There are endless varieties of textiles suitable for screen printing, but only a few that make a lot of sense when it comes to usability and cost. The most popular choice for modern t-shirts is cotton, but your choice is not limited to choosing natural cotton plant over synthetic polyester or a polycotton blend for your t-shirt. Combed cotton or semi-combed cotton, ring-spun cotton and an enzymatic wash are some of the distinctions that make the difference between a screen-printed T-shirt and a favorite screen-printed T-shirt.

Combed cotton

Combed cotton is a great shirt option for screen printing. Soft and strong, it has all the makings of a favorite t-shirt!

The fibers of the combed cotton have been carefully carded and then combed to face the same direction. The combing process removes dirt, impurities, and shorter fibers, resulting in fewer foreign fibers sticking out of the yarn. This means that a T-shirt made from combed cotton is softer against the skin and is less likely to fray and tear. This is a great shirt to print because the smooth fibers easily accept screen printing ink. However, the additional processing involved in spinning the combed cotton yarn results in a more expensive fabric.

In terms of care, a T-shirt made from this material can be washed and dried normally, but dyed combed cotton can bleed at high temperatures.

Semi Combed Cotton

T-shirts made from semi-combed cotton have many of the qualities of their superior brother, combed cotton, often at a lower cost. However, it is not as soft or as strong because it goes through a shorter combing process, leaving more short fibers in the yarn for a rougher, less durable feel.

Ring spun cotton

These days, most of the combed cotton found in high-quality T-shirts and linen materials is generally made using a ring-spinning process. The result is a soft and smooth fabric, very wearable and versatile in comfort and elegance. “Ring spinning” refers to the process by which combed and carded cotton is turned into yarn with electrically spun frames.

The cotton is separated into a set number of “skeins” and then twisted or spun together. The number of skeins spun in a thread is called “layer”, being two skeins of 2 layers, three skeins of 4 layers, and so on. Some common alternatives to ringspun cotton include open-ended spun fibers, which are often found in terry items like towels and bathrobes and less commonly in T-shirts. The open end spunbond texture does not lend itself to screen printing or T-shirt quality. Other varieties include air jet spun, compact ring spun, friction spun, and syro spun fibers.

For your T-shirt screen printing needs, we recommend sticking with ringspun combed cotton.

Enzyme wash

Enzymes have a number of uses when it comes to textiles, including cleaning, finishing, and texturing effects. Enzyme washed shirts are the ones that look perfectly worn from the start. An enzyme wash is used to loosen the dye on the fabric and create a washed-out look, as well as a softer feel, without compromising strength. The good thing about enzymes is that since they are produced by living organisms, they are an economical and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional industrial textile treatments.

The enzymes are applied to the garment, usually after a T-shirt is made, but before it is printed, effectively breaking down the dye into smaller molecules which are then washed off. This means that instead of adding another chemical to the material, it removes the dye, resulting in greater smoothness, less factory odor, and higher binding power of screen printing ink.