You’ve perfected your design; let’s help you pick the best T-shirt fabric for your brand!
With an unbelievable amount of fabrics available, picking the perfect material for your brand’s custom T-shirts can be a real headache. But don’t sweat it; we’ve put together this guide to make selecting your fabric much easier. Here, we highlight what to consider before choosing your fabric and look at the most popular T-shirt materials, highlighting their benefits or potential drawbacks. This way, you can find the best T-shirt fabric to partner with your brand’s needs. And if your primary goal is to simply find a comfy fabric for those cosy custom tees people won’t want to take off, we’re all for that!
Factors to consider before choosing the best T-shirt fabric for your brand
Some of the most important factors to consider are your desired feel/comfort, weight, durability, fit, printing method, target market, ease of care, sustainability and price point. Most importantly, consider the garment’s intended use; you ultimately need a fabric that suits your customers’ lifestyle, feels great to wear, and lasts a long time.
1. Consider your desired feel and comfort for your T-shirt
T-shirt fabric comfort is all about how the material interacts with your skin. A comfortable fabric should feel soft, not irritate your skin, allow good air circulation, and provide some stretch so you can move freely.
What is the softest T-shirt material? The softest T-shirt materials are typically made from natural fibres, with the top contenders being Pima cotton, Supima cotton, organic cotton, and bamboo. These fabrics are more gentle on the skin.
2. Consider your fabric weight
The weight of your T-shirt is defined by the thickness and density of the material, typically measured in grams per square metre (GSM). When choosing a fabric weight, consider the different climates and seasons in which your customers will wear the T-shirt.
- Lightweight fabrics: Usually fall between 100 and 150 GSM, are thinner and offer better breathability.
- Heavyweight fabrics: Starting from 200 GSM and above, are thicker and provide increased durability.
- Mid-weight fabrics: Ranging from 150 to 200 GSM, offer a balanced combination of breathability and durability.
3. Consider how you want the T-shirt to fit
The fit of a T-shirt refers to how well it shapes your body. Fabrics that include a mix of spandex or elastane can provide enhanced fit and flexibility. We recommend trying various styles and sizes, focusing on how the fabric contours to your form while providing ease of movement.
4. Consider your T-shirt’s durability
T-shirt fabric durability refers to the material’s ability to endure wear, washing, and everyday use over time. Combed cotton or blended materials are the most durable. Choosing higher-quality fabrics can result in T-shirts that last significantly longer. You can opt for pre-shrunk and tightly woven fabric choices for lasting wear and comfort.
5. Consider sustainable options
Approximately 40% of manufactured clothing is unsold or unworn. Many customers are looking for sustainable options that align with their values. Choosing fabrics manufactured and sourced sustainably benefits your brand and the planet. You can quite literally wear your organisation’s commitment to its sustainable values.
6. Consider your fabric’s print compatibility
Print compatibility is a fabric’s ability to hold and showcase printed designs effectively. Some fabrics are better at absorbing ink and can maintain high print quality for longer. Opt for fabrics with a smooth texture, such as cotton or polyester blends.
If you can, conduct a test print on a small sample and seek advice from printing professionals to determine the ideal fabric choices for your preferred printing technique, whether screen printing, direct-to-garment (DTG), Embroidery etc.
What is the best quality fabric for T-shirts?
Most T-shirts are crafted from cotton or a cotton-polyester blend. Cotton is typically the preferred choice due to its balance of breathability, softness, affordability, and overall quality.
The most popular types of T-shirt fabrics
Cotton
Cotton is the most popular and widely used natural fabric worldwide. It’s a great material for T-shirts all year round and is typically the preferred fabric for many products in print-on-demand. The ink adheres effectively to the fibres, creating an excellent surface for high-resolution designs. Cotton is comfortable, durable, breathable, absorbent, and biodegradable.
What types of cotton are there?
- Regular cotton (100% standard cotton): Regular cotton T-shirts are thicker, heavier, and less soft than other cotton types. This makes them ideal for casual or streetwear styles and exceptionally good for direct-to-garment (DTG) printing or embroidery. Due to lower production costs, regular cotton is the most affordable cotton type.
- Organic cotton: This type of cotton is grown without synthetic fertilisers, making it much more eco-friendly. Organic cotton is soft, popular, and just as durable and smooth.
- Recycled cotton: This is made from pre-consumer or post-consumer cotton waste, such as leftover fabric scraps or discarded clothing. The cotton is broken down, cleaned, and processed into new fibres to create fresh fabric.
- Ring-spun cotton: More expensive than regular cotton, it’s softer, smoother, and more durable. It is a tightly woven fabric.
- Combed and ring-spun cotton: This cotton is softer than ring-spun cotton due to the combing process that eliminates impurities, resulting in a smoother surface for printing.
