Fabric & weight guide
Open-End Cotton
The budget workhorse
Last updated June 17, 2026
Open-end (rotor-spun) carded cotton is the cheapest way to turn cotton into a t-shirt and among the most hard-wearing once it's a garment, even though the yarn itself is weaker than ring-spun. It is rougher to the 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"). , but for bulk spot-color work it remains the volume standard.
- Best for
- Bulk jobs where price per piece wins: events, giveaways, school and crew shirts, uniform programs.
- Anchor styles
- Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton, the category anchor and volume standard.
What it actually is
Open-end spinning skips the combing step and binds carded fibers together in a rotor with a wrapping fiber, rather than twisting them into alignment. The yarn comes out thicker, bulkier, and fuzzier (typically 18–20 A yarn made from a single strand (not plied). Most tees use singles. The lower the count number, the thicker the yarn (30s is thicker than 40s). Higher counts produce finer, lighter fabric. versus 30+ for ring-spun), which knits into a coarser, sturdier fabric.
That coarseness is also toughness: the thicker yarn shrugs off industrial laundering and abuse, which is why workwear and uniform programs live here.
How it prints
The fuzzy, uneven surface fights fine detail. Loose fiber ends poke through thin ink films, so small A technique that simulates gradients and shading by printing tiny dots of solid color. The dots vary in size or spacing. Closer together they look darker; farther apart, lighter. and hairline art get lost, and DTG struggles against the lint. Plan on a heavier 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. deposit, and an 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. plus A quick burst of heat applied between ink layers during screen printing. It gels the first color so the next color can print over it without mixing. on darks, for clean coverage.
Bold spot-color designs, the bread and butter of event and team printing, look fine. Save the photorealistic art for ring-spun.
When to choose it
Choose open-end when price per piece wins the job: events, giveaways, school and crew shirts, uniform programs. Nobody inspects the 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"). of a 5K race tee.
The category anchor is the Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton: 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. , 100% cotton in the solids (heathers blend in a little poly), 20 A yarn made from a single strand (not plied). Most tees use singles. The lower the count number, the thicker the yarn (30s is thicker than 40s). Higher counts produce finer, lighter fabric. , roughly 70 colors, and one of the cheapest reliable blanks in the industry. Its boxy classic fit and color range are why it still moves more volume than any fashion tee.
Browse Open-End Cotton by category
Open-end shares the cotton filter with ring-spun, so this is that same cotton wall read for the budget end. Tees and fleece carry most of it. Each row leads with a category's best, and the Shop all link opens the rest.
T-Shirt 179
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17 colors
Bella + Canvas style number 6405
Women’s Relaxed Jersey V-Neck Tee
$8.18
Retail $10.90
Save up to 25%
31 colors
Rabbit Skins style number 3301T
Toddler Cotton Jersey Tee
$4.56
Retail $6.08
Save up to 25%
34 colors
Bella + Canvas style number 3001YCVC
Youth CVC Jersey Tee
$6.63
Retail $8.84
Save up to 25%
Sweatshirt 73
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41 colors
Gildan style number 18000
Unisex Heavy Blend™ Crewneck Sweatshirt
$14.40
Retail $19.20
Save up to 25%
10 colors
Gildan style number 18000B
Youth Heavy Blend™ Crewneck Sweatshirt
$12.60
Retail $16.81
Save up to 25%
29 colors
Gildan style number SF000
Unisex Softstyle® Midweight Crewneck Sweatshirt
$14.37
Retail $20.04
Save up to 28%
15 colors
Gildan style number SF500B
Youth Softstyle® Midweight Hooded Sweatshirt
$16.71
Retail $22.29
Save up to 25%
8 colors
Team 365 style number TT31HW
Women's Zone Sonic Heather Performance Quarter-Zip Pullover
$20.09
Retail $26.78
Save up to 25%
47 colors
Gildan style number 18500
Unisex Heavy Blend™ Hooded Sweatshirt
$19.71
Retail $26.28
Save up to 25%
23 colors
Gildan style number 18500B
Youth Heavy Blend™ Hooded Sweatshirt
$19.02
Retail $25.36
Save up to 25%
39 colors
Gildan style number SF500
Unisex Softstyle® Midweight Hooded Sweatshirt
$18.60
Retail $24.80
Save up to 25%
Everyday
20 colors
Independent Trading style number SS4001Y
Youth Midweight Hooded Sweatshirt
$19.05
Retail $25.40
Save up to 25%
8 colors
Comfort Colors style number 1467Y
Youth Garment-Dyed Lightweight Hooded Sweatshirt
$27.32
Retail $36.42
Save up to 25%
20 colors
Comfort Colors style number 1566
Unisex Garment-Dyed Crewneck Sweatshirt
$32.27
Retail $43.03
Save up to 25%
20 colors
Hanes style number F170
Unisex Ultimate Cotton® Hooded Sweatshirt
$28.46
Retail $37.94
Save up to 25%
29 colors
Hanes style number P160
Unisex EcoSmart® Crewneck Sweatshirt
$14.40
Retail $19.20
Save up to 25%
10 colors
Hanes style number P360
Youth EcoSmart® Crewneck Sweatshirt
$11.58
Retail $15.45
Save up to 25%
Hat 48
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4 colors
Richardson style number 112Y
Youth Trucker Snapback Cap
$10.43
Retail $13.90
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8 colors
Team 365 style number TT802Y
Youth Zone Peformance Trucker Cap by Yupoong
$10.43
Retail $13.90
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20 colors
Richardson style number 111
