The Comfort Colors Guide: Why Everyone Loves Garment-Dyed Tees

Walk into any college campus, beach town, or trendy coffee shop and you will see them everywhere, those perfectly faded, heavyweight, impossibly comfortable t-shirts in muted earthy tones. That is Comfort Colors, and it has become one of the most requested blank brands in the custom apparel industry.

At French Press Custom, Comfort Colors has gone from a niche request to one of our top three most-printed blanks. Here is why.

What Are Comfort Colors and What Does the Name Mean?

Comfort Colors is a t-shirt brand, not a color palette: it makes heavyweight ringspun cotton tees, sweatshirts, and hoodies that are dyed after they are sewn (garment-dyed), which gives them a soft, pre-washed feel and a signature range of muted, earthy colors. When someone says "a Comfort Colors shirt," they almost always mean the 1717 heavyweight tee. The "colors" in the name refers to that garment-dyed palette (Pepper, Ivory, Blue Spruce, Crimson, and the rest), and "comfort" to the broken-in hand feel that comes from the dye and wash process. Here is what actually makes the brand different.

Garment Dyeing

The key differentiator is the dyeing process. Most t-shirts are made from pre-dyed fabric, the yarn is colored before it is knit into fabric and cut into shirts. Comfort Colors does the opposite:

The shirt is cut and sewn from raw, undyed fabric
The finished garment is then dyed in a large vat
This garment-dyeing process produces the signature soft, broken-in feel and vintage color palette

The Result

Pre-washed softness: feels like it has been worn and washed dozens of times, right out of the bag
Vintage colorways: muted, earthy tones that are impossible to replicate with standard dyeing
Minimal shrinkage: already shrunk during the garment-dye process
Relaxed fit: the washing process softens the structure for a naturally relaxed silhouette
Unique character: slight color variations between garments add to the handmade feel

Why Is Comfort Colors So Popular?

Three reasons, and they compound. First, the blank feels expensive before anything is printed on it: 6.1 oz ringspun cotton that has already been washed soft, with a relaxed, slightly oversized fit that matches current style. Second, the color palette is distinctive; nobody else sells that exact dusty, sun-faded range, so a Comfort Colors shirt reads as intentional rather than promotional. Third, it photographs and prints beautifully, especially with discharge or a simple one-color screen print, so it became the default for Greek life, coastal and outdoor brands, churches, and boutique merch lines, and that visibility feeds on itself. The trade-off is price: the blank costs more than a standard tee, which is exactly why it signals quality.

Best Colors for Custom Printing

Comfort Colors offers 60+ colorways, but these consistently sell best:

Neutrals

Ivory: creamy off-white, softer than true white (see the Ivory vs White note below)
Khaki: sandy tan, perfect for beachy designs
Pepper: charcoal gray with visible heather texture
Graphite: medium gray, versatile

Earth Tones

Blue Spruce: muted sage green, Instagram-favorite
Moss: earthy olive green
Yam: burnt orange, fall staple
Crimson: deep, muted red
Brick: rusty terracotta

Blues

True Navy: classic dark blue
Blue Jean: medium denim blue
Chambray: light dusty blue

Best-Sellers for Printing

Our top 5 most-ordered Comfort Colors for custom printing:

Pepper
Ivory
True Navy
Blue Spruce
Crimson

Comfort Colors Ivory vs White

Ivory is a warm, creamy off-white that fits the vintage palette and hides minor wear; White is a true bright white. For a retro or coastal look, or when the design uses earth tones, Ivory is the better canvas. For brand colors that need a neutral background, crisp black text, or photographic prints, White keeps the colors truer.

Can You Screen Print on Comfort Colors?

Yes, and it is the method we recommend most often for this blank. Standard plastisol screen printing works great on Comfort Colors. The garment-dyed surface takes ink beautifully, and the vintage aesthetic pairs perfectly with screen printed graphics.

