TL;DR: 100% cotton is the default for a reason — it's versatile, familiar, and prints beautifully. CVC (a cotton-dominant blend) gives you most of the cotton feel with less shrinkage. Triblend is the softest of the three and great for a fitted, athletic look — but size up. Fabric choice affects feel, shrinkage, moisture-wicking, and how your print looks, so it's worth a quick conversation before you order. When in doubt, start with cotton and experiment with blends from there.
Here's something that might surprise you: pure cotton only accounts for about 19% of global fiber production. Polyester makes up nearly 59%. The world has quietly shifted toward synthetics and blends — and it makes sense when you see how many great options are out there now. But for most of our customers at Jersey Ink, the conversation still starts with one question: what fabric should I get?
Here's the breakdown — from 20 years of printing on all of them.
First, What Does CVC Even Mean?
Before we get into comparisons, let's clear this up because it confuses almost everyone. CVC stands for Chief Value Cotton — it's a blend where cotton is the dominant fiber, usually around 60% cotton and 40% polyester. Cotton is the "chief value" material in the mix. You get most of the feel and breathability of cotton, with a little extra durability and moisture management from the polyester.
How Each Fabric Actually Feels
100% Cotton
Cotton is what everyone grew up in, and there's a reason it's still the most-requested fabric we sell. The feel depends a lot on the construction — ring-spun cotton, which has been twisted and thinned for a finer, smoother yarn, is noticeably softer than a standard open-end cotton tee. The good news: most brands have shifted to ring-spun across the board, so cotton has genuinely gotten softer over the years.
There's also the "favorite shirt" effect. Cotton softens with every wash. That worn-in, lived-in feel people love? That's 100% cotton doing its thing over time. It's the reason people have a shirt they've worn 200 times and refuse to throw away.
CVC (Chief Value Cotton — ~60% Cotton, 40% Polyester)
CVC sits in the sweet spot between pure cotton and a true blend. It feels close to cotton but has a little less shrinkage and a slight moisture-wicking quality from the polyester content. For customers who love cotton but have had shrinkage issues in the past, CVC is often the easy upgrade.
Triblend (~50% Polyester, 25% Cotton, 25% Rayon)
Triblend is the softest of the three.. The rayon in the mix gives it a draping, almost silky quality that you don't get with straight cotton or CVC. It clings to the body more than the other options, which is exactly why it's a popular choice for fitness gyms and boutiques — it shows off your physique.
The catch: because it's more form-fitting, we always recommend sizing up in triblend. What fits as a medium in cotton might feel more like a fitted small in triblend, depending on your body type.
A Note on 100% Polyester
Pure poly sits in its own category — it's not typically what we mean when we talk about fashion basics, but it's worth knowing about. 100% polyester is the go-to for athletic and performance wear: lightweight, moisture-wicking, and dries fast. The downside is that it can feel light or thin, so heavy screen printing can make it feel weighty. It's also more printing-sensitive than cotton (more on that below).
How the Fabric Affects Your Print
For most customers, this doesn't need to be a big concern — our team adjusts our process based on what fabric we're printing on, and we do that work behind the scenes. But if you're detail-oriented or ordering premium pieces, here's what you should know:
Best for print quality: ring-spun cotton. The porous, absorbent surface lets ink bond deeply, producing sharp lines and vibrant color. You can cure at higher temperatures without damaging the fabric, which means better ink adhesion overall.
CVC is a very close second — prints almost identically to cotton with minimal risk of the colors bleeding.
50/50 blends print well but carry more risk of dye migration, where the dye in the fabric can bleed upward into the ink during the curing process — especially noticeable with light ink on dark shirts.
Triblend prints with a slightly softer, more vintage quality because of the fabric texture. Some people love this look; some don't. For a super-crisp, high-detail print, cotton or CVC will be sharper.
100% polyester is the most printing-sensitive. It requires specialty inks to prevent dye migration — for example, a red polyester shirt with white ink will bleed the red dye right into the white if you use standard ink. We use low-bleed or no-bleed specialty inks formulated for synthetics. It also requires lower cure temperatures since polyester can scorch or distort under the heat settings we'd normally use for cotton.
