Blend
Fabric — one of 56 in the glossary
Any fabric spun or knit from more than one fibre, stated on the label as a percentage split such as 60/40 cotton-polyester. Blending is how a mill buys one fibre's strengths without paying its weaknesses: polyester for shape and shrink control, cotton for hand and ink absorbency, rayon for drape, spandex for stretch. For a decorator the blend ratio is the single most useful number on the tag, because it decides which inks will work, whether the garment needs a low-bleed underbase, and how much the print will shrink with the shirt. Read it before quoting, not after.
Buying strengths, paying for weaknesses
Each fibre has a profile. Cotton gives hand and takes ink; polyester gives strength, shape retention and shrink control; rayon gives drape; elastane gives stretch and recovery.
Blending buys a combination none of them offers alone. A 50/50 is more stable than cotton and more comfortable than pure polyester.
It is also a cost lever, since fibre prices move independently — part of why blend ratios in the market shift over time.
What the common ratios are for
90/10 and 99/1 cotton-rich blends exist mainly to produce heather and Ash colours; they behave like cotton in almost every other respect.
60/40 CVC sits between cotton and a true 50/50: heather colours, a softer hand than 50/50, and more cotton for ink to bond to.
50/50 is the classic uniform and workwear blend — durable, low-shrink, and cheaper than cotton.
65/35 and higher polyester belongs to performance wear, where wicking and shape retention matter more than hand.
Why it is the number that decides your quote
The ratio decides which inks work. Water-based and discharge need cellulose; sublimation needs polyester; DTG needs cotton fibre to bond to.
It decides whether a low-bleed ink or a blocker underbase is needed, because the polyester fraction carries the dye that migrates.
And it decides how much the garment will shrink, which decides whether the print still sits where you put it after a month. Read it before quoting, not after.
Common questions
- What is a fabric blend?
- A fabric made from more than one fibre, stated as a percentage split such as 60/40 cotton-polyester. Blending combines properties no single fibre offers alone.
- What is the best blend for t-shirts?
- It depends on the job. 100% cotton prints best, 50/50 is durable and low-shrink for uniforms, 60/40 CVC is the middle ground with heather colours, and poly-rich blends are for performance wear.
- Why does the blend ratio matter for printing?
- It decides which inks will bond, whether dye migration needs a low-bleed ink, and how much the garment will shrink — which decides whether the print still sits right after a month.
Where this comes up
See also
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