Two T-shirts can both say “100% cotton, 180 GSM” on the label and feel nothing alike. The difference is in the yarn and the knit, and neither appears on most product pages. If the number itself is what is confusing you, start with GSM and fabric weight explained. This guide covers what to look for.
The short answer
- Everyday tee that has to last: ring-spun cotton, 160 to 180 GSM.
- Softest possible feel: combed ring-spun cotton, or a tri-blend.
- Sport or heavy sweating: polyester or a poly-rich performance knit.
- Lowest cost at volume: carded open-end cotton, or a 50/50 blend.
- Printed merchandise: ring-spun cotton for DTG and screen; polyester only if you are sublimating.
Fibre: what the shirt is made of
Cotton
Breathable, absorbent and comfortable against the skin, which is why it remains the default. It takes almost every printing method well, and it is the only common tee fibre that suits DTG properly.
Its weaknesses are predictable: it absorbs sweat and holds it, it dries slowly, and untreated cotton shrinks. For anything other than sport, those are usually acceptable.
Polyester
Moves moisture to the surface rather than absorbing it, dries quickly, barely shrinks and holds colour. The reason every sports jersey is made of it.
Against that: it feels less soft, it can retain odour, and cheap polyester jersey can feel plasticky. It is also the only fibre that accepts dye sublimation, which makes it mandatory for all-over printed kit.
Cotton-polyester blends
Most blended tees are 50/50 or 65/35. They shrink less than cotton, dry faster, wrinkle less and cost less, at the price of some breathability and a slightly flatter feel. A sensible default for workwear, uniforms and anything washed constantly.
Tri-blends
Cotton, polyester and rayon — commonly 50/25/25. The rayon adds drape and softness, giving the fluid, slightly heathered tee associated with fashion brands. They feel excellent and cost more, and the rayon makes them less durable and more prone to shrinkage than a cotton-poly blend.
Yarn: the part nobody puts on the label
This is where two identical-looking tees diverge, and it matters more than the GSM.
| Yarn | How it is made | Feel | Durability | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open-end (carded) | Fibres bonded by air, shorter staples left in | Coarser, fuzzes sooner | Lower | Lowest |
| Ring-spun | Fibres twisted into a continuous strand | Noticeably softer and smoother | Higher | Medium |
| Combed ring-spun | Ring-spun, with short fibres combed out first | Softest, very smooth surface | Highest | Higher |
| Slub | Deliberately uneven yarn | Textured, irregular by design | Similar to ring-spun | Medium-high |
Ring-spun yarn is the single biggest upgrade available in a T-shirt, and it costs far less than moving up a fabric weight. A 160 GSM ring-spun tee will outlast and outfeel a 200 GSM carded one.
The yarn count — 20s, 30s, 40s — describes fineness. Higher numbers mean finer yarn and a lighter, smoother fabric. A 30s single is the common mid-weight tee; 40s is finer and more premium.
Knit: how the fabric is built
| Knit | Surface | Weight | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single jersey | Smooth face, looped back | Light to mid | The standard T-shirt |
| Pique | Textured, small raised cells | Mid | Polo shirts, breathable tees |
| Interlock | Smooth on both faces, denser | Mid to heavy | Premium tees, heavier fashion pieces |
| Slub jersey | Irregular, visible texture | Light to mid | Vintage-look and fashion tees |
| Performance knit | Smooth, often with elastane | Light | Sports and training shirts |
Single jersey covers the overwhelming majority of T-shirts. Interlock is worth knowing about: knitted on two needle beds, it is smooth on both sides, heavier, more stable and does not curl at the hem.
All the options compared
| Fabric | Typical GSM | Feel | Breathability | Shrinkage | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carded cotton | 150–180 | Coarser | High | High if untreated | Good for screen | Lowest |
| Ring-spun cotton | 150–200 | Soft, smooth | High | Medium | Excellent for DTG and screen | Medium |
| Combed ring-spun | 150–200 | Softest | High | Medium | Excellent | Higher |
| Organic cotton | 150–200 | As its yarn quality | High | Medium | Excellent | High |
| Polyester | 130–180 | Smooth, synthetic | Moves moisture | Very low | Sublimation only | Low |
| 50/50 blend | 150–180 | Softer than poly, flatter than cotton | Medium | Low | Good for screen, weak DTG | Low |
| Tri-blend | 130–160 | Very soft, drapes | Medium-high | Medium | Good, heathered look | High |
Weight bands are typical, not fixed. Our guide to GSM explains what the number does and does not tell you.
Choosing by what the shirt is for
| The shirt is for | Fabric | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday wear | Ring-spun cotton | 160–180 | Best balance of feel, durability and price |
| A hot climate | Light ring-spun cotton or cotton-poly | 140–160 | Breathes; dries faster in a blend |
| Training and sport | Polyester performance knit | 130–160 | Moves sweat, dries between sessions |
| Team kit with an all-over print | Polyester | 140–170 | Sublimation only bonds to polyester |
| Printed merchandise, detailed artwork | Combed ring-spun cotton | 170–190 | Smooth surface holds fine detail under DTG |
| Heavyweight fashion tee | Cotton, interlock or heavy jersey | 200–240 | Holds its shape, drapes rather than clings |
| Uniforms washed daily | 50/50 blend | 160–180 | Shrinks least, dries fastest, wears well |
| Giveaways at volume | Carded cotton or 50/50 | 150–170 | Lowest cost that still feels acceptable |
If the shirt is going to be printed, decide the fabric and the method together — the printing method you choose rules some fabrics out entirely.
