A design printed on a solid cotton shirt looks the most predictable, while on a heather the speckled blend of fibres frames the print and shows through any open areas of the art, and on a garment-dyed shirt the fabric itself varies slightly from one shirt to the next. Your listing photos have to show buyers which of these they are getting, so the shirt that arrives matches the one they chose.
This guide is for sellers deciding which colours to put in a listing, especially the popular greys, heathers and washed colours, and for anyone who has had an "it looks different from the photo" message. It matters beyond reviews: Etsy Purchase Protection covers a seller when an item matches the listing description and photos but the buyer says it does not, and it does not cover an item that "doesn't match the listing description", according to Etsy's Purchase Protection page.
Three kinds of shirt colour
Blank makers publish the fibre content of each colour on their spec sheets, and those sheets show three families.
Solid colours are one dye on one fibre. Gildan's US spec sheet lists the Gildan 5000 as "5.3-ounce, 100% US cotton", with exceptions by colour.
Heathers blend yarns of different shades, usually with polyester, which gives the speckled look. On the same Gildan 5000 sheet, Ash is 99/1 cotton/polyester, Sport Grey and the Antique colours are 90/10, and heathers such as Dark Heather and Graphite Heather are 50/50. On the Gildan 64000, many heathers, for example Heather Navy and Dark Heather, are "65/35 polyester/ring spun cotton". Bella+Canvas keeps its 3001 at 100% cotton, with Ash at 99% cotton and 1% polyester, and sells its other heathers as a separate style, the 3001CVC.
Garment-dyed shirts are sewn first and dyed afterwards, which gives a softer, washed look. The Comfort Colors 1717 spec sheet describes "Soft-washed, garment-dyed fabric" and asks you to "allow for slight color variation in production and washing."
How each one prints
| Colour type | Fibre, examples from spec sheets | How the print looks | What to show in photos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid | Gildan 5000 in most colours, 100% cotton | Even background, colours close to the file | A clean flat shot and one close-up |
| Light speckle | Gildan 5000 Ash 99/1, Sport Grey 90/10 | Fine speckle around the print, print itself unchanged | The exact colour name and a close-up |
| Heather blend | Gildan 5000 heathers 50/50, many Gildan 64000 heathers 65/35 | Speckled fabric frames the art and shows through gaps | A close-up of the print edge on the heather |
| Garment-dyed | Comfort Colors 1717, 100% ring spun cotton | Washed, softer look, slight shade variation between shirts | Natural light and a note that shades vary |
What a heather does to your design
With DTF, the method our catalog uses for apparel, the design is printed onto film and pressed onto the shirt. Printify's guide to print methods notes that a white ink layer on the film lets DTF transfers work on any fabric colour, and its DTF and DTG comparison says "DTF can print on cotton, polyester, nylon, and blends alike." So the printed areas stay solid. What changes is everything around and between them.
Open, distressed or vintage textures let the heather show through the gaps. On a heather that can look intentional or it can look muddy, so check a close-up mockup before you list.
Halftones and fine dots pick up the speckle the same way.
Mid-tone heathers such as a medium grey sit between light and dark. White lettering can lose contrast there, and very dark art can too. Decide per colour which version of your design reads best.
DTG is different. The same comparison says DTG "needs 100% cotton or high-cotton garments" and is "not recommended for nylon or polyester". A 65/35 polyester-cotton heather is not a high-cotton garment, so if your provider prints DTG, ask before offering those colours.
What garment dye does to your design
Garment-dyed fabric starts from a softer, faded look, which suits retro and vintage designs. Two lines on the Comfort Colors sheet matter for print sellers. First, the colour variation: two shirts in the same colour can differ a little, and a buyer ordering a matching set may notice. Second, "Special consideration must also be taken when printing white ink on garment-dyed cotton." Ask your production partner how they handle white on garment-dyed shirts, and look at a sample before you build a collection on them.
The same sheet gives care instructions worth copying into your description: "Maximum washing temperature 30C, inside out, with like colors." and "Do not iron."
Solid colours: the predictable baseline
Solid 100% cotton colours give the closest match between your file and the shirt. Detailed illustrations, small text and bright designs with many colours are safest on solids. Screens still differ: Etsy says it converts listing photos to the sRGB colour profile, and every buyer's screen shows colour a little differently, as our article on why printed colours look different from your screen explains.
What to show buyers in your photos
A mockup for each tricky colour. Etsy lets you add photos to variation options, but its variations guide says "If you have more than 20 options, you can only add photos for 20 of these options." Spend those on heathers and garment-dyed shades first.
A close-up of the print on the heather, so the speckle around the design is visible.
The blank maker's colour names, such as Sport Grey or Dark Heather, in your colour options, so buyers know a heather is a heather.
A line in the description for garment-dyed colours: shades vary slightly from shirt to shirt.
Natural, even light and no colour filters on the mockup.
Our guide to which shirt colours to offer on Etsy helps you decide how many colours from each family to include.
Light and dark versions per colour in Alomations
The hardest part of heathers is that one design rarely suits every shade. In Alomations, every design comes back with a light and a dark version of the same artwork, and tone rules per garment colour decide which version each colour gets. The choice is automatic and you can override it, which is what mid-tone heathers need: you might give Sport Grey the dark version and Dark Heather the light one. The light variant turns lettering white even where it touches the drawing, and the dark variant keeps painted art and line drawings readable.
Smart mockups render the design on each colour, and Mockup Preview on paid plans lets you check every colour before the run, so you see the heather around your print before a buyer does. The blanks themselves, including the Gildan 5000, Gildan 64000 and Comfort Colors 1717, are on our catalog. For the reasoning behind two versions, see light and dark versions of a design.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sport Grey a heather?
It has a speckled look, but on the Gildan 5000 sheet it is 90/10 cotton/polyester, while colours named as heathers, such as Dark Heather, are 50/50. Use the blank maker's colour name in your listing rather than a general "heather grey".
Do prints last as long on heather blends?
DTF bonds to cotton, polyester and blends. One provider estimates that a DTF print holds up for 50 to 100 washes before fading, cracking or peeling shows, and another notes that it might develop small cracks if the garment is washed in hot water. Care matters as much as the blend.
Why does my Comfort Colors shirt look different from the mockup?
Garment dyeing varies slightly in production and washing, as the Comfort Colors spec sheet says. Show that in your photos and description so buyers expect it. Our article on why Comfort Colors 1717 is popular for print on demand covers this blank in more depth.
Should a new shop offer heathers at all?
Yes, if your design suits them. Check each heather with a close-up mockup and the right light or dark version, and read our comparison of cotton, polyester and tri-blend shirts for how blends feel and wear.
To try light and dark versions on your own designs, you can start with the free plan.