Bottom line: Jersey Ink handles all of this on our end. But it's worth knowing that fabric choice does affect the final result, especially for complex or high-detail designs.
Which Fabric for Which Situation?
Here's how I think about it for different types of orders:
Youth sports teams: A 50/50 cotton-poly blend is the sweet spot. It's durable, holds up to repeated washing, dries faster after a sweaty game, and is budget-friendly for team orders.
Corporate giveaways: A cotton-poly blend works well here too — it feels quality without a premium price tag, and most people are happy with it regardless of their personal fabric preference.
Boutique or gym retail: This is where I'd mix it up. Offer some 100% cotton options for people who want that classic feel, and some blend options for the fashion-forward or fitness crowd. When you're selling merch to retail, variety serves you better than one-size-fits-all.
Special occasions, gifting, or premium corporate merch: Go premium. Brands like North Face, Nike, Under Armour, Carhartt, Oakley, Vineyard Vines, Tommy Bahama, and the excellent (and less well-known in the US) Stanley Stella — a UK-based brand making beautiful, organic-cotton-rich shirts that print incredibly well — are worth the extra investment when the impression really matters. Expect to pay roughly $12+ more per shirt than a standard Gildan, but the difference in feel and presentation is significant.
There are also specialty fabric options for specific industries and applications: UPF-rated fabrics for UV protection (great for outdoor workers and endurance athletes), snag-resistant weaves for trade environments, and flame-retardant (FR) fabrics that are legally required in industries like oil and gas, electrical work, and welding. If your team works in a high-risk environment, fabric isn't just about comfort — it's a safety specification.
The Season Factor
Fabric matters more than most people think when it comes to time of year.
Summer and athletics: 100% polyester — and performance poly blends — shine here. Here's the science: polyester is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water rather than absorbing it. Cotton can absorb up to 27 times its own weight in moisture and holds it against the skin, which is why a sweaty cotton shirt feels heavy and stays wet. Polyester wicks that moisture to the surface where it can evaporate, drying in 20–30 minutes versus several hours for a soaked cotton tee. For summer events, outdoor work, or any athletic application, poly is king.
Fall and winter: Cotton and cotton-dominant blends take over. They're warmer, they layer well, and that cozy, broken-in feel is exactly what people want when it's cold outside.
The Misconception I Want to Clear Up
A lot of customers assume ring-spun cotton or a cotton blend costs significantly more than a basic tee — and they skip it for budget reasons. But here's the insider tip:
The Gildan Softstyle (64000) is ring-spun cotton and is only pennies more than the standard Gildan 2000. It prints beautifully, it's noticeably softer, and it comes in a wide range of solid colors. It's been our go-to recommendation for customers who want the cotton feel without paying a fashion-brand premium.
Here's another one: Gildan's heathered colors in the Softstyle line? Those are actually a 65% polyester / 35% cotton blend — so you're already getting a budget-friendly cotton-poly blend with those heather tones. It's a great way to get into blended fabrics without changing your budget.
As for the Gildan Dryblend (the performance poly blend) — many customers assume it costs more than straight cotton. Right now, it's essentially the same price. So there's really no reason not to explore blends if you're curious.
Bottom Line
Keep it simple. 100% cotton is a great place to start — it's familiar, it prints well, it softens over time, and most people love it. If you want to try something new, move toward a blend. Some great options to explore:
- Next Level — known for their incredibly soft ring-spun cotton and cotton blends
Bella Canvas — a fashion-forward fit with beautiful drape and great print quality
Gildan Softstyle — the best budget-friendly ring-spun option on the market
Tultex — budget-friendly like Gildan with variety of blend options
Comfort Colors — a garment-dyed 100% ring-spun cotton with that vintage, worn-in look right out of the bag
Not sure which one is right for your order? Reach out to our team — we can help you find the right fabric for your design, your audience, and your budget.
Contact us or email orders@jerseyink.net
Jersey Ink has been a custom apparel shop for over 20 years, specializing in screen printing, heat transfers, and embroidery for businesses, sports teams, schools, and organizations.