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 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 5000, from the live S&S Activewear catalog
Get a quote on the Gildan 5000
Gildan
5000 · Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton T-Shirt
Blank from $4.48 per piece
Printed, per piece · 1-color front
DTG has no minimum: from $19.48/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 5000 Specs at a Glance
| Fabric | 100% cotton (heathers, Sport Grey, and safety colors blend in polyester) |
|---|---|
| Weight | 5.3 oz/yd², 20 singles |
| Fit | Classic straight cut, taped neck and shoulders |
| Sizes | S through 5XL (live from the S&S catalog) |
| Colors | 82 colorways in stock through S&S Activewear |
| Best methods | Screen printing (bold spot-color designs) |
| Blank price | From $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 $12.04 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
Compare Blanks & Related Services
Blank comparison guides
- Comfort Colors 1717 vs Bella+Canvas 3001 vs Gildan 5000
- Bella+Canvas vs Gildan vs Next Level: Choosing the Right Blank T-Shirt
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Questions
Gildan 5000 FAQ
Is the Gildan 5000 good quality for custom shirts?+
How much does a custom printed Gildan 5000 cost?+
When should I choose the Gildan 5000 over a softer blank?+
What sizes and colors does the Gildan 5000 come in?+
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.