Pro tip: Discharge printing on Comfort Colors is a match made in heaven. The reactive dyes used in garment dyeing respond perfectly to discharge agents, producing ultra-soft prints with a vintage fade.

DTG Printing

DTG works on Comfort Colors but requires more attention:

Extra pre-treatment for consistent results
The textured surface can affect fine detail reproduction
White ink pre-treatment is essential on dark colors
Results are good but screen printing or discharge typically look better

DTF Printing

DTF transfers work on Comfort Colors and offer a great alternative for small orders with multiple colors. The slightly textured surface bonds well with DTF adhesive.

What to Avoid

Vinyl/HTV: possible but the textured surface can cause adhesion issues over time

Can You Sublimate on Comfort Colors?

No. Sublimation dye only bonds to polyester, and Comfort Colors tees are 100% cotton, so a sublimation transfer on a 1717 washes out almost immediately. If you want a full-color or photographic print on Comfort Colors, use DTG (which prints water-based ink into cotton) or a DTF transfer (which bonds to any fabric); both give you unlimited colors on a garment-dyed tee. For all-over or edge-to-edge sublimation you need a polyester blank, which is a different look entirely; see our sublimation guide.

Do Comfort Colors Shirts Shrink?

Very little, because the garment is dyed and washed after it is sewn, so most of the shrinkage happens at the factory. Expect at most a slight tightening in a hot dryer, which is true of any heavyweight cotton tee. To keep the fit exactly as delivered, wash cold and tumble dry low or hang dry; that also protects the print. Because the cut is relaxed, size the order to how people want it to fit on day one; it will not tighten up later.

Why Specific Markets Love Comfort Colors

Greek Life (Sororities & Fraternities)

Comfort Colors is the unofficial uniform of Greek life. Recruitment tees, event shirts, and chapter merchandise are almost always on Comfort Colors blanks. The vintage aesthetic matches the campus culture perfectly.

Surf, Skate, and Beach Culture

The laid-back, broken-in feel aligns perfectly with coastal lifestyle brands. Muted colors, relaxed fit, and heavyweight cotton echo the aesthetic of classic surf and skate tees.

Boutique and Small Brands

Direct-to-consumer brands choose Comfort Colors because the blank itself adds perceived value. A custom design on a Comfort Colors tee feels like a premium retail product even before the print.

Churches and Nonprofits

The approachable, casual feel works perfectly for church event tees, mission trip shirts, and camp uniforms. The vintage look feels authentic and community-oriented.

How Much Do Comfort Colors Shirts Cost?

Comfort Colors blanks cost more than standard options like the Gildan 5000, and the gap is wider on the fleece styles (1566 hoodie, 1580 crewneck) than on the 1717 tee. We price every blank at our wholesale cost times a fixed markup, so the live per-piece price for each style and color is on our t-shirts and hoodies pages, and the instant quote tool adds your print so you can compare a Comfort Colors order against a Gildan or Bella+Canvas order side by side. Decoration pricing is the same as any other garment; see the screen printing cost guide. The premium is worth it for brands and organizations that value the unique look and feel.

Comfort Colors Alternatives

If Comfort Colors is out of budget or unavailable:

Gildan Hammer: garment-dyed at a lower price point
Hanes Beefy-T with garment dye: heavyweight option
LAT Apparel 6901: garment-dyed at competitive pricing

None of these match the authentic Comfort Colors feel, but they offer similar aesthetics at lower cost.

Order Comfort Colors from French Press Custom

We stock popular Comfort Colors styles and colors and can source any style from the full catalog within 2-3 business days. Whether you need 24 tees for a church retreat or 500 for a brand launch, we will make them look incredible.

Call (562) 407-3800 or request a quote with "Comfort Colors" in your project details. See also: Bella+Canvas vs Gildan vs Next Level and Discharge Screen Printing.

Related guide: See live blank pricing, colorways and best-method guidance on our Comfort Colors 1717 brand page.

The Comfort Colors Guide: Why Everyone Loves Garment-Dyed Tees