DTG Printing T-Shirts | What does ring spun cotton mean?

cotton field

When you are choosing shirts you want to make sure that you choose the best shirt for your DTG printing business. You can choose from cotton, 50/50, and tri-blends. It doesn’t matter which you choose for DTG printing, as long as you have cotton in your t-shirt the ink will adhere to it. But not all cotton shirts are made the same.  

There are two different types of cotton shirts. They are regular cotton and ring-spun cotton. Both shirts have their own unique properties. You need to consider both types of cotton shirts for your business. It’s a tough decision, but we’re here to help you through it. 

What is regular cotton?

Soft cotton vegetable fibers are twisted together to make yarn. In turn, the cotton is woven together and creates the material used in t-shirts. In terms of price regular cotton is cheaper. Therefore regular cotton is used in most shirts. 

What is ring spun cotton?

Ring spun cotton is nicer cotton. It is soft to the touch. Cotton strands are twisted and thinned to make ropes of cotton fibers that are strong, fine, and soft. T-shirts that are made from ring-spun cotton are more durable. These shirts will last longer than regular cotton shirts. A ring spun shirt can feel heavy to the touch. This is a premium cotton shirt and with it comes a higher cost. Quality always comes with a price.

Should you choose ring spun cotton or regular cotton?

This decision comes down to quality. What sort of quality do you want for your shirts? If you want a  high quality shirt then you definitely want to go with the ring spun. If you are trying to keep the costs down then you want to go with a regular cotton shirt. 

You need to check with suppliers to see the costs on both styles of shirt. It could be the deciding factor as to whether you use regular or ring spun. If you are unsure of what they are like then ask for samples. You want to know what you are purchasing before buy a lot of them. You must do your due diligence. If you make the mistake of ordering ring-spun when you meant to order regular shirts you will either have to return them. But if you need those shirts immediately then you may have to print with the ring spun and eat the cost of your mistake. 

It all comes down to the t-shirt quality that you are going to put forth. Whichever you decide you will want to find the best price for your business. You are going to be purchasing a lot of shirts over time and the costs add up as you go along. 

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