- Slub cotton: This breathable and lightweight fabric creates premium cotton T-shirts that fit away from the body. They are priced a bit higher. They have a fantastic texture and require minimal ironing.
- Pima cotton: One of the best varieties globally, comparable to Egyptian cotton. It boasts a smooth, soft texture and exceptional durability. Additionally, the fabric is resistant to tears, wrinkles, and fading.
What are the pros and cons of cotton?
Cotton T-shirts are breathable, versatile, comfortable, and environmentally friendly. They are also hypoallergenic, making cotton an excellent option for children’s clothing or anyone with sensitive skin. While cotton is a primary option for T-shirts, its natural fibres can wear out more quickly than synthetic polyester. Cotton has minimal elasticity, which may not be ideal for designs requiring more stretch or flexibility. Additionally, they may shrink unless they have been pre-shrunk.
Printing on cotton
Cotton is well-suited to various printing methods, such as screen printing and direct-to-garment (DTG). However, the best printing method for cotton T-shirts is Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing. It delivers sharp, detailed, and vibrant designs.
Thanks to their tightly woven fabric, cotton T-shirts make an ideal canvas for custom embroidery designs. It’s best to choose a moderately heavy cotton fabric so that it won’t snag around the embroidered design or be so thick that it’s tough for the embroidery machines to stitch through.
Fairtrade Organic T-shirts, A.M. Custom Clothing
We supply and print onto Fairtrade Organic men’s and women’s fit T-shirts. They are made from 100% Organic Fairtrade Cotton, 155 gsm, slightly fitted at shoulders and sleeve with a crew neck. elastane rib knitted neckband and neck tape. Each Fairtrade organic product we offer is produced and certified following the world’s highest environmental, social, and ethical standards.
Polyester
Another popular material for T-shirts is Polyester, a petroleum-based synthetic material. Polyester T-shirts are versatile, lightweight, durable, moisture-wicking, don’t crease or shrink as easily as cotton and are easy to care for.
What are the pros and cons of polyester?
Great for athletic clothing, polyester resists creasing and wear, dries quickly, requires minimal care during washing, and will effectively hold your printed designs. It’s a cost-effective option for custom T-shirts.
However, polyester has its negatives. Its texture can differ significantly, ranging from a cotton-like feel to a harsher quality. Polyester is generally non-biodegradable. It can take anywhere from 20 to 200 years to decompose. Its production can also lead to chemical waste if not managed properly.
Printing on polyester
The best printing method for polyester t-shirts is sublimation printing/all-over printing. Sublimation uses heat to transfer dye directly into the fabric, producing vibrant, long-lasting colours. The ink becomes part of the fabric, so there’s no raised texture or stiffness like with other methods
Sublimation works best on light-coloured, 100% polyester fabrics. It’s unsuitable for cotton because the dye won’t bond well with natural fibres.
Linen
Linen is a natural fabric perfect for summer and formal occasions. It is often used in restaurant uniforms and classic solid-coloured dress shirts. This fabric is crafted from the fibres of the flax plant and features a textured, tight weave. It is breathable, durable, dries quickly, and absorbent.
What are the pros and cons of linen?
Linen is light, durable, and comfortable against the skin. Despite its many excellent qualities, linen isn’t one of the most commonly used fabrics for T-shirts. It wrinkles and creases very easily, requiring frequent maintenance. Additionally, linen tends to be pricier than cotton and tends to shrink.
Printing on linen
Other methods like DTG can also work on linen, but screen printing is often the best choice for its durability and vibrant output. Screen printing offers solid and vivid colours and long-lasting durability, even on natural fibres like linen. Linen has a slightly textured surface, and screen printing can adapt well to this, maintaining the quality of the print. For bulk orders, screen printing is a cost-effective option with excellent results on linen.
What about blended fabrics?
Fabrics blended together, such as cotton and polyester, blend natural and synthetic fibres to provide better durability, stretch, and comfort. Common blends include 50/50 (cotton/polyester), 60/40, and 90/10.
Pros of blended fabrics:
- Blended fabrics can be more durable and less likely to shrink.
- They have a smooth surface that is ideal for detailed printing.
- They combine a comfortable feel with moisture-wicking properties. (Good for activewear.)
- They are compatible with multiple printing methods. (Screen printing, DTG, heat transfer and more.)
Cons of blended fabrics:
- The print quality might be less vibrant.
- It is less eco-friendly due to synthetic fibres.
- Prints can fade faster, especially after frequent washing.
So there we have it! Hopefully you have a clearer idea of the fabric you would like to go for. Just make sure to consider the comfort, durability, weight, fit, and printing compatibility of different T-shirt materials while also being mindful of sustainability.
