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  • Writer's pictureAmy Cone
    • Feb 24, 2020

THE BEST T-SHIRTS FOR SCREEN PRINTING



There are tons of different brands out there, so don’t feel bad when you have no idea where to start when placing your custom t-shirt printing order. Hopefully this guide can help you out. Here are four t-shirts we know work best for screen printing:


100% Cotton

This is probably the most common style of tees out there. When in doubt, go with a 100% cotton shirt. These shirts are affordable, produce great printing quality and work great with many different specialty inks. But, 100% cotton is also known to shrink a little bit in the wash. Our most common 100% cotton options include:



Basic weight is 5.3 oz., but you can also request the heavier 6.1 oz. in these brands, which costs a bit more.


When you buy a t-shirt at a non-specialty store, you are probably buying one of these 100% cotton options.


Why you might choose 100% cotton t-shirts for screen printing:


  • If you are on a tight budget — you should go with a basic 100% cotton shirt. It’s the cheapest option.

  • If your audience is Bob the Plumber — the average t-shirt wearer usually likes this shirt.

  • If your shirts are to be worn for any type of physical activity — you definitely want to have a thicker shirt, so opt for the 6.1 oz. weight.


100% Ringspun Cotton


This is our second most popular shirt and a heavy favorite for clothing companies. When it comes to quality, this is the route you want to go. Ringspun tees are thinner and softer than normal 100% cotton basics, and often called “fashion tees.” These provide you with great printing quality, and they can be printed with specialty inks. Ringspun cotton shirts include:



If you are buying a tee in a store that is a bit “higher end,” you are probably buying one of these shirts.


Why you might choose ringspun cotton tees:


  • If your audience is more discriminating than Bob the Plumber — if you can spend even a little bit more, I would recommend going with an affordable ringspun brand like Tultex or the Anvil Fashion Tee.

  • If you are a band — bands are almost always on tight budgets, but I always think bands should at least upgrade to the ringspun as they can be only 50-75 cents more than basic shirts if you print through All-County Apparel. You get a nicer shirt without killing your bank account.

  • If you are a clothing company — definitely go with the American Apparel 2001/2102 or the Alternative Apparel AA05, as this has become a standard in the industry. Clothing companies, your goal should be to print on one of these two brands. If you can’t do it off the bat, at least use the Tultex/Anvil Fashion Tee as you build up some cash flow.


50/50 Poly/Cotton Blend

These are nice shirts, usually a little softer than 100% cotton, and they don’t shrink as much. They are 50% cotton and 50% polyester. The only problem with them is that we can’t print on them with some specialty inks. All-County Apparel Printing uses a white or grey underbase on all 50/50 tees to allow for the best print quality as possible. If you don’t want to pay extra for the underbase, know your inks will be thicker or there may be some dye migration. You can get 50/50 blend tees from:



Triblend


When we printed our first set of All-County Apparel logo tees, we decided we wanted to go all out. We wanted a shirt that made people go “wow” when they first touched it — and they do. We went with the Triblend American Apparel tee, and this shirt feels amazing. They are 50% cotton, 25% polyester and 25% rayon, and they are probably one of the softest shirts you will ever feel. Due to its makeup though, these shirts almost always come in a heather. Also, you can’t use specialty inks on these again due to dye migration, so we use our soft white or grey underbase to produce the best print quality. But be warned, these are pretty expensive, and the most expensive out of the four options listed here.


And of course, you can request virtually any other t-shirt blank available. We have wholesale accounts set up with most blank tee companies known to man, and if you ask us about something new, we’ll probably be able to make something work if you just ask nicely.


So which option is right for you? It really comes down to cost, who your audience is and what you are going for. These options are not necessarily listed in order of price, and pricing can vary quite a bit per style and per brand. For pricing options, call or email us for a custom quote.


Any questions or thoughts? Just drop me an email at amy@allcountyapparel.com.

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