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French Press Custom

Blank Guide & Live Pricing

Custom Printed Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton T-Shirt

The 5000 is the workhorse of custom printing: the shirt behind decades of event tees, work shirts, and giveaways. When the goal is the lowest cost per printed piece without going flimsy, this is the blank the math keeps picking.

The Gildan 5000 blank runs $4.48 per piece through our live S&S Activewear catalog at our standard markup, before decoration. Screen printing starts at 24 pieces (about $8.00 per piece for a 1-color print at 24 pieces), DTG has no minimum, and every order includes a free digital proof.

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Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton T-Shirt blank garment

Gildan 5000, from the live S&S Activewear catalog

The Blank

Gildan 5000 Specs at a Glance

Fabric100% cotton (heathers, Sport Grey, and safety colors blend in polyester)
Weight5.3 oz/yd², 20 singles
FitClassic straight cut, taped neck and shoulders
SizesS through 5XL (live from the S&S catalog)
Colors82 colorways in stock through S&S Activewear
Best methodsScreen printing (bold spot-color designs)
Blank priceFrom $4.48 per piece (live wholesale catalog price at our standard markup, before decoration; size upcharges apply on extended sizes)

Nothing beats it on delivered cost for bulk orders. The open-end cotton is durable, holds bold prints well, and the color range covers school, team, and safety needs that fashion blanks skip.

It is a classic boxy cut in an era of retail fits, and that is fine: for uniforms, events, and giveaways, a roomier shirt that survives industrial washing is exactly the assignment.

Decoration

Which Decoration Method Works Best on the Gildan 5000?

Screen printing

The natural match. Bold 1-3 color designs print crisp and opaque on the 5000, and at 100+ pieces the combined blank and print price is hard to beat with any other cotton tee.

DTG

Workable on white and light shirts, but the coarser open-end surface mutes fine detail compared to ring-spun blanks. If the design is photographic, step up to a Bella+Canvas 3001 or Next Level 3600 for DTG.

Watch out for

The 20-singles open-end fabric is not the canvas for hairline detail or super-soft water-based looks. Sport Grey and heathers contain polyester, so they will not discharge.

Pricing

How Much Does It Cost to Print the Gildan 5000?

Two parts: the blank (from $4.48 per piece, live catalog price) plus decoration from the tiers below. A 48-piece run with a 1-color front print works out around $10.88 per piece before tax, with screen setup waived at that quantity.

QuantityPer piece (1 color to 3 colors)
24-47 pieces$8.00 - $9.00/pc
48-99 pieces$6.40 - $7.20/pc
100-199 pieces$3.20 - $3.60/pc
200-449 pieces$2.40 - $2.70/pc
450-999 pieces$1.92 - $2.16/pc
1000+ pieces$1.28 - $1.44/pc
Under 24 pieces$15.00 - $25.00/pc DTG (no minimum, no setup fee)

Minimum 24 pieces. Prices are per piece, decoration only. Blank garment is additional and priced from live wholesale catalogs.

One-time screen setup: $25.00 per screen (one per ink color) plus film and press setup, billed on runs of 24 pieces or fewer ($65.00 for 1 color, $145.00 for 3 colors) and waived on larger runs. Reorders reuse your screens.

Range shown is a 1-color to 3-color print, one location. 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.

Price the Gildan 5000 Now

Every line item, including screens and multi-location prints, is explained in our screen printing cost guide.

Go Deeper

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Bella+Canvas 3001 Next Level 3600

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Questions

Gildan 5000 FAQ

Is the Gildan 5000 good quality for custom shirts?+
For its job, yes. It is a durable 5.3 oz cotton tee that takes bold screen printing well and survives heavy washing, which is why it dominates events, uniforms, and giveaways. It is not a retail-fit fashion blank; when hand feel and fit are the point, that is what the Bella+Canvas 3001 is for.
How much does a custom printed Gildan 5000 cost?+
The blank runs $4.48 per piece at our standard markup on the live S&S catalog price (size upcharges apply from 2XL up). A 48-piece run with a 1-color front print works out around $10.88 per piece before tax, with screen setup waived at that quantity. At higher quantities the per-piece decoration tiers drop further; the calculator prices your exact run.
When should I choose the Gildan 5000 over a softer blank?+
Choose it when quantity and budget lead: school events, fun runs, crew shirts, giveaways, and any order where the per-piece total decides the quantity you can afford. Choose a ring-spun blank instead when the shirt represents a brand people should want to wear again.
What sizes and colors does the Gildan 5000 come in?+
Through our live S&S Activewear catalog it runs S through 5XL in 82 colorways, including the safety and school colors many fashion blanks skip.

Ready to Print the Gildan 5000?

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.

Start With This Blank Sample One on DTG First
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