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DeutschWhether a t-shirt works is largely decided by its fabric. Two shirts made from the same pattern, the same construction and the same print become completely different products if the fabric differs. This guide covers fabric types, what GSM actually means, and what makes sense for which product.
What is the most common fabric for t-shirts? The most common t-shirt fabric is single jersey, a single-layer knit. Cotton single jersey at 150-180 g/m² is the standard for everyday t-shirts. Where a heavier, more structured hand is wanted, combed cotton or French terry is chosen instead.
What GSM means
GSM is the weight of the fabric per square metre, written as g/m² or GSM. It does not measure quality directly — it tells you the thickness and weight of the cloth. Higher is not automatically better: a 240 g/m² fabric makes a summer t-shirt heavy and hot.
In practice GSM is chosen according to how the product will be used:
Knitted fabric types
Single jersey: Single-layer, light, stretchy. The classic t-shirt fabric. Cheap and widely stocked, which makes it easy to source even at low volumes.
Combed cotton: Not a fabric type but a way of processing the yarn. Short fibres are combed out, leaving a smoother, softer surface that pills less. "Combed cotton tee" usually means single jersey knitted from combed yarn.
Rib: A ribbed knit with crosswise stretch. Used for collars, cuffs and hems, and sometimes for whole garments.
French terry: Flat on both faces, medium weight. The fabric of mid-season sweatshirts and heavyweight tees.
Brushed fleece: Napped on the inside, thick and warm. For winter hoodies and sweatshirts.
Cotton, polyester and blends
100% cotton breathes, feels comfortable against the skin and holds print well. In return it shrinks in the first washes and creases easily.
100% polyester does not shrink, does not crease and accepts sublimation printing — it is the standard for sportswear. It does trail cotton on breathability.
Cotton-polyester blends (50/50, 65/35) sit between the two: the hand of cotton with the dimensional stability of polyester. Common in promotional and corporate apparel.
Elastane (spandex) is usually added at 3-5% to give stretch. For close-fitting cuts it is all but essential.
Print method affects fabric choice
Fabric and print method have to be decided together, because they constrain each other.
Sublimation only works on polyester and polyester-rich fabrics — it will not hold colour on cotton. Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing is the opposite: it performs best on cotton. Screen printing works on both and gives the lowest unit cost at higher volumes.
So "I want this fabric" and "I want this print" do not always hold together. We flag that conflict at the quote stage rather than after production.
Questions that make the decision easier
A few practical questions narrow the choice quickly:
Check these on the sample
Do not make the fabric decision from a photograph on a screen. When the sample arrives, look at how transparent the cloth is held up to light, how it recovers when stretched by hand, how the seams sit, and — if possible — how the measurements change after a wash.
These checks take a few minutes and head off a mistake that costs far more in bulk. That is exactly what the sampling process is for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between combed cotton and single jersey?
Single jersey is a knit structure; combed cotton describes how the yarn is processed. Combing removes short fibres, so the surface is smoother, softer and pills less. A "combed cotton tee" usually means single jersey knitted from combed yarn.
What GSM is ideal for a t-shirt?
There is no single ideal — it depends on use. The most common range for everyday t-shirts is 150-180 g/m². Light summer styles sit at 120-150, while premium heavyweight tees run 180-220 g/m².
Do cotton t-shirts shrink?
100% cotton garments shrink somewhat in the first washes. Pre-washing and sanforising the fabric reduce this, and the allowance is built into the pattern. That is why a wash test on the sample matters.
Do I need to supply the fabric?
No. We handle fabric sourcing and present options with their weights, matched to the purpose of your product and your target price. If you would rather supply your own fabric, that is possible too.