What to check before buying at volume
- Is the cotton ring-spun or open-end? The biggest single driver of feel and longevity.
- Is it pre-shrunk, and what residual shrinkage is quoted? Untreated cotton can lose noticeable length on a first hot wash.
- Is the collar ribbed, and is it taped? A 1×1 rib collar with shoulder-to-shoulder tape keeps its shape; an untaped collar is the first thing to fail.
- Side-seamed or tubular? Tubular bodies are cheaper and boxier; side-seamed shirts are cut to shape and hang better.
- Single or double stitching at the hem? Double-needle hems and sleeves last considerably longer.
- Can you see the fabric in the actual colour? Heathers and pastels often differ in hand feel from solids in the same line.
Frequently asked questions
What GSM is best for a T-shirt?
There is no single best number. Roughly speaking, 140–160 gsm is a light summer tee that drapes and breathes, 180–200 gsm is the everyday weight most people picture when they think “good quality T-shirt”, and 220 gsm and above is a heavyweight tee that holds its shape, resists see-through and feels structured. Pick the weight for the climate and the use, not for the biggest number: a 240 gsm tee in Lahore in June is a heavy garment.
Is 100% cotton always better than a blend?
No. Cotton is more breathable and takes most prints beautifully, but it shrinks, creases and dries slowly. A cotton-rich blend trades a little breathability for shape retention, faster drying and fewer wrinkles. For a tee that is worn and washed constantly — staff uniforms, event shirts — a blend often survives better. For a premium retail feel next to the skin, cotton usually wins.
What does ring-spun mean, and is it worth paying for?
Ring-spinning twists and thins the yarn in extra steps, so the fibres lie more evenly and the finished yarn is smoother and stronger than carded open-end yarn of the same cotton. In the hand the difference is obvious: a ring-spun tee feels softer and finer and prints with cleaner detail. Whether it is worth the cost depends on the job. For a garment someone chooses to wear, yes. For a single-use giveaway, carded cotton is the sensible spend.
Which fabric holds a print best?
For screen printing and DTG, cotton — the ink bonds to cotton fibres far more readily than to polyester. For sublimation, the opposite: sublimation only works on polyester, so a sublimated tee has to be polyester or a very high-polyester blend. A 50/50 blend sits awkwardly between the two: DTG output looks washed out and sublimation looks faded, because only half the fibres take the dye. Our full breakdown of garment printing methods compared goes through each option in detail.
| Print method | Best fabric | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Screen print | Cotton, cotton-rich blends | High-stretch performance knits |
| DTG | 100% cotton, ring-spun preferred | Polyester, 50/50 blends |
| Sublimation | 100% polyester (white or light) | Cotton, dark polyester |
| Heat transfer vinyl | Cotton, polyester, blends | Heavily textured or ribbed knits |
Will my T-shirts shrink?
Untreated 100% cotton jersey will shrink on its first hot wash — that is the nature of the fibre, not a fault. Pre-shrunk and compacted cotton shrinks much less, and cotton-poly blends less again, because polyester does not shrink. If sizing matters (a numbered team set, a uniform order), say so before production so the fabric and the size allowance are chosen with that in mind, and always wash cold and dry low.
Why do two tees at the same GSM feel completely different?
Because GSM measures weight, not quality. Two fabrics at 180 gsm can differ in fibre (combed cotton against coarse carded cotton), in yarn (ring-spun against open-end), in knit (single jersey against a tighter interlock) and in finish (enzyme-washed and compacted against raw). Weight tells you how substantial the cloth is; the other four tell you how it feels and how long it lasts.
Single jersey or interlock for a custom tee?
Single jersey is the standard T-shirt knit: lighter, more breathable, with a visible right and wrong side and a tendency to curl at a raw edge. Interlock is knitted on two sets of needles, so it is smoother on both faces, denser, more stable and less prone to curling — and heavier and warmer for the same yarn. Jersey for a normal tee, interlock when you want a premium, substantial, non-curling finish.
How do I specify a T-shirt fabric when ordering?
- Fibre — 100% cotton, cotton-poly blend, or 100% polyester.
- Yarn — ring-spun or carded; combed or not.
- Knit — single jersey, interlock, or pique.
- Weight — a gsm figure or a band (for example 180–200 gsm).
- Finish — pre-shrunk, compacted, enzyme-washed, or raw.
- Print method — so the fabric and the ink are matched rather than argued over later.
Those six lines remove almost every fabric dispute before it happens, and the same six work for heavier garments — see the hoodie fabric guide for fleece and French terry. If you are building a custom run with us, you can set most of them directly in the Custom Lab, and we will come back to you on anything that needs a decision.
If you are still weighing the fibre itself, see cotton vs polyester for the full comparison.