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Blog / Beginner's handbook / Top 7 Best Quality T-Shirts for Printing

Beginner's handbook

Ecommerce Guide: 7 Best Quality T-Shirts for Printing

Ecommerce Guide: 7 Best Quality T-Shirts for Printing
Katrina Resne

By Katrina Resne

11 min read

Launching an online business can be difficult, and selecting the products you want to display on your store is no child’s play either. Your designs can help you stand out from competitors, but high-quality products are just as important.

Whether you have a clothing brand or simply want to discover premium t-shirts for yourself, finding the best quality t-shirts for printing can be tricky. But don’t worry, we did the research so you don’t have to.

We analyzed our most popular blank t-shirts and narrowed down the list. Here’s what our top 7 look like:

Keep reading to learn about t-shirt fabric blends, composition, weight, transparency, and the best fulfillment methods for your designs. Become an expert in quality tees and create one that your customers will be excited to buy.

Interested in fabrics? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Fabric Types for characteristics and care.

The best quality t-shirts for printing

Let’s get to know our top 7 t-shirts to better understand which is the right fit for you. When looking for a high-quality t-shirt, you can begin with 3 basic things: style, fabric, and fit.

Look through the different t-shirt styles and see which ones align the best with your vision and the needs of your customers.

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Unisex Staple T-Shirt | Bella + Canvas 3001

If you don’t want to overthink it, the Bella + Canvas 3001 is a t-shirt that’s perfect for just about everyone. This style is unisex and is available in sizes XS–5XL. Its medium-weight fabric is soft to the touch, super comfortable, and will give you a fitted look. The Bella + Canvas 3001 is a long-time bestseller and has the widest color selection of all Printful tees. You can customize it with DTG printing or embroidery, and finish it off with a branded inside label.

Unisex Organic Cotton T-Shirt | Stanley/Stella STTU755

Unisex Organic Cotton T-Shirt | Stanley/Stella STTU755

Looking for a great eco-friendly choice? The Unisex Organic Cotton T-Shirt | Stanley/Stella STTU755 is it. This extra comfy, regular fit t-shirt has been loved by our customers forever. It’s made from 100% organic cotton that’s OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified and PETA-Approved Vegan. You can add custom inside or outside labels and choose from more than 10 t-shirt colors.

Men’s Premium Heavyweight Tee | Cotton Heritage MC1086

Men’s Premium Heavyweight Tee | Cotton Heritage MC1086

If you’re more into a refined look, try out our Men’s Premium Heavyweight Tee. It’s made with high-quality, combed ring-spun cotton. This timeless style has a modern, loose fit for comfort and movement. A great bonus: you can also design the inside or outside label with your brand visuals.

All-Over Print Men’s Crew Neck T-Shirt

All-Over Print Men’s Crew Neck T-Shirt

The All-Over Print Men’s Crew Neck T-Shirt offers almost infinite design possibilities. It’s sewn from a premium mid-weight polyester jersey that’s OEKO-TEX 100 standard certified. Thanks to its fabric composition, it won’t shrink and will keep your print in place and looking fresh for a long time. Customize it with all-over print sublimation and make your boldest design dreams a reality.

Men’s Garment-Dyed Heavyweight T-Shirt | Comfort Colors 1717

Men’s Garment-Dyed Heavyweight T-Shirt | Comfort Colors 1717

If you’re looking for durability and a relaxed fit, this is it. Comfort Colors 1717 is made with thick 100% cotton fabric that ensures comfort and breathability all day long. It’s received tons of top-rated reviews for its softness and quality. Comfort Colors 1717 is available in various low-saturation tones that are great for creating a vintage-look t-shirt or a spring clothing line. You can play with different design placements and create a t-shirt your customers will want to wear every day.

All-Over Print Women’s Crew Neck T-Shirt

All-Over Print Women’s Crew Neck T-Shirt

Do you have a pattern or a large-scale design in the making? This All-Over Print Women’s Crew Neck T-Shirt can be your perfect canvas. It has a regular fit and standard length. It’s made from the same fabric as our All-Over Print Men’s Crew Neck T-Shirt—a premium mid-weight polyester jersey. The fabric is also OEKO-TEX 100 standard certified and has a four-way stretch. You can design it with the all-over print sublimation technique, plus remove the tear-away care label for comfort.

