The Comfort Colors 1717 is a heavy, garment-dyed cotton tee with a relaxed fit and a washed, lived-in look, while the Bella+Canvas 3001 is a lighter, smoother combed-cotton tee with a closer retail fit and a far wider colour range. Pick the 1717 when the shirt's weight and vintage colour are part of what you sell, and the 3001 when you want crisp prints, many colours and a lighter wear.
This comparison is for print on demand sellers choosing which blank goes behind a design, or whether to offer both. The two shirts reach different buyers, photograph differently and need different size notes, so the choice touches your mockups, your description and your returns. Every spec below comes from the maker's own published sheet or product page.
The specs side by side
| Spec | Comfort Colors 1717 | Bella+Canvas 3001 |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | 100% US ring spun cotton | 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, 32 singles |
| Stated weight | 6.1 ounce | 4.2 oz |
| Colour process | Garment-dyed, soft-washed | Offered in 86 colours |
| Body and fit | No side seams, relaxed fit | Side-seamed, shoulder taping, unisex fit |
| Sizes | See the maker's size chart | Unisex XS to 5XL |
| Heathers | Not listed on the sheet we read | Ash is 99% cotton and 1% polyester, other heathers are sold as 3001CVC |
| Care on the sheet | 30C maximum, inside out, with like colours, do not iron | Not stated on the product page |
The Comfort Colors figures come from the 1717 spec sheet, a Comfort Colors document hosted by a distributor, and the Bella+Canvas figures from the 3001 product page. Both makers give the weight in ounces, and on those numbers the 1717 is clearly the heavier shirt.
Look and colour
Garment dyeing means the shirt is sewn first and dyed afterwards, which gives the 1717 its softly faded, broken-in colours. That look is why the 1717 pairs so well with retro and vintage artwork, the styles we cover in retro and vintage shirt design styles. The trade-off is consistency: the sheet itself says "Please allow for slight color variation in production and washing." Add a line about it to your description, so a buyer who reorders is not surprised.
The 3001 is the opposite kind of shirt. Combed, ring-spun yarn at 32 singles gives it a fine, smooth face that holds detailed artwork cleanly, and Bella+Canvas lists it in 86 colours. If your designs depend on a particular shade, or you sell family and group sets where everyone picks a colour, that range matters. Our guide to which shirt colours to offer on Etsy helps you narrow it down.
Weight and fit
At 6.1 ounce, with no side seams and a relaxed fit, the 1717 hangs straight and roomy and feels substantial in the hand. Buyers who want an oversized, cosy shirt tend to like it, and it works as a light outer layer in cooler months. The 3001, at 4.2 oz, side-seamed and with shoulder taping, sits closer to the body. It suits warm weather, layering under a jacket and anyone who finds heavy cotton stiff.
Because the cuts differ, the same size label does not fit the same way. Build each listing's size chart from that maker's own measurements, and never reuse one chart for both shirts. Our guide on building a size chart for Etsy apparel walks through the columns to include.
How each one prints
Both are cotton tees, which suits the common apparel methods. DTG, for example, "needs 100% cotton or high-cotton garments", and DTF works on cotton as well as blends. The 1717 brings one extra caution. Its sheet says: "Special consideration must also be taken when printing white ink on garment-dyed cotton." Test white-heavy designs on a sample before you list them widely, and keep contrast in mind on its muted colours.
The 3001's smooth surface takes fine lines and small text well. Its lighter fabric also means a large, solid print changes the drape more than it would on a heavy tee, so a full-chest block of ink is more noticeable. Print areas differ by provider too: one large provider's 15 x 18 inch front print area for select DTG products applies to the 3001 only in sizes L to 5XL, and some smaller sizes do not support it.
Which niches suit each shirt
Comfort Colors 1717: retro and vintage graphics, outdoorsy and coastal themes, hometown and travel designs, cosy gift shirts, and buyers who want an oversized look in muted colours.
Bella+Canvas 3001: clean typography and minimal graphics, bright many-colour artwork, family and group orders that need lots of colours and sizes from XS to 5XL, event shirts and warm-weather wear.
You can also offer both. Since the September 2026 update, Etsy listings can have up to three variation types, such as size, colour and style, and listings with three types can hold up to 2,500 option combinations. The two shirts come in different colour ranges, though, so separate listings are often easier to keep accurate. For more on the heavier shirt, read why the Comfort Colors 1717 is popular for print on demand, and for the classic alternative, Gildan 5000 vs Bella+Canvas 3001.
Both shirts in the Alomations catalog
The Comfort Colors 1717 and the Bella+Canvas 3001 are both in the Alomations catalog, next to Gildan tees, sweatshirts and hoodies and the Comfort Colors 1566 sweatshirt. Apparel is printed with DTF, and production for US orders is in the US. Each product shows its own "from" price on the catalog page (the Bella+Canvas 3001 started from $8.40 when we read it on October 17, 2026), and shipping is quoted separately, so you can work out the margin on each shirt before you price a listing.
Muted garment-dyed colours are where light and dark artwork versions pay off. Every Alomations design can come back in a light and a dark version, and tone rules per garment colour decide which version each colour gets. That choice is automatic, and you can override it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Comfort Colors 1717 fit bigger than the Bella+Canvas 3001?
The 1717's sheet describes a relaxed fit, while the 3001 is a unisex tee cut closer to the body, so the same size can fit differently. Use each maker's measurement chart rather than one chart for both.
Which one is better for DTF printing?
Both are cotton tees that suit DTF. On the 1717, the maker asks for special consideration with white ink on garment-dyed cotton, so check a sample of designs with a lot of white.
Why do Comfort Colors 1717 colours vary between orders?
Because the shirts are garment-dyed. The maker's sheet asks you to allow for slight colour variation in production and washing, so say so in your listing.
How should buyers wash a Comfort Colors 1717?
The sheet gives a maximum washing temperature of 30C, inside out, with like colours, and says not to iron. Copy those instructions into your description.
To list either shirt with print-ready files and mockups made in one run, try the Alomations free plan.