The best blank t-shirts for screen printing are mid-weight, 5.0 to 6.0 oz, 100% ringspun cotton. The smooth ringspun surface holds fine detail, cotton bonds cleanly with plastisol and water-based inks, and a mid weight lays flat on the platen without curling. Bought by the pack, they start at $4.25 a unit.
100% ringspun cotton wins for most jobs — softer hand, smoother surface, cleaner detail than open-end cotton.
Stay in the 5.0–6.0 oz range. Light fashion tees feel premium but ghost; heavyweights print bold on darks.
50/50 blends are softer and shrink less, but watch dye migration — reach for low-cure inks.
Price by the unit, not the pack. Divide pack price by count: $17 ÷ 4 = $4.25/unit is your real cost.
Most blanks print straight from the pack — no pre-wash needed unless you're chasing a tight final fit.
— The Press Room, Bayou Blanks"A great print starts before the squeegee. Pick the wrong blank and no amount of ink saves it."
Across the things that actually decide a job: how the print lands, how it feels, who it's for, and where Bayou points you.
| Fabric | Print Result | Feel | Best For | Bayou Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% Ringspun Cotton 5.3–6.0 oz | Crisp, opaque, fine-detail-friendly. Cures easy. | Soft, smooth, broken-in. | Everyday tees, retail brands, detailed art. | Top Pick |
| 50/50 Cotton-Poly Blend · ~4.5 oz | Good, but can dye-migrate on darks under heat. | Softer, drapey, shrink-resistant. | Comfort tees, athletic events, value runs. | Strong value |
| Open-End Cotton Budget · 5.0 oz | Solid coverage, slightly coarser surface. | Firmer out of the bag. | High-volume promos, give-aways, fundraisers. | Best on price |
| Heavyweight Cotton Premium · 6.0 oz+ | Bold, opaque, hides show-through on multi-color. | Structured, boxy, premium weight. | Dark garments, streetwear, heavy ink coverage. | For dark prints |
Real liquidation overstock on the floor in Hattiesburg, sold by the pack. Prices shown per unit — the only number that matters.
Our deepest-stock blank: a clean, lightweight V-neck that takes a print and ships by the pallet. The everyday workhorse for high-volume runs.
Sizes S–3XL
$17.00 / 4-Pack
A heathered contrast-sleeve raglan for long-sleeve jobs and team merch — flat body panel with room for your art.
Sizes S–3XL
$17.00 / 4-Pack
The sizes most suppliers run short on — stocked deep in 4XL and 5XL, sold by the pack at the same per-unit price.
Sizes 4XL & 5XL
$17.00 / 4-Pack
Texas-orange on the body for spirit, event, and fundraiser runs — color where you want it, room for a one-hit print.
Sizes S–3XL
$17.00 / 4-Pack
Every pick here is the budget blank that beats name brands on price — same blank-tee spec sheet your wholesaler quotes, sourced from liquidation overstock and passed on by the unit. No minimums beyond a pack, and deep stock in extended and plus sizes most suppliers run short on.
A mid-weight (5.0–6.0 oz) 100% ringspun cotton tee is the best all-around blank. The smooth ringspun surface holds fine detail, the cotton bonds well with plastisol and water-based inks, and a mid weight lays flat on the platen without curling. At Bayou Blanks these run from $4.25 per unit by the pack.
100% cotton gives the boldest, most opaque print and is the easiest to cure, so it's the default. A 50/50 cotton-poly blend is softer and more shrink-resistant but can dye-migrate under high heat, so use poly-friendly low-cure inks. For most shops, ringspun 100% cotton is the safe pick.
Aim for 5.0 to 6.0 oz. Lightweight 4.2 oz fashion tees feel premium but can ghost and are harder to print opaque. Heavyweight 6.0 oz+ tees print bold and resist show-through, making them ideal for dark garments and multi-color art.
Yes. Buying undecorated blanks by the pack at per-unit pricing is the cheapest way to source. Bayou Blanks sells liquidation overstock blanks from $4.25 per unit — and some down to $2.50 per unit — with no minimums beyond a pack.
No. Most blank cotton and cotton-blend tees are ready to print straight from the pack. Pre-washing is only worth it if you're worried about shrinkage on a tight-fit final product; for standard screen printing it's an unnecessary step.
You see the real cost per shirt — from $4.25, some at $2.50. No sale theater, no struck-through prices.
Deep inventory across S–5XL with new overstock pallets landing weekly. Order with confidence.
Packed and shipped from our Mississippi warehouse — central, fast, and real people on the floor.
Catch fresh drops and ask questions live on TikTok & Whatnot — backed by West Coast Deals.
Mid-weight ringspun, heavyweight, 50/50 and budget open-end — all in stock, all sold by the pack at per-unit prices.
