Hanes 5480 - Youth Short Sleeve Essential-T - Oxford Gray

The Hanes 5480 is the Youth Essential-T, a 5.2 oz 100% pre-shrunk ComfortSoft cotton jersey that is the youth cut of the adult Hanes 5280, built to the same midweight cotton spec in a kids size range. It is the budget youth blank a shop reaches for when a program needs CPSIA-compliant kids tees at a working unit cost, the default for school spirit wear, youth sports teams, summer camps, day-care and church group orders, and any high-count youth run where double-needle durability and a smooth 100% cotton print face matter more than a ring-spun premium hand. The 100% ComfortSoft cotton takes a crisp print and a soft hand after the first wash, and the double-needle coverseamed neck with taped shoulder-to-shoulder construction holds shape through repeated institutional laundering. Ash runs 99/1 cotton/poly and Light Steel runs 90/10, near enough to solid cotton to treat like the solids, while the heathered shades carry a higher polyester content.

The 5480 is 100% cotton on the solid colours, and that cotton face decides every decoration method. For screen printing, the smooth cotton holds tight halftones and bold spot colour, print straight on the solids and lay a white underbase only on the deepest darks for opacity. For discharge and water-based inks, the solid-colour 100% cotton discharges cleanly for a soft, no-hand print, the reason many youth-program printers favour a cotton tee over a blend; the near-solid Ash and Light Steel take it well, but the heathered shades carry enough polyester that discharge muddies, so route those to a plastisol over a poly-block underbase. For DTG, the 100% cotton face takes pre-treat and prints bright and crisp on the solids, the cleanest digital result on the card. For DTF, a transfer bonds to the cotton face at a controlled press temperature, the most consistent single method across the whole colour card including the heathers. For embroidery, the midweight 5.2 oz youth body holds a left-chest design with a standard cut-away backing. For vinyl and HTV, a standard heat-transfer vinyl presses clean on the cotton face. Sublimation does not apply, since a clean sublimation print needs a high-polyester light substrate and 100% cotton will not hold the dye; route flat artwork to DTF instead.

• Brand: Hanes
• Style: 5480 (Hanes Youth ComfortSoft Essential-T)
• Fabric: 100% pre-shrunk ComfortSoft cotton (Ash 99/1, Light Steel 90/10, heathered shades a higher poly blend)
• Weight: 5.2 oz/yd2 (midweight)
• Construction: 100% cotton jersey, classic youth body. Double-needle coverseamed neck. Taped shoulder-to-shoulder. Tag-free neck label transitioning to tear-away.
• Fit: Youth classic
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL (youth)
• Compliance: CPSIA-compliant for children's apparel
• Colors available: 33 shades from White, Ash and Light Steel to Black, Navy, Deep Royal and Maroon, including Athletic team colours and heathered shades (check current availability on the product page)
• Ordering: available by the piece or by the case; confirm current packing per case for your colour and size before a large order
• Care: Machine wash warm. Tumble dry medium.

The reorder note specific to this style: the 5480 is the youth cut of the adult 5280, so a mixed adult-and-youth program can run the same artwork and ink set across both bodies for a matched team order, and the 100% cotton solids hold colour and fit across wash cycles for a consistent reorder. Pair the 5480 with the adult Hanes 5280 Essential-T to size a program from kids to adults on one tee, step over to the Gildan G500B when a heavier youth cotton hand is wanted, and reach for the Bella + Canvas 3001Y when a youth program wants a premium combed ring-spun face. TheClothingSpace stocks the 5480 at wholesale pricing with bulk discounts that increase as case and unit quantities rise, among the lowest prices online for this style, with fast US shipping on stocked colours.

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