The Gildan 18000 is Gildan's Heavy Blend crewneck sweatshirt: 50% cotton and 50% polyester in a classic fit, listed at 280 g/m² (270 g/m² in white) on Gildan's European spec sheet. To sell it well on Etsy, describe it as exactly that, a cotton-polyester crewneck with a classic fit, printed with a method that suits a blend.
This guide is for sellers adding a crewneck to a shirt range, or already listing the 18000 and wanting copy that still holds up when the parcel arrives. Most problems with sweatshirt listings are description problems: a blend called cotton, a classic fit sold as oversized, a crewneck photographed like a hoodie. Each one is easy to avoid with the spec sheet open. If you are still choosing between crewnecks, our Comfort Colors 1566 vs Gildan 18000 comparison puts the two side by side.
Fabric: what the 18000 is made of
Gildan's European spec sheet for the 18000 lists "50% U.S. Cotton, 50% Polyester, 280 G/SqM (White 270 G/SqM)", a 24/1 yarn count and a classic fit. On the same European sheets, the Gildan 5000 tee is 180 g/m², so the sweatshirt is a clearly heavier fabric. The blend is the single most important fact for your listing, because it drives the materials attribute, the print method and the care advice.
Gildan's US sheets state weight in ounces, and we could not confirm an ounce figure for the 18000 from a US sheet. Rather than converting 280 g/m² yourself, use the weight on the spec sheet your provider links for your market, or leave the weight out. Check the blend colour by colour as well. Several Gildan styles change the blend for heathers: the 18500 hoodie's US sheet, for example, lists "60/40 poly/cotton (Heathers)". Confirm the blend of each 18000 colour you list before you write one blend for all of them.
Fit and sizing
The spec sheet describes a classic fit, so do not promise an oversized or fitted look. Buyers who want a roomy, oversized feel usually size up, and it helps to say so in the description and let a size chart show the measurements.
Put the size chart in both the photos and the description, built from your provider's measurements for this exact style rather than a generic chart. Our guide to building a size chart for apparel listings shows a layout buyers can read at a glance. If you are weighing a hoodie for the same design as well, our article on sweatshirts or hoodies helps you decide which to list.
Colours: what to offer and how the print reads
Offer the colours that suit the design rather than every colour available. A short, deliberate list is easier to photograph, easier to keep accurate and easier for a buyer to choose from. Check the colour range on your provider's product page before you build the listing, since availability can differ by supplier.
Dark sweatshirts need a white layer under the colours of the print. With DTF, a white ink layer on the film lets transfers work on any fabric colour. Most designs still need a light version for dark colours and a dark version for light ones, so lettering and line work stay readable on every colour you offer.
Print method and print area
The 50% polyester decides the method. DTF "can print on cotton, polyester, nylon, and blends alike", which makes it a natural fit for the 18000. DTG, by contrast, "needs 100% cotton or high-cotton garments", so a half-polyester sweatshirt is outside its comfort zone. Sublimation is out for a 50/50 blend: it "requires polyester or another synthetic material", and one manufacturer sets at least 75% polyester as its minimum for good results.
A DTF print is "a thin, smooth layer you can feel sitting on top of the fabric". It might develop small cracks if the garment is washed in hot water, so put cool-wash care in the listing. Our care guide for DTF prints has wording you can reuse.
Print areas vary by provider, so use your provider's template for this style. Designs from Alomations come back at 12 inches and 300 DPI, which gives the file enough resolution for a chest print up to 12 inches across.
Describing the 18000 accurately in a listing
Etsy asks you to "clearly describe your item in the first sentence of your description", and accuracy has a practical side too: Etsy Purchase Protection does not cover a case where "the item doesn't match the listing description." Since March 2026, Etsy has removed the Materials tag field, so materials are entered only as an attribute. Use this table to turn the spec sheet into listing copy:
| What you know | Write in your listing | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 50% cotton, 50% polyester | Cotton-polyester blend, in the description and the materials attribute | 100% cotton, organic cotton |
| 280 g/m², 270 g/m² in white (European sheet) | The weight from your provider's sheet, or no weight | An ounce figure you converted yourself |
| Classic fit | Classic fit, a size chart and a size-up tip | Oversized, relaxed, fitted |
| Crewneck sweatshirt, Heavy Blend line | Crewneck sweatshirt | Hoodie, zip-up |
| Heather blends can differ by colour | The blend for each colour you list | One blend for every colour |
| Printed with DTF | Printed design, cool-wash care | Embroidered, screen printed |
If a production partner prints and ships for you, Etsy also requires you to disclose that partner in the relevant listings.
The Gildan 18000 in Alomations
The Gildan 18000 is in the Alomations catalog, listed from $10.90 (price read October 17, 2026), with shipping quoted separately. Apparel in the catalog is printed with DTF, and production for US orders is in the US. Orders arrive resolved, with the design and variant matched, and you see the item cost and shipping separately before paying from your balance.
You do not need to own the sweatshirt to list it. The built-in mockup library has ready product photos for catalog products, and smart mockups render your design onto them with real fabric folds, shading and light, with a background picker for flat-lay shots and a preview of every colour and every side before the run. When the listing is written, fabric claims in the copy match the materials in your template, so once the template says cotton-polyester, the listing says it too, and Etsy listing attributes are filled from the product. Our guide to sweatshirt mockups covers which shots to use.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Gildan 18000 100% cotton?
No. Gildan's European spec sheet lists it as 50% cotton and 50% polyester, and heather colours on Gildan styles can use a different blend, so check the colour you list.
What is the difference between the Gildan 18000 and 18500?
The 18000 is the crewneck sweatshirt and the 18500 is the hooded version, with a double-lined hood and a front pouch pocket on its spec sheet. Both are listed at 280 g/m² on Gildan's European sheets.
Can the Gildan 18000 be printed with DTG?
DTG works best on 100% cotton or high-cotton garments, so a 50/50 blend suits DTF better. Apparel in our catalog, the 18000 included, is printed with DTF.
How should buyers wash a DTF-printed sweatshirt?
Follow the garment's care label and avoid hot water, because DTF prints can develop small cracks when washed hot. Put that advice in the description so buyers see it before the first wash.
You can list the Gildan 18000 with ready mockups, real orders included, on the Alomations free plan.