40, so it still takes DTG. The Tultex 241 leans polyester at 65/35. The Next Level 6010 adds rayon for drape. The cotton/poly blend guide goes deep on 50/50, CVC and poly-rich ratios, and the tri-blend guide covers the 6010 and its relatives.

Is every color the same fiber?

No, and it changes the method. Here's what the manufacturers list:

• Gildan 5000: Blackberry, Dark Heather, Graphite Heather, the Heather colors, Lilac, Midnight, the Neon colors, the Safety colors, Sunset and Tweed are 50/50 cotton/polyester. The Antique colors and Sport Grey are 90/10, and Ash is 99/1.
• Tultex 202: Heather Grey is 90/10, and the other Heather colors are 50/50.
• Next Level 3600: Heather Grey is 90/10, and Oatmeal is 99/1.

A color name alone won't tell you the fiber. Blackberry and Midnight sound like plain colors and are still 50/50. So if you plan discharge or bright DTG, pick from the colors not on these lists.

Will it shrink?

Cotton that isn't pre-shrunk can move in the first wash. Wash and dry one sample and measure it before you lock sizes for the run. If sizing has to stay put, the Tultex 202 is pre-shrunk. Comfort Colors says garment dyeing gives the 1717 minimal shrinkage, and a sample wash is still worth doing.

Which should you buy?

For most printed tees, start with cotton. Our pick is the Tultex 202: it's pre-shrunk ringspun cotton in sizes XS to 5XL. Outside the Heather colors it's 100% cotton, so it takes screen print, DTG, DTF and discharge. See the rest of the Tultex line for other weights.

For sublimation or sweat-heavy team wear, switch to the Gildan 42000, which Gildan calls an ideal choice for sublimating. For everything between, start with the Next Level 6210 and read the blend guide.