Gildan

Gildan is the volume backbone of the US printwear trade: the largest blank-apparel manufacturer, and the price floor everything else gets judged against. Every major distributor stocks it deep, in every size, in dozens of colors. It also owns Comfort Colors, so the two lines share a supply chain even though they serve different jobs.

The styles that matter

The 5000 Heavy Cotton ( 5.3 oz How dense a knit fabric is, measured in oz/yd². Typical ranges: under 4.5 oz is lightweight fashion; 4.5–5.5 oz is the midweight band most everyday tees fall into; 5.5–6 oz is heavy everyday and fleece; 6 oz and up is the heavyweight tier, with 7 oz and up the streetwear max-weight class. Heavier fabric drapes more substantially, holds prints flatter, and costs more per blank. , open-end cotton, boxy tubular fit) is the default promo tee in America. The 2000 Ultra Cotton steps up to 6.0 oz How dense a knit fabric is, measured in oz/yd². Typical ranges: under 4.5 oz is lightweight fashion; 4.5–5.5 oz is the midweight band most everyday tees fall into; 5.5–6 oz is heavy everyday and fleece; 6 oz and up is the heavyweight tier, with 7 oz and up the streetwear max-weight class. Heavier fabric drapes more substantially, holds prints flatter, and costs more per blank. when a job calls for a heavier, more durable blank, and the 64000 Softstyle ( 4.5 oz How dense a knit fabric is, measured in oz/yd². Typical ranges: under 4.5 oz is lightweight fashion; 4.5–5.5 oz is the midweight band most everyday tees fall into; 5.5–6 oz is heavy everyday and fleece; 6 oz and up is the heavyweight tier, with 7 oz and up the streetwear max-weight class. Heavier fabric drapes more substantially, holds prints flatter, and costs more per blank. , ring-spun, semi-fitted) is Gildan's answer when the customer wants a softer, retail-leaning hand How a fabric feels against the skin. Printers also use it to describe the tactile thickness of an ink deposit (a thick plastisol print has "high hand"). without leaving the budget tier.

For fleece, the 18500 Heavy Blend hoodie ( 8.0 oz How dense a knit fabric is, measured in oz/yd². Typical ranges: under 4.5 oz is lightweight fashion; 4.5–5.5 oz is the midweight band most everyday tees fall into; 5.5–6 oz is heavy everyday and fleece; 6 oz and up is the heavyweight tier, with 7 oz and up the streetwear max-weight class. Heavier fabric drapes more substantially, holds prints flatter, and costs more per blank. , 50/50 cotton/poly, double-lined hood) is the standard budget pullover for teams, schools, and events.

Fabric & print behavior

The open-end carded cotton on the 5000 and 2000 is a coarser surface than ring-spun: it takes plastisol The most common screen-printing ink. PVC particles suspended in a plasticizer. It sits on top of the fabric rather than soaking in, which gives a slightly raised feel and very opaque coverage. screen print fine, but DTG fibrillates more and needs a heavier underbase A first layer of (usually white) ink printed under the design on dark garments. It stops the dark fabric from showing through and keeps colors bright. , so push DTG and DTF jobs toward the ring-spun 64000. The heavier 2000 absorbs thick plastisol The most common screen-printing ink. PVC particles suspended in a plasticizer. It sits on top of the fabric rather than soaking in, which gives a slightly raised feel and very opaque coverage. deposits without distortion, which is why old-school shops still default to it.

On the 18500, mind the polyester: solids are 50/50 but heathers run 40/60 cotton/poly, so use low-bleed inks and watch cure temps to avoid dye migration On polyester, fabric dye can bleed up into an ink layer after heat is applied, especially with light inks on dark poly. Results in a washed-out or discolored print over time. on darks.

When to choose Gildan

Reach for Gildan when unit cost and availability decide the job: giveaways, events, uniforms, fundraisers, any order where the shirt is a vehicle for the print. When the garment itself is the product (retail merch, brand drops), step up to Bella+Canvas, Next Level, or Comfort Colors. The honest pitch: nothing at this price prints this predictably or restocks this reliably.