Women’s Relaxed T-Shirt | Bella + Canvas 6400

Women’s Relaxed T-Shirt | Bella + Canvas 6400

If you like a comfy everyday t-shirt, check out our Women’s Relaxed T-Shirt | Bella + Canvas 6400. This relaxed fit t-shirt is made with combed ring-spun cotton or a poly-cotton blend in specific colors. It’s available both in low and high-saturation tones. You can add your design for DTG printing or embroidery and customize the inside or outside label.

Do you have a favorite yet? Or maybe several?

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of what makes a high-quality t-shirt, let’s take a look at how our top 7 t-shirts for printing compare on style, fabric, customization options, sizes, and price.

Top 7 t-shirts for printing: a comparison 

Here’s an overview of the top 7 t-shirts for printing:

  Bella + Canvas 3001 Stanley/Stella STTU755 Cotton Heritage MC1086 All-Over Print Men's Crew Neck T-Shirt Comfort Colors 1717 All-Over Print Women's Crew Neck T-Shirt Bella + Canvas 6400
Style Unisex Unisex Men’s Men’s Men’s Women’s Women’s
Fabric 100% ring-spun combed cotton or poly-cotton blend (depending on the fabric color) 100% organic ring-spun cotton 100%  ring-spun combed cotton 95% polyester, 5% elastane 100% ring-spun cotton 95% polyester, 5% elastane 100% ring-spun combed cotton or poly-cotton blend (depending on the fabric color)
Inside label ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Outside label ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Sleeve print ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Sizes XS–5XL S–2XL S–4XL XS–2XL S–3XL XS–XL S–3XL
Price (starting from) $15.75 $14.75 $15.95 $27.50 $14.95 $24.95 $16.95

This checklist may have already pointed out some potential winners for you, but we have a few more tricks up our sleeve to give you the upper hand in choosing the right tee for you.

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T-shirt properties

There are many ways to manufacture a fabric that changes its durability, look, and feel. If you want to select a high-quality t-shirt like a pro, these elements are worth remembering.

Fabric blends

When it comes to fabric blends, the key is in the name—blends are created by combining different types of fibers. Fabric blends are very popular in clothing because it’s a way of selecting the best characteristics of 2 or more fibers and compensating for the weaker traits.

Synthetic fibers are known for their strength, good wrinkle resistance, and low shrinkage. However, natural fibers have great absorbency, plus they feel incredibly soft on the skin. Making them perfect for everyday wear, especially on hot summer days.

So it’s no surprise that poly-cotton is one of the most common fabric blends. It combines the best of both (fiber) worlds. Polyester fibers have high durability and good color fastness (resistance to fading or running) while cotton provides breathability and comfort.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the different types of fabrics and their properties, take a look at our guide to cotton, polyester, and blended fabrics.

Fabric composition

Most of our top 7 tees are made of 100% cotton, yet they’re not all the same. There’s the plain Jane, aka cotton, followed by its prettier cousin, ring-spun cotton, and finally, we have the queen of the ball—combed cotton.

The processes for creating regular cotton, ring-spun cotton, combed cotton, and ring-spun combed cotton are definitely not the same. So let’s figure out the specifics of each of these fabrics.

Regular cotton

Regular cotton is made from soft vegetable fibers that are twisted together to make yarn, which is then woven to make the material. The regular cotton t-shirt is the industry standard. It’s less expensive to make, which means it’s a big seller.

Ring-spun cotton

The yarn for ring-spun cotton is made by twisting and thinning the cotton strands to make a very fine, strong, soft rope of cotton fibers. They’ve been through a spinning process that softens and straightens each fiber. 

Ring-spun cotton t-shirts are more durable than their regular cotton tee counterparts, but are a bit more expensive.

Ring-spun cotton t-shirts: Comfort Colors 1717, Stanley/Stella STTU755

Combed cotton

Combed cotton has been combed to make the yarn stronger and softer. This combing process also rids the batch of shorter fibers and impurities, which results in finer, stronger, and more compact cotton. Combed cotton is considered higher quality and softer than cotton that hasn’t been combed.

Ring-spun combed cotton

Ring-spun combed cotton is a step up in quality as it’s even more refined. After the cotton fibers have been spun, they’re combed to remove any impurities or imperfect strands. This way, the knit that is produced is soft and extremely durable. Plus, it creates a smooth surface on the t-shirt fabric.

Ring-spun combed cotton t-shirts: Bella + Canvas 3001, Cotton Heritage MC1086

Fabric weight

One of the most important factors to consider is the weight of the fabric. Fabric weight is the outcome of how the fabric has been woven, its finish, and the fiber type.

