Blank Guide & Live Pricing
Custom Printed Gildan 18500 Heavy Blend Hooded Sweatshirt
The Gildan 18500 is the most familiar hoodie in custom apparel: an 8 oz 50/50 fleece pullover at a price that makes team, school and company hoodie orders work. When the brief is "a good hoodie for everyone," this is usually it.
The Gildan 18500 blank runs $17.57 per piece through our live S&S Activewear catalog at our standard markup, before decoration. Screen printing starts at 36 pieces (about $7.73 per piece for a 1-color print at 36 pieces), DTG has no minimum, and every order includes a free digital proof.
Gildan 18500, from the live S&S Activewear catalog
Get a quote on the Gildan 18500
Gildan
18500 · Gildan 18500 Heavy Blend Hooded Sweatshirt
Blank from $17.57 per piece
Printed, per piece · 1-color front
DTG has no minimum: from $32.57/pc at 12 pcsQuote DTGLive figures: the blank at the current wholesale catalog price with our standard markup, plus decoration from the pricing engine, one location, before tax. Size upcharges apply on extended sizes; your exact quantity, colors and sizes price in the calculator.
The Blank
Gildan 18500 Specs at a Glance
| Fabric | 50/50 cotton/polyester fleece (Heather Dark Green, Heather Dark Maroon, Heather Dark Navy, Heather Deep Royal and Heather Scarlet Red 60/40 polyester/cotton) |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8 oz/yd², 20 singles |
| Fit | Classic fit, double-lined hood with color-matched drawcord, 1x1 rib with spandex, pouch pocket |
| Sizes | XS through 5XL (live from the S&S catalog) |
| Colors | 47 colorways in stock through S&S Activewear |
| Best methods | Screen printing, embroidery |
| Blank price | From $17.57 per piece (live wholesale catalog price at our standard markup, before decoration; size upcharges apply on extended sizes) |
The 18500 balances warmth, durability and cost better than almost any hoodie we print. Gildan rebuilt the Heavy Blend line with finer yarns and MVS Air spinning, which it says reduces pilling and gives a smoother printing surface.
The 1x1 rib with spandex at the cuffs and waistband keeps its stretch and recovery, so the hoodie still looks right after a season of wear.
Decoration
Which Decoration Method Works Best on the Gildan 18500?
Screen printing
Front, back and sleeve prints all work. Plastisol prints bold and durable on the 50/50 fleece, and we lay the front print out around the pouch pocket on the proof.
Embroidery
A left-chest logo on an 18500 is a classic company and team hoodie. The 8 oz fleece supports standard logo stitch counts without puckering.
Watch out for
Polyester content rules out discharge. For a softer, more premium fleece with a cotton face, look at the Independent SS4500.
Related technique: Puff and specialty ink printing on hoodies
Pricing
How Much Does It Cost to Print the Gildan 18500?
Two parts: the blank (from $17.57 per piece, live catalog price) plus decoration from the tiers below. A 48-piece run with a 1-color front print works out around $25.13 per piece before tax, with the screen already inside that figure rather than billed on top.
| Quantity | Per piece (1 color to 3 colors) |
|---|---|
| 36-49 pieces | $7.73 - $10.00/pc |
| 50-99 pieces | $5.43 - $7.04/pc |
| 100-199 pieces | $3.77 - $4.71/pc |
| 200-449 pieces | $2.77 - $3.35/pc |
| 450-999 pieces | $2.17 - $2.55/pc |
| 1000+ pieces | $1.43 - $1.66/pc |
| Under 36 pieces | $12.00 - $25.00/pc DTG (no minimum, no setup fee) |
Minimum 36 pieces. Prices are per piece, decoration only. Blank garment is additional and priced from live wholesale catalogs.
Screen setup is built into the per-piece price: one screen per ink color, plus one more for the white underbase on dark garments, spread across your run, so there is no separate setup line. More colors mean more screens, which is why color count moves the per-piece price and why the same design prices lower on a bigger run. Runs of 24 pieces or fewer also carry film and press setup, included the same way. We keep your artwork on file, so reorders are quick, and a repeat of the same design carries no setup, so it prices lower per piece.
Range shown is a 1-color to 3-color print, one location, with the screens already included. Each additional location is priced separately.
Decoration rates shown are for screen printing this blank; DTG and other methods are priced live in the calculator.
Prices exclude CA sales tax (10.5%), which applies to the blank garment only.
Every line item, including screens and multi-location prints, is explained in our screen printing cost guide.
Go Deeper
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Questions
Gildan 18500 FAQ
Is the Gildan 18500 a good hoodie for custom printing?+
How much does a custom printed Gildan 18500 hoodie cost?+
Gildan 18500 or Independent SS4500: which hoodie should I order?+
Can you embroider the Gildan 18500?+
Ready to Print the Gildan 18500?
The calculator opens with this exact blank selected. Pick your colors and quantity and see the live price, then send it to us with your artwork.