Choosing the Right T-Shirt Fabric for Printing

People obsess over the artwork and forget the canvas. The fabric you print on decides how the colours sit, how the shirt feels in Dhaka's heat, and how it holds up after the tenth wash. Here's what to know before you choose a blank.

100% cotton

The classic for printing. Cotton takes ink beautifully — especially for DTG and screen printing — and breathes well, which matters a lot in our climate. Look for combed cotton for a smoother surface and a softer hand.

The trade-off: pure cotton can shrink a little on the first wash and wrinkles more. For most custom tees, it's still our default recommendation.

Cotton-polyester blends

A blend (often 60/40 or 50/50) adds durability, resists shrinking and wrinkling, and dries faster. The slightly smoother surface suits certain prints well, and the shirts tend to keep their shape over time.

• Comfort: a touch less breathable than pure cotton but very wearable.
• Durability: excellent — great for shirts that get heavy use.
• Print: works across methods; vinyl and screen sit nicely.

Weight matters too

Fabric weight is measured in GSM (grams per square metre):

1. 140–160 GSM — light and airy, ideal for summer and giveaways.
2. 170–190 GSM — the sweet spot for most custom tees: substantial but comfortable.
3. 200+ GSM — premium, structured, holds its shape; lovely for brand merch.

In Bangladesh's heat, breathability wins. A mid-weight combed cotton is the shirt people actually keep wearing.

Our advice

For everyday tees and giveaways, mid-weight combed cotton. For staff uniforms or anything that gets washed constantly, lean toward a blend. Tell us how the shirt will be used and we'll pull the right blank — and you're always welcome to feel samples at the studio before you commit.