Throughout history people have always found a way to express their ideas and feelings to others. Flyers and handbills have covered city walls since the advent of the printing press. Graffiti has been around since ancient Roman times.

In the 20^th century, a new form of self-expression emerged: the T-shirt. Originally introduced by the Navy in 1913, soldiers in World War II introduced the crew neck T-shirt to the public. The 1950’s were also important years in the history of the T-shirt, being worn as outerwear by such stars as Marlin Brando and James Dean. In the 1960’s the T-shirt began to be used as a way for expression. The first corporate advertising on a T-shirt was a can of Budweiser beer. There is even a phrase for the ubiquitous nature of T-shirts as expression: “BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, GOT THE T-SHIRT”.

T-shirts can be used to express political views or show musical tastes. A person wearing a John Deere T-shirt is sends out a very different message from the person in the T-shirt with a Japanese animation character. And is there any business that does not have their logo available on a T-shirt? People use t-shirts to tell others which sports teams they like, a favourite movie or book, who their favourite F1 driver is, or to stop looking at their breasts. T-shirts are seen that commemorate any possible event; birthdays, weddings, vacations, summer camps, family reunions, the possibilities are endless!

The technology for custom T-shirt expression has never been easier to use. Whatever you want to say, there are multitudes of ways to say it on a T-shirt for everyone to see.

T-shirts: 100% Cotton or 50/50?

Your two main choices of shirt in screen printing are 50/50 cotton-polyester blend and 100% cotton. Which type you would choose depends on the particular needs for the job.

100% cotton T-shirts, are a denser fabric and have a heavier feel. However that same texture can show through on an image, giving it a worn look. After washing, the fibres can break through the print, causing the image to fade.

An area where 100% cotton shirts, works well is 4-color process printing. A higher weight shirt provides a denser, tighter surface to hold the small, fine dots and continuous ink layer of a detailed 4-color process image.

50/50 cotton-poly blend shirts, have the advantage in pricing and durability. They also have less shrinkage than 100% cotton, although new processes have made shrinkage much less of a problem. T-shirts that are going to be worn and washed often will last longer when printed on 50/50 textiles. Cotton-poly shirts also have a lighter feel that some people prefer.

In the final analysis, the main consideration in choosing between 50/50 and 100% cotton, other than some technical considerations regarding printing, will be your own personal preference in the weight and feel of the material.

Your two main choices of shirt in screen printing are 50/50 cotton-polyester blend and 100% cotton. Which type you would choose depends on the particular needs for the job.

100% cotton T-shirts, are a denser fabric and have a heavier feel. However that same texture can show through on an image, giving it a worn look. After washing, the fibres can break through the print, causing the image to fade.

An area where 100% cotton shirts, works well is 4-color process printing. A higher weight shirt provides a denser, tighter surface to hold the small, fine dots and continuous ink layer of a detailed 4-color process image.

50/50 cotton-poly blend shirts, have the advantage in pricing and durability. They also have less shrinkage than 100% cotton, although new processes have made shrinkage much less of a problem. T-shirts that are going to be worn and washed often will last longer when printed on 50/50 textiles. Cotton-poly shirts also have a lighter feel that some people prefer.

In the final analysis, the main consideration in choosing between 50/50 and 100% cotton, other than some technical considerations regarding printing, will be your own personal preference in the weight and feel of the material.