T Shirt Printing Cotton VS Poly

T-shirts are most popularly made of cotton or polyester fibers (or a mix of the two). In fact, polyester and cotton account for more than 85% of the global fibre market. Making the choice between cotton vs poly for your t shirt printing really depends on what you’re looking for in a shirt for your t shirt printing. Most trade industries and schools, like poly blends because they don’t want shrinkage when the shirts are washed. Poly fabrics are also wrinkle or iron free so if you hate ironing just as much as I do then poly shirts are the way to go. 100% cotton shirts will always be a cooler shirt to wear in a hot climate compared to basic polyesters (like those used in most 50/50 poly cotton blends) which don’t breathe as well as natural fibres in cotton. However, there are advanced polyesters that wick moisture and are in fact better than cotton like the Stencils’ and Australian Spirit’s range of cooldry 100% poly t shirts. Due to their higher quality, these usually cost more than your 100% cotton t shirts so consider this when you’re setting a budget for your t shirt printing. Poly t shirts will also usually hold their color better than 100% cotton t shirts and less fading (of screen printed image and the fabric itself). But if you’re looking for a great colour range for your shirts, there are more colors available in 100% cotton t shirts.