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Blank t-shirts for printing: the best Fruit of the Loom blanks and where to buy them cheap

Every printed shirt starts as a blank. Pick the wrong one and the print cracks, the white looks sheer or the sizes run out halfway through the order. This guide compares the Fruit of the Loom blanks printers use most and shows where to buy them cheaply in Europe, with or without a trade account.

What makes a good blank t-shirt for printing?

A blank is only as good as the print that ends up on it. Printers look at four things before anything else:

• Fabric and weight. 100 % cotton between approx. 145 and 195 g/m² takes screen print, DTG and vinyl well. Lighter shirts are cheaper and cooler; heavier ones feel more solid and are less sheer in white.
• A smooth, tubular body. The classic Fruit of the Loom tees are knitted as a tube with no side seams, so the print area is flat and the shirt lies evenly on a screen pallet or heat press.
• Colour and size range. A group order needs the same shirt in every size from XS to XXXL, and a merch run needs more than black and white.
• Consistency. Fruit of the Loom's product codes (61-036, 61-082 and so on) have been stable for years, so a reorder matches the first batch in cut, weight and colour.

That combination is why Fruit of the Loom is one of the standard blanks in European print workshops, next to Gildan and B&C. Our guide to printing on Fruit of the Loom covers the techniques in depth; this article is about choosing and buying the blank itself.

Which Fruit of the Loom blank t-shirt should you choose?

Five t-shirt models cover almost every print job. The weights below are approximate manufacturer figures.

Fruit of the Loom blank t-shirts for printing — approx. weights and best use (checked October 2026)

Model (code)	Weight / fabric	Feel	Best for
Valueweight T (61-036)	approx. 165 g/m², 100 % cotton, tubular	Classic, mid-weight	The all-round blank: screen print, DTG, vinyl, clubs, events, merch
Original T (61-082)	approx. 145 g/m², 100 % cotton, tubular	Light, airy	Large giveaway and festival runs, summer events
Heavy Cotton T (61-212)	approx. 195 g/m², 100 % cotton	Thick, sturdy	Workwear and merch that must last for years
Iconic 150 T (61-430)	150 g/m², ring-spun cotton	Soft, more fitted	Fashion-style merch and fine-detail DTG
Valueweight Long Sleeve T (61-038)	approx. 165 g/m², 100 % cotton	Classic, mid-weight	Autumn events, staff tops, sleeve prints

If you are unsure, start with the Valueweight T. It is the model most shops stock in the widest colour range, it is the one Marmalade Co. sells in 16 colours from XS to XXXL, and it sits in the middle of the weight range: thick enough for a solid white print surface, light enough to stay affordable. Compare the models in more detail in our Fruit of the Loom t-shirt guide.

White, black or colour: what changes for the print?

The garment colour affects both the price of the print and the result:

• White and light colours are the easiest to print. DTG needs no white underbase, so full-colour and photo prints are cheaper and sharper.
• Black and dark colours need a white underbase for DTG and often an extra screen in screen printing. Expect a slightly higher print price per piece.
• Heather (marl) colours contain polyester. They print well with screen print and vinyl, but tell your printer, because high heat can behave differently on the blend.
• Sublimation only works on polyester, so it is not an option on 100 % cotton blanks. Use DTG or DTF for full-colour designs instead.

For a white shirt that should not look sheer, choose the Valueweight (approx. 165 g/m²) or the Heavy Cotton (approx. 195 g/m²) rather than the lighter Original T.

Where can you buy blank t-shirts cheaply in Europe?

There are three realistic routes to blank Fruit of the Loom tees. The right one depends on whether you have a business account and where you are.

