When considering the benefits of ring-spun cotton compared to standard cotton, fabric quality is important to not only deliver a durable, long-lasting shirt, however the print quality will also vary depending on that fabric. Shirterrific offer 100% cotton blends, poly blends (50% cotton/50% polyester), and tri-blends (50% polyester/25% cotton/25% rayon or 50% polyester/37% ring-spun combed cotton/13% rayon).
What’s the difference between ring-spun cotton and standard cotton?
Ring-spun cotton is made by continuously twisting and thinning the cotton strands, which makes a very fine rope of cotton fibers. Due to this process, ring-spun cotton results in a stronger weave and a significantly softer feel.
Our standard printing process is best suited for garments that are 100% cotton – if you’re looking for the most opaque result, 100% cotton is your best bet. This fabric generally has a better result due to its tight weave. However, there are exceptions to this. If a cotton is too thick, it can absorb the ink and result in a more faded look that you see with many graphic tees.
We’ve also seen a high demand for poly and tri-blend garments and have been working hard to develop a system that allowed us to print on such garments without compromising quality. It took a lot of testing, but we finally got it! These blended garments will have a faded/vintage outcome with DTG printing due to their looser weave and combination of fabrics. This means that the fabric of the garment will often show through the ink:
Our favorites for clean/opaque look:
American Apparel 2001 / 2102
Bella Canvas 3001
If you want something more vintage looking, go for:
American Apparel BB401 / BB301 / TR408 / TR308
Next Level 6200
Closeup photographs of white printed on different garments
Certain 100% cotton garments offer heather colors, which are 90% cotton / 10% polyester blends. DTG printing on these garments will have a bit of a vintage feel, but not so much as a true poly or tri-blend.
