220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts?
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220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts?
220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts?
So the debate rages on...
Hanes Beefy-T: 6.1oz Ringspun Cotton
Alstyle Apparel (Diamond Star): 6.1oz Ringspun Cotton
...and I'm sure there is plenty more. These seam to be the standard in whats available in high end off the shelf screen printing brands out there.
BUT...
The REAL question is... when someone touches your shirt they need to INSTANTLY FEEL THE DIFFERENCE between a regular screen print brand off the shelf t-shirt... and something they might buy from a major brand at a reputable merchant or mall.
In having some t-shirts manufactured oversees I've been faced with these questions:
#1. Should I have my shirts manufactured with 6.48oz (220gsm) ringspun cotton? Its the same weight as whats available in the comparable off the shelf brands. Slightly heavier but nothing to brag about.
#2. Should I have my shirts manufactured with 7.08oz (240gsm) ringspun cotton? Its thicker. But is it too thick? Or would this make me stand out among the crowd? Advantages vs. Disadvantages?
#3. Its very important for my shirts to stand out in quality, but I wonder is it best to go thicker than the normal shirts that are out there... or stay with the standard weight? Thicker to me always meant better quality feel. I think most ppl would agree. What do you think? And is there a reason most brands stick with 6oz as opposed to 7oz or is it merely a cost factor for reselling demand?
#4. My screen printing designs are highly detailed. A local screen printer told me he can't print on 7oz shirts because its too thick and the ink won't bind well. Is he telling the truth or trying to convince me to buy a lighter shirt he already has in stock?
Re: 220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts?
What does your customer want? That should define what type of t-shirt to go with.
It could be that the extra expense of custom blanks may not pay off in added sales or added perception of your company. You've got to figure out a way to figure out what your target market prefers.
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#4. My screen printing designs are highly detailed. A local screen printer told me he can't print on 7oz shirts because its too thick and the ink won't bind well. Is he telling the truth or trying to convince me to buy a lighter shirt he already has in stock?
I don't necessarily think he's trying to make you buy one of his shirts. He may be just telling you his particular capabilities. If you shop around to other screen printers, you may not find the same limitations.
Re: 220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts?
My customer base is collectors and/or appreciators of art on high end quality apparel. More so the urban market where such brands as Ecko, Akademiks, L-R-G, are common. With an artistic approach. Its hard to say which weight these brands use and hard to compare by hand. Perhaps if there was a fabric density measuring device I could use to compare it would be easier to rate. If I was comparing 5.5oz to 6 or 7oz then yes by hand its no contest. Heavier is better. Not so when comparing 6.1oz(or 6.5oz) to 7.1oz.
Having said that... this is more of a generic statement but, yes I believe the custom blanks and additions that come with oversees manufacturing as compared to domestic costs are a great denominator in future sales. As I am myself a would-be customer... this is something I have always looked for in a brand. Likewise to those whom I've spoken with.
But the extras on the shirts are not the question... its the weight standardization's and reasonings I'm at odds with.
Re: 220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts?
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Originally Posted by Rodney
I don't necessarily think he's trying to make you buy one of his shirts. He may be just telling you his particular capabilities. If you shop around to other screen printers, you may not find the same limitations.
I would be interested to hear some of the screen printers from the forums take on this.
Re: 220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts?
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Perhaps if there was a fabric density measuring device I could use to compare it would be easier to rate.
I wonder if there is such a device. That definitely would come in handy.
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More so the urban market where such brands as Ecko, Akademiks, L-R-G, are common.
I have shirts from each of those brands, and although they are all different weights, I would say that they are mostly 6 ounces and above. Like you're saying though, once you're at 6.5 oz, it's hard to tell the difference, so I don't know if going to 7 would be worth the extra expense.
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I would be interested to hear some of the screen printers from the forums take on this.
I would be too I was basing my answer on the fact that I've seen heavyweight t-shirts screen printed just fine.
I mean, if you think about it, people screen print on heavyweight jersey knit, ringspun sweatshirts every day. And that's heavier than the heaviest weight t-shirt.
Re: 220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodney
I mean, if you think about it, people screen print on heavyweight jersey knit, ringspun sweatshirts every day. And that's heavier than the heaviest weight t-shirt.
Very true!!
Also, no extra expense for the heavier fabric. Just fyi... but the manufacturer did say its harder to come by.
Re: 220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts?
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Originally Posted by BEatMaKeR
Should I have my shirts manufactured with 7.08oz (240gsm) ringspun cotton? Its thicker. But is it too thick?
I'm not in your demographic, so my opinions aren't on target. But speaking for myself I seriously doubt I would ever wear a shirt that thick. In summer I would fall over from heat exhaustion, in winter my torso would be sweating while my arms were freezing, or I'd put on a jacket... and fall over from heat exhaustion.
Do shirt preferences on streetwear vary between climates in the US? Or does everyone across states have similar preferences? Are you aiming at one particular region, or nationwide?
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Originally Posted by BEatMaKeR
Thicker to me always meant better quality feel. I think most ppl would agree.
Most people don't agree one way or the other. It's a matter of personal preference, which is heavily influenced by climate and fashion. There are definitely a lot of people who agree with you 100%, but it's not a "most people" kind of situation. The streetwear demographic's preferences don't necessarily line up with other people (or the industry) as a whole. If they did we wouldn't have high selling blanks ranging from 4.3oz through to 6.1oz. AA is a huge rising star, and produces 4.3oz blanks.
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Originally Posted by BEatMaKeR
What do you think? And is there a reason most brands stick with 6oz as opposed to 7oz or is it merely a cost factor for reselling demand?
There is going to be a point where thick stops being a good thing, and starts being a burden (I don't see polar fleece t-shirts taking off in the streetwear community ). So the problem is to find where that tipping point is. I think the fact that so many shirts stop at 6.1oz suggests that's the tipping point for the general populace.
This is a different demographic though - for one thing baggy shirts are going to allow more air flow, which in turn allows for thicker fabric if so desired. If you can get your hands on some samples that would be ideal - test them on a few people for a while and see how they go (they don't need to be just like the ones you're going to have made, the main thing in this first instance is to see how people react to the heavier garment).
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Originally Posted by BEatMaKeR
A local screen printer told me he can't print on 7oz shirts because its too thick and the ink won't bind well. Is he telling the truth or trying to convince me to buy a lighter shirt he already has in stock?
I'd give him the benefit of the doubt on telling the truth as he sees it, but it sounds fishy. I haven't printed on 7oz t-shirt jersey, but I've printed on a variety of different fabrics at different thicknesses, and haven't personally found thick fabric to be the cause of any problems. That said, some fabric is difficult (or worse) to print on, so it's certainly within the realm of possibility. That's normally due to texture though.
__________________ "Ah, Henny Penny," said Chicken Little, "the sky is falling, and I must go and tell the king."
Re: 220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts?
Solmu, I would never buy a shirt less than 6.1oz and would also never buy a shirt that wasn't ringspun cotton. Must be a different demographic no doubt. The new trend or thin and euro fit shirts is awful in my opinion (which is slighted by the urban brands I wear I guess you could say).
Anyway... so I figured I'd try 220gsm on a couple and 240 on one design that will have a heavy applique. We'll see how it goes.
220gsm (6.49oz) vs. 240gsm (7.08oz) - - can you print on thicker t-shirts? 
I was basing my answer on the fact that I've seen heavyweight t-shirts screen printed just fine. 
). So the problem is to find where that tipping point is. I think the fact that so many shirts stop at 6.1oz suggests that's the tipping point for the general populace.