In the US, the fabric is measured in ounces per square yard (oz/yd2), but everyone else out there might have an easier time understanding the metric unit—grams per square meter (g/m2). G/m2 and Oz/yd2 show how much 1 square meter/yard of fabric weighs. The higher the g/m2 or oz/yd2 number, the denser the fabric will be.

Let’s take a look at the fabric weight for our top 7 t-shirts:

  Bella + Canvas 3001 Stanley/Stella STTU755 Cotton Heritage MC1086 All-Over Print Men's Crew Neck T-Shirt Comfort Colors 1717 All-Over Print Women's Crew Neck T-Shirt Bella + Canvas 6400
Fabric weight (oz/yd2) 4.2 oz/yd² 5.3 oz/yd² 6.5 oz/yd² 6.19 oz/yd² 6.1 oz/yd² 6.19 oz/yd² 4.2 oz/yd²
Fabric weight (g/m2) 142 g/m² 180 g/m² 220 g/m² 210 g/m² 206.8 g/m² 210 g/m² 142 g/m²

There used to be a close connection between weight and quality—heavy shirts were good, light shirts were cheap. That’s not always the case these days. A lightweight shirt can be just as good when it comes to quality as a heavier one.

What’s the difference then? Well, just like furry boots are made for winter and flip-flops for summer, a heavier shirt is more durable and warmer than a lightweight one. Alternatively, a lightweight tee is a better layering piece and a hands-down winner when it gets warm and sunny.

So your task is not only to understand the needs of your audience but also to properly present this info in your product descriptions.

Fabric transparency

We’ve looked at the basic checklist, fabric types, and weight. But there’s another nifty thing to think about: transparency.

Fabric transparency is usually affected by fabric weight and color. The heavier the fabric is, the more opaque it will be. The closer to the white color it is, the more it will show through. And, as mentioned before, the higher the g/m2 or oz/yd2 number, the denser the fabric is, and the less sheer it’s going to be.

These aren’t the only factors, though. The weave of a fabric and the type of yarn used also come into play. It determines how sheer and thick the fabric is going to be.

To understand fabric transparency better, you can go back to the fabric weight comparison table. As we’re talking about cotton and polyester t-shirts here, weight and color will be the most important factors to keep in mind.

Fulfillment methods

To make sure your design turns out the way you envision it, you’ll have to find the right fulfillment method for your tee of choice. Each method has specific requirements for custom t-shirt printing, so here’s how to select the best one for you.

DTG (direct-to-garment) printing

DTG (direct-to-garment) printing is perfect for photos or designs that include intricate details or lots of colors. It’s comfortable and long-lasting, because the print soaks into the clothing fibers. The best quality t-shirts for DTG printing are made from cotton. The higher the percentage of cotton, the more vivid the print.

Embroidery

For text design, bold logos, and thick lines check out embroidery.

DTG printing and embroidery are available for:

All-over print sublimation

If you’ve created a pattern or large-scale design, then choose all-over print. First, your artwork will be printed on fabric. Then, it’ll be cut and sewn into the t-shirt you’ve chosen. The best blank t-shirts for all-over print sublimation contain a high percentage of polyester. That way, in the printing process, the ink can bond with polymers in the fabric. On polyester t-shirts, this technique creates richer and longer-lasting designs.

It’s available for:

Remember to read the print file guidelines for the chosen fulfillment method to ensure your designs turn out perfect.

Branding options

After you’ve chosen the perfect tee and decided on a fulfillment method, it’s now time for that cherry on top. Give a professional look to your designed t-shirt by adding an inside/outside label or sleeve print. It’ll strengthen your customer loyalty, and remind them of your brand every time the t-shirt is worn. 

Learn more about different branding options and create the perfect unboxing experience for your customers.

What’s the best t-shirt for printing? 

So who wins the ultimate battle of the tees? Simply put, it’s the shirt you know your customers are going to love. Think about fiber content, fabric composition, weight, transparency, and fulfillment method. 

But, don’t forget about the price. Take into consideration your profit margins and how much your customers are willing to pay for custom t-shirts. If you’re still not sure, order some samples to test your designs and the quality of the shirts. 

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And if you have something different in mind, head to our product catalog to find the shirt that best matches your vision. Good luck and happy t-shirt selling!

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By Katrina Resne on Jan 5, 2023

Katrina Resne

Content Writer Intern

Katrīna is a content writer with a background in Material Technology and Design. She loves the digital world and creating content in visual and written form.

Katrīna is a content writer with a background in Material Technology and Design. She loves the digital world and creating content in visual and written form.