Official T-Shirt Wholesaler Blog
Attention all screen printers!
The only way to make your designs truly stand out starts with a great blank tee!
As everyone in the custom t-shirt business knows, it doesn’t matter how brilliant your artwork is if the blank is crumby!
You can create the sharpest lines, the sleekest looks, and the most stunning designs, but it all falls flat the moment your customers feel that paper-thin rag that someone had the nerve to call a t-shirt.
No one wants that! No one!
So, instead of serving a heaping platter of disappointment to your customers, what’s a humble screen printer to do?
Simple: Start with better blank tees for screen printing!
And with 2026 in full swing, we thought we’d cover the most popular, best of the best tees this year!
Now, some on this list are old faithful's that make the list every year. Others are relatively new on the scene.
Time to check out the top wholesale t-shirts from screen printing in 2026!
1. Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton T-Shirt:
If you’ve been in the t-shirt business for any length of time, you’ve heard about the Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton T-Shirt.
This little baby is the workhorse of the screen printing universe!
Its clever, heavy cotton material is densely woven, giving it a sturdy printing surface that’s ideal for multilayered designs and artwork.
Why has this tee stood the test of time, year after year? It simply works.
Gildan created this heavyweight blank to be a go-to form for custom t-shirt designers, businesses, and t-shirt hobbyists alike.
This “old-faithful” is an industry-wide first-choice tee.
It’s affordable, versatile, and supremely printable!
2. Bella + Canvas 3001
Ooh, just feel the softness! There’s a lot to love about the Bella + Canvas 3001!
This t-shirt is a fan-favorite this year for its undeniable soft hand feel and the smooth printing surface it delivers.
If Gildan is the workhorse, this is the show pony of the printing world.
Bella + Canvas became a global phenomenon thanks to its famous airlume combed ring-spun cotton.
This process creates tighter, cleaner fibers that form a smooth printing surface that not only looks great, but feels sensational on the skin!
Just imagine the good vibes from a warm day spent by the lake with a gentle breeze to keep you comfy.
That’s the type of feeling the 3001 line offers!
We’re not just spitting smoke here either! Fans and customers consistently say the Bella + Canvas 3001 is their all-time favorite t-shirt!
It’s super soft, versatile, and your new favorite tee for printing!
3. Next Level Apparel 6210
Need a cheaper t-shirt, but still care about the quality? The Next Level Apparel 6210 Unisex CVC T-Shirt might become your new best friend!
This tee is like the very stylish child of the Gildan 5000 and Bella + Canvas 3001.
Next Level Apparel created the 6210 with the express purpose of industrial stretch, without the “rough around the edges” feel.
Its CVC material makes customers take a pause and say, “Wait, this is actually really nice!”
This material is excellent for printing with its natural cotton fibers that help printing adhere to the tee for a lasting image!
That’s just the reaction you want as a screen printer! It’s a pleasant surprise that makes it feel like it’s way more expensive than it actually is!
It’s kinda like finding $5 in your pocket. Who doesn’t love that?
4. Gildan Softstyle 64000
Ooh! The cozy keeps on coming! With the Gildan 64000 Softstyle T-Shirt.
It’s one thing for a tee to be budget-friendly. It’s a whole different thing to be suspiciously cheap.
The Gildan 64000 lands perfectly in the middle.
This tee offers a softer hand feel than its heavyweight cousins. This makes it a fabulous option for print shops that create fundraiser t-shirts, promotional tees, or bulk custom shirts.
With a soft hand feel and even printing surface, the Gildan 64000 strikes that perfect balance of printable, comfortable, and affordable.
It’s kind of like the Jack of all trades of the t-shirt world. It’ll do just about any job you throw its way!
5. Comfort Colors 1717
Another “old faithful” in the t-shirt world, the Comfort Colors 1717 Heavyweight Garment-Dyed 100% Cotton T-Shirt is like the older, much cooler uncle of the family.
It’s gonna be a good time!
This tee is a supreme model of everything there is to love about heavyweight cotton! It’s got some heft to it, which makes it feel sturdy and secure.
The dense cotton presents a stout printing material that works well for complex print jobs.
If you run a graphic tee company or work with intricate designs more often than not, the 1717 is a stable staple that never misses.
Sure, the heavyweight cotton may not be the best fit for everyone, but you can’t deny its popularity.
It’s one of those shirts that lives up to its solid reputation in every way.
The fact that it’s got a vintage, laid-back feel is just a bonus!
6. Hanes 5180 Hanes Beefy-T
Sometimes, you need a little more weight.
Sometimes you need a lot.
For those tough printing jobs that require all the subtlety of a sumo wrestler, the Hanes 5180 Hanes Beefy-T Unisex Heavyweight Cotton T-Shirt is the tee for you.
This ain’t your momma’s tee shirt that feels light as a feather.
This is a one BEEFY tee.
As silly as it may sound, the heavyweight material gives it all the sturdiness of a mountain.
Yet it has a soft side too!
It’s made of ring-spun cotton, which delivers a tighter weave for an impressive hand feel. Meanwhile, the dense nature is stunning for printing.
All in all, it’s affordable, printable, and a heavyweight champ on the wholesale t-shirt stage.
The Right T-Shirt for Your Print Shop
So, of all of these options, which one is THE one?
It truly depends on the job. Some offerings will suit certain jobs better than others. So, get to know what your customers crave and need.
When you’re ready to order your next batch of blanks, you can find all the wholesale t-shirts for screen printing you could ever need, right here at T-Shirtwholesaler.com! Check out all your options today and get printing!
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