The Comfort Colors 1717 is a 6.1 oz 100% ring-spun cotton tee dyed after construction rather than before. In reactive dyeing (used by Gildan, Bella Canvas, and most commodity blanks), the fabric is dyed in roll form before cutting and sewing. In garment dyeing, the finished shirt enters the dye bath. That sequence change produces three outcomes a reactive-dyed blank cannot match: deeper, more saturated color at the fiber level; a pre-washed surface texture that reads as vintage rather than new; and complete shrinkage before the garment ships. The C1717 is the same construction and weight, offered in a tighter color run. The 6030 Pocket Tee adds a left-chest pocket to the same 6.1 oz garment-dyed base.

Why Garment-Dyed T-Shirts Cost More Per Unit Than Reactive-Dyed Blanks

The price premium on Comfort Colors shirts is a direct function of the dyeing process. Reactive dyeing runs fabric through continuous dye machines at high volume, then cuts and sews. Garment dyeing requires the garment to be fully constructed first, then individually tumbled in dye vessels, then washed, softened, and dried. That sequence adds labor, water, energy, and time per unit that piece-dyeing does not. Silicone softeners are added during the wash-out cycle to produce the characteristic hand feel. The total cost of the garment-dyed process runs materially higher per unit than the equivalent reactive-dyed heavyweight tee, which is why the 1717 wholesales above the Gildan G500 or Bella Canvas 3001 at comparable weights.

DTG and Screen Printing on Comfort Colors 1717: What to Adjust

The Comfort Colors 1717 has become the default substrate for DTG on garment-dyed blanks. The pre-washed cotton surface accepts water-based inks cleanly, ink penetration is consistent across the size run, and the pre-shrunk construction means print dimensions hold through customer washing. Pre-treatment application is the same as any 100% cotton blank; the opened fibers from garment dyeing do not require a modified pre-treat formula.

Screen printing on garment-dyed blanks requires one specific adjustment: flash cure times. The silicone softeners applied during the garment dyeing process sit in the fabric and create a slight barrier between plastisol ink and cotton fiber. Running the same flash cure settings used on a new Gildan or Bella Canvas tee can result in inadequate ink cure on the 1717. Most shops add 5 to 10 seconds to flash cure time on garment-dyed blanks, or increase conveyor dryer temperature by 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, to achieve full plastisol cure. Test a production sample before running the full order. DTF transfers press at standard cotton settings (330 degrees Fahrenheit, medium pressure, 10 to 12 seconds) without modification.

For the full range of wholesale Comfort Colors blanks including sweatshirts, tanks, and long sleeve styles, browse the brand collection. For a complete view of wholesale blank t-shirts across all brands and price points, the full t-shirts collection covers Gildan, Bella Canvas, Next Level, and 100+ other suppliers.

All styles in this collection are priced among the lowest online, with no minimum order required, with fast US shipping on stocked colors. Case pricing applies automatically, and bulk discounts increase with quantity.