Carlyn Hill

T-Shirt Guide: What Sets Apart the Different Styles of T-Shirts in Artist Shops?

NOTE: An updated version of this T-Shirt Guide is available here. It features an up-to-date list of the different styles of t-shirts you can offer in your Artist Shop.

Tees on tees on tees! If you’ve been keeping up with the new product additions in Artist Shops, you already know that we’ve added some awesome new tees to the lineup: extra soft, premium, and heavyweight! There are lots of different styles of t-shirts for you to add to your Artist Shop, and – trust us – tees sell! But from the regular vs the premium to the tri-blend vs the extra soft, what makes each of these styles of t-shirts unique and different from each other? Knowing what sets each tee apart can help you know how to market each style to your customers in social posts. Here’s a handy guide through the different styles of t-shirts in Artist Shops (and for more details on each style, check out the FAQ!)

.     .     .

The TL;DR Quick Guide

You’re a busy human and this is a lot of info. So here’s a super quick comparison between the different styles of t-shirts available for your Artist Shop and what clothing experience it can offer to your customers:

  • Regular tee: This is your everyday, form-fitting crew-neck tee. Comfy softness, classic look & fit.
  • Premium tee: High-quality tee that offers a much smoother, silky feel and more structured, mid-weight fit than the regular tee.
  • Tri-blend: A fan favorite with a vintage look and broken-in, form-fitting, soft feel.
  • Extra soft tee: Where tri-blends have a broken-in softness, extra soft tees have a super soft & lightweight jersey softness with a more relaxed fit.
  • Heavyweight tee: A sturdy tee with a boxier fit that provides a more inclusive size range from small to 5XL (in some colors).
  • All-Over Tee: With this tee, your designs print across the full surface of the tee super vividly. Ideal for patterns.
  • All-Over Tri-blend Tee: A softer option of the all-over tee that provides that fan-favorite tri-blend feel (designs print with a more vintage look).

The Regular Tee

What it offers customers: Aka the “Men’s T-shirt”, “Women’s Fitted T-shirt”, and “Unisex Regular Tee”, this is an everyday crew-neck and go-to wardrobe staple that provides trusty fit & comfort.

  • Lightweight, form-fitting
  • 100% combed ring-spun cotton (heathers contain between 10-65% polyester)
  • Available in men’s small to 3XL, women’s small to 2XL (as well as unisex for an additional fit option)

Base fee: $15

The Premium Tee

What it offers customers: Your new favorite tee. This high-quality AS Colour tee feels buttery smooth to the touch and is made with ethically sourced material & manufacturing. Provides a slightly more structured mid-weight material & fit than the regular tee, and is smoother than the regular tee. Plus, your print is left to process on the fabric longer, ensuring your designs print super crisp.

  • Mid-weight for a more structured fit.
  • Strong and super smooth feel.
  • 100% combed cotton (heathers contain 15% polyester) fabric.
  • Available in men’s small to 3XL, women’s X-small to XL ( in most colors).

Base fee: $25

The Heavyweight Tee

What it offers customers: A sturdy tee with a boxier fit. Unlike the other styles, the heavyweight features an expanded size range, going from small to 5XL (in some colors), adding some inclusive sizing to your Shop and offering your customers more variety.

  • Relaxed, unisex fit; sturdy feel and boxier fit
  • Includes sizes up to 5XL sizes (in some colors) for both men & women’s sizes
  • 100% combed cotton (heathers contain between 10-65% polyester)

Base cost: $15

The Extra Soft Tee

What it offers customers: The extra soft tee is the most lightweight tee with a jersey softness and a stylishly relaxed fit. (For the women’s sizes, you may want to tell customers to size down if they want a more fitted look.)

  • Super lightweight, relaxed fit, jersey-soft material 
  • 100% airlume combed & ring-spun cotton (heathers contain between 1-48% polyester)
  • Available in men’s sizing from small to 3XL and women’s sizing from small to 2XL in most colors

Base fee: $16

The Tri-blend Tee

What it offers customers: The tri-blend will forever be a fan favorite. This combo of three fabrics provides a broken-in softness and a dappled, vintage look with a fitted silhouette.

  • Classic broken-in softness (vs the lightweight jersey feel of the extra soft).
  • 50% polyester/25% combed ring-spun cotton/25% rayon for super soft feel.
  • Available in small to 2XL in most colors for men and women.

Base fee: $18

The All-Over Tee & All-Over Tri-blend Tee

What it offers customers: All-over print tees are in. This super modern style allows you to print full designs across the entire tee canvas (ideal for patterns), not just one section. Because the all-over tees are made out of spun polyester, they have a different feel than any of the other tees and your designs print super vividly. And for those who don’t like the polyester feel, there’s also a tri-blend version of this style (the colors have a more faded, vintage look).

  • 100% spun polyester material (tri-blends all-over tees are a Polyester/cotton/rayon blend).
  • Unisex sizing.
  • Tri-blend all-over tee has a faded, vintage look.
  • The non-Tri-blend all-over tee provides super vivid colors & prints.
  • The process used to make this tee can create minor printing imperfections.

Curious to try out all of these tees? Order samples of your own products at just the base cost and even with free shipping!

.     .     .

Illustrations by Katie Lukes.

Want to start an online business? Try Artist Shops for free!

Related Posts