Garment-Washed Trucker Cap
$10.82
Retail $14.42
Save up to 25%
9 colors
Richardson style number 111P
Garment Washed Printed Trucker Cap
$11.97
Retail $15.96
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6 colors
Flexfit style number 110P
110® Cool & Dry Mini-Piqué Cap
$12.83
Retail $17.10
Save up to 25%
Bag 26
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6 colors
Liberty Bags style number 8871
Windward Large Cotton Canvas Classic Resort Tote
$24.50
Retail $32.67
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6 colors
Liberty Bags style number 8872
Carmel Classic XL Cotton Canvas Resort Tote
$27.71
Retail $36.93
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10 colors
Independent Trading style number INDDUFBAG
29L Day Tripper Duffel Bag
$25.56
Retail $34.09
Save up to 25%
Value
1 color
Liberty Bags style number 5778
Clear Stadium 2-Pocket Fanny Pack/Crossbody Bag
$15.80
Retail $21.05
Save up to 25%
1 color
Liberty Bags style number 5785
Classic Clear Stadium Purse/Handbag
$9.29
Retail $12.38
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Value
2 colors
Liberty Bags style number 7013
Large 17" Heavy Duty Clear Backpack
$12.29
Retail $16.38
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2 colors
Liberty Bags style number 7761A
Cotton Denim Gusseted Tote Bag
$9.44
Retail $12.59
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2 colors
Liberty Bags style number 8503R
Isabella Midweight Recycled Canvas Tote
$6.29
Retail $8.38
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14 colors
Liberty Bags style number 8806
Recycled 23 1/2" Large Duffel Bag
$24.44
Retail $32.59
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Tank Top 18
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13 colors
Bella + Canvas style number 6003
Women's Jersey Muscle Tank
$6.78
Retail $8.84
Save up to 23%
14 colors
Bella + Canvas style number 6008
Women's Jersey Racerback Tank
$6.63
Retail $8.84
Save up to 25%
34 colors
Comfort Colors style number 9360
Unisex Garment-Dyed Heavyweight Tank Top
$10.02
Retail $13.37
Save up to 25%
18 colors
Next Level style number 6733
Women’s Triblend Racerback Tank Top
$7.17
Retail $9.56
Save up to 25%
24 colors
Next Level style number 1533
Women's Ideal Racerback Tank Top
$4.47
Retail $5.95
Save up to 25%
Pants 12
3 colors
Bella + Canvas style number 3738Y
Youth Sponge Fleece Sweatpants
$21.77
Retail $29.02
Save up to 25%
7 colors
Comfort Colors style number 1469
Unisex Garment-Dyed Lightweight Sweatpants
$28.95
Retail $38.60
Save up to 25%
9 colors
Gildan style number 18200
Unisex Heavy Blend™ Sweatpants
$16.74
Retail $22.33
Save up to 25%
3 colors
Independent Trading style number PRM16PNT
Youth Lightweight Special Blend Sweatpants
$18.17
Retail $24.22
Save up to 25%
5 colors
Gildan style number 18100
Unisex Heavy Blend™ Pocket Sweatpants
$15.44
Retail $20.58
Save up to 25%
8 colors
Gildan style number SF100
Unisex Softstyle® Midweight Pocket Sweatpants
$23.16
Retail $30.88
Save up to 25%
4 colors
Independent Trading style number EXP10PANT
Men's Perform Fleece Pants
$30.89
Retail $41.18
Save up to 25%
14 colors
Independent Trading style number IND20PNT
Men's Midweight Fleece Sweatpants
$26.03
Retail $34.71
Save up to 25%
3 colors
Team 365 style number TT805
Unisex Squad Tech Fleece Pants
$27.42
Retail $36.56
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Polo Shirt 9
5 colors
Team 365 style number TT51HY
Youth Zone Sonic Heather Performance Polo
$15.45
Retail $20.60
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13 colors
Gildan style number 64800
Unisex Softstyle® Pique Polo
$10.02
Retail $13.37
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9 colors
Gildan style number 64800L
Women's Softstyle® Pique Polo
$10.23
Retail $13.64
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5 colors
Team 365 style number TT21C
Men's Command Snag-Protection Colorblock Polo
$19.31
Retail $25.75
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5 colors
Team 365 style number TT21CW
Women's Command Snag-Protection Colorblock Polo
$19.31
Retail $25.75
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5 colors
Team 365 style number TT51H
Men's Zone Sonic Heather Performance Polo
$15.45
Retail $20.60
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Jacket 6
20 colors
Independent Trading style number EXP54LWZ
Men's Lightweight Windbreaker Full-Zip Jacket
$27.11
Retail $36.15
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17 colors
Team 365 style number TT80W
Women's Leader Soft Shell Jacket
$35.15
Retail $46.86
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9 colors
Team 365 style number TT80Y
Youth Leader Soft Shell Jacket
$35.15
Retail $46.86
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2 colors
Independent Trading style number EXP560V
Men's Insulated Canvas Workwear Vest
$54.59
Retail $72.77
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4 colors
Shaka Wear style number SHVBJ
Unisex Varsity Bomber Jacket
$36.60
Retail $48.80
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16 colors
Team 365 style number TT80
Men's Leader Soft Shell Jacket
$35.15
Retail $46.86
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Accessories 2
Value
5 colors
Rabbit Skins style number 1110
Premium Jersey Infant Blanket
$10.55
Retail $14.07
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Shorts 2
2 colors
Bella + Canvas style number 6824GD
Women's Garment-Dyed Shorts
$18.68
Retail $24.90
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6 colors
Comfort Colors style number 1468
Unisex Garment-Dyed Lightweight Sweat Shorts
$22.25
Retail $29.66
Save up to 25%
Other 1
