Let's talk about Tees
Who knew that a simple T Shirt can be such a complex thing? Well we certainly didn’t when we had our little epiphany moment in the pub about creating a business selling beer themed Tees.
I mean a Tee’s a Tee isn’t it? ‘Of course not!’ I can hear all you Tee aficionados shout. And you’re right.
So when it came to building our Print on Demand business… which is the only way to get into Tees without mortgaging the house and selling the kids to buy stock and pay for warehousing… we had a lot to learn. And this is what we did find out about Tee Shirts and how to deliver the best balance between price and quality.
The Goldilocks Zone of T-shirts
When it came to choosing the right blank tee, we didn’t just pick something that “looked alright” on a supplier page and call it a day. We tested, compared, argued (a bit), and ultimately landed on the Gildan 64000 Softstyle—because it hits that sweet spot where quality and cost actually meet and get on, rather than argue and fall out.
Let’s start with weight—because in the world of Tee Shirts, that matters more than most people realise. The Gildan 64000 ‘blank’ Tee Shirt sits at around 4.5 oz / 153 gsm in weight, which is basically the “just right” category. Not flimsy, not bulky—just comfortably in the middle.
Compare that to ultra-cheap tees (you know the ones). These are often lighter, sometimes blended with synthetics, and can feel a bit like wearing a supermarket carrier bag with sleeves. They’re cheap to buy sure—but they tend to:
• show prints less cleanly
• feel rougher on skin
• lose shape faster
On the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got heavyweight or premium jersey tees—think thicker, denser fabrics. These can feel great, but they come with trade-offs:
• a higher base cost which affects the price customers pay
• warmer and less versatile for everyday wear
• sometimes too “structured” for casual styling
The 64000 sits right in between. It’s lightweight enough to be breathable, but still has enough substance to feel like a proper garment—not a disposable one.
Built for printing (and reprinting… and reprinting)
Another big reason we chose it is the fabric itself. The 64000 uses ring-spun cotton with high stitch density, which gives it a smoother surface. That’s not just technical jargon—it directly affects how your design looks. In simple terms:
• smoother fabric = cleaner prints
• higher stitch density = sharper detail
• better ink absorption = colours that actually pop
If you’ve ever seen a print look dull or fuzzy on a cheaper shirt, this is why. The Gildan 64000 avoids that problem nicely.
Don’t just take our word for it
It’s not just us saying this either. Across major retailers, the Gildan Softstyle consistently scores around 4.7–4.8 out of 5 stars from thousands of reviews —which is unusually high for something at this price point. Even smaller product listings show similar sentiment, with perfect 5.0 ratings from repeat buyers and small businesses.
That kind of consistency matters. We wanted to offer a quality product that our customers like – and returns and complaints often come down to feel and fit—not just the print. A shirt that customers already trust massively reduces that risk.
Cost vs Quality
Here’s the honest bit: yes, there are cheaper shirts. And yes, there are “nicer” ones. But we realised that those cheaper options would cost us later—in reprints, refunds, disappointed customers and a tarnished brand. And premium blanks? We knew would quickly push our prices up to a point where people would think twice about their new Tee… even if it was really funny.
Anyway, to cut a long story just a little less longer, we found that the Gildan 64000 sits in a rare middle ground:
• it’s affordable enough to keep our margins healthy and us in business
• it’s soft enough so that our customers overwhelmingly feel they are getting a good product
• it’s durable enough to survive actual life (washing machines included)
The feel factor (because this is what people remember)
Finally—and maybe most importantly—we found that the Gildan 64000 just feels good. The ring-spun cotton gives it a softer, slightly smoother texture compared to standard cotton tees. It’s the kind of shirt people don’t immediately want to change out of when they get home. Unless they’ve spent the evening in the pub and smell of beer spillages and pork scratchings.
So, that’s the story behind our choice of the Gildan 64000 for our T Shirt blanks. We know we can’t please all the people all the time. But we know that with the Gildan we’ll be pleasing an awful lots of people most of the time. But just to reassure you, we are also working on introducing an option for a heavier style Tee. It will be more expensive because the blank Tees are more expensive and as they are heavier shipping increases too, but for those people that want the heavyweight experience it gives them an added option. Watch this space as we introduce more designs with a heavier Tee option.
Phew, there we go… just a few short months ago if someone had asked what kind of Tee I preferred I would probably have said ‘builders, with milk and two sugars’, now I can write a whole blog about the subject. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?