Cotton, Polyester or a Blend? Choosing Fabric for Custom Apparel
By The Velocity Wear Team
Cotton is softest and takes screen printing best; polyester wicks moisture, dries fast and is the only fabric sublimation works on; poly-cotton blends sit between the two, resisting shrinkage and creasing better than pure cotton. Choose cotton for casual merch, polyester for sport, and blends for workwear that is washed constantly.
Cotton
Cotton is the default for tees, hoodies and casual merch because it feels good against the skin and takes ink cleanly. It breathes well, it is comfortable in ordinary wear, and screen printing on cotton produces the crisp, durable result most people picture when they think of a printed shirt. Its weaknesses are practical: it absorbs moisture rather than moving it, dries slowly, creases readily, and can shrink on a first hot wash if it has not been pre-treated.
Not all cotton is equal. Ringspun cotton is spun to produce a finer, smoother yarn than standard carded cotton, which makes a noticeably softer garment with a cleaner print surface. Combed cotton goes further, removing shorter fibres for a smoother finish again. If a garment is being sold rather than given away, this distinction is usually worth the cost difference.
Polyester
Polyester is a synthetic fibre that behaves almost oppositely to cotton. It does not absorb moisture; it moves it to the surface where it evaporates, which is why it dominates sportswear. It dries quickly, holds its shape, resists creasing and does not shrink meaningfully. It is also the only fabric sublimation works on, because the process bonds dye into the polymer itself.
The trade-offs are comfort and printing. Polyester feels less natural against the skin than cotton and can retain odour more readily. It also requires more care with heat-based decoration, since the fabric itself is heat-sensitive.
Blends
Poly-cotton blends aim to keep the useful properties of both.
- 65/35 and 50/50 poly-cotton: the workwear standard. Resists shrinkage and creasing, holds shape through repeated hot washing, and stays presentable far longer than pure cotton.
- Cotton-rich blends: closer to cotton in feel with some added stability, common in hoodies and sweatshirts.
- Tri-blends adding viscose or rayon: notably soft with a distinctive drape, popular in fashion-led ranges, though generally more expensive.
- Elastane in small percentages: adds stretch and recovery, used in polos and fitted garments rather than for print reasons.
Matching Fabric to Decoration
Fabric constrains method more than people expect. Screen printing works best on cotton and cotton-rich blends. DTF is more tolerant and works across cotton, blends and polyester, which is part of its appeal. Sublimation only works on polyester — it cannot be used on cotton at all. Embroidery works on almost anything with enough substance to support stitching, though very lightweight or stretchy fabrics need care.
“"Choose the fabric for how the garment will be used, then choose the decoration that suits the fabric. Doing it the other way round is how orders go wrong."”
Choosing for Your Order
For casual merch and retail tees, cotton — ideally ringspun. For sports and training kit, polyester or a technical blend. For workwear washed hot several times a week, a poly-cotton blend that will not shrink or crease its way out of looking professional. Orders start at 20 pieces with mixed sizes allowed, and the free instant price calculator lets you compare fabric and method combinations directly rather than estimating the cost difference.