Where to buy blank Fruit of the Loom t-shirts — buying routes compared (prices approx., checked September–October 2026)

Route	Price per tee	Who can buy	Delivery
Marmalade Co. (marmaladeco.com)	€6.95; 5 for €22.95, 10 for €40.95, VAT incl.	Anyone, from 1 piece	DHL pickup point €6 (free from €80), home €7; 2–3 business days to 11 EU countries
textil-grosshandel.eu	from approx. €2.27–2.61, excl. VAT	Businesses only	Customer account needed for terms
textilwaren24.eu	from approx. €2.24–2.68, VAT incl.	Consumers and businesses	Germany and Austria only
Marketplaces (Amazon etc.)	Varies by seller and pack size	Anyone	Varies; colours and sizes often limited

Wholesale from-prices apply to the cheapest colour and size, usually white S–XL, and exclude VAT. For a registered German print shop ordering hundreds of white tees, a wholesaler is the cheapest route. For a club, a school, a small brand or anyone outside Germany and Austria without a VAT number, Marmalade Co. is the cheapest verified option we found that is open to everyone, with a price guarantee that matches an identical product you find cheaper elsewhere, within its terms. See our Fruit of the Loom wholesale guide for the trade route in detail.

What do blank t-shirts cost per piece?

At Marmalade Co. the Fruit of the Loom t-shirt costs €6.95. Pack prices apply from 3 pieces of the same product: 3 for €14.95, 5 for €22.95 and 10 for €40.95. Sizes and colours count together. DHL to a pickup point costs €6 per order and is free from €80; home delivery is €7. The live table updates every week and includes the V-neck, the long-sleeve tee and the tank top for comparison:

What Fruit of the Loom costs in packs at Marmalade Co. (EUR incl. VAT; pack prices incl. DHL pickup-point delivery: €6, free from €80; prices checked 2026-10-21)

Product	1 pcs	3 pcs	5 pcs	10 pcs
T-shirt	€12.95 €12.95 each	€20.95 €6.98 each	€28.95 €5.79 each	€46.95 €4.70 each
V-neck t-shirt	€12.95 €12.95 each	€20.95 €6.98 each	€28.95 €5.79 each	€46.95 €4.70 each
Long-sleeve t-shirt	€15.95 €15.95 each	€34.36 €11.45 each	€50.77 €10.15 each	€89.55 €8.96 each
Tank top	€11.95 €11.95 each	€22.96 €7.65 each	€32.77 €6.55 each	€59.55 €5.96 each

Want an exact total for your quantity? Use the calculator — it uses the pack prices and adds shipping for you:

For a full breakdown of 100 shirts, blank and printed, read what 100 Fruit of the Loom t-shirts cost.

Checklist before you order blanks for printing

1. Agree the model with your printer. Give them the product code (e.g. 61-036) so they set up for the right fabric and print area.
2. Split the sizes realistically. For mixed adult groups, M and L usually make up the largest share. Our Fruit of the Loom size guide lists chest widths per size.
3. Add a few spares. Ordering approx. 5 % extra covers misprints and late sign-ups.
4. Order one sample first if you are trying a new colour, so you can check shade and fabric before the full run.
5. Ship blanks straight to the printer if you can — enter the print shop as the delivery address and save a trip.
6. Plan the timing. Blanks from Marmalade Co. arrive in 2–3 business days; most print shops then need around 1–2 weeks.

Frequently asked questions

For most jobs the Fruit of the Loom Valueweight T (61-036) is the safest choice: approx. 165 g/m² of 100 % cotton, a tubular body without side seams, a wide colour range and sizes from XS to XXXL. It takes screen print, DTG and vinyl well. Choose the heavier Heavy Cotton T for workwear or the lighter Original T for large giveaway runs.

Marmalade Co. (marmaladeco.com) sells blank Fruit of the Loom t-shirts to anyone from one piece, at €6.95 each with VAT included, pack prices from 3 pieces (5 for €22.95, 10 for €40.95) and DHL delivery to 11 EU countries: €6 to a pickup point, free from €80, or €7 to your door. Classic textile wholesalers such as textil-grosshandel.eu sell only to registered businesses at prices excluding VAT.

At Marmalade Co. a blank Fruit of the Loom t-shirt costs €6.95, €22.95 for 5 or €40.95 for 10 (€4.10 each), VAT included. That puts 100 blank tees at roughly €410 in 10-packs, with free pickup-point delivery above €80 — and for larger orders Marmalade Co. makes a personal quote within 24 hours on weekdays. Sizes and colours of the same shirt count together for the pack price.

Not on the classic cotton tees. Sublimation ink only bonds with polyester, so it does not work on 100 % cotton blanks such as the Valueweight, Original or Heavy Cotton T. For full-colour designs on cotton, use DTG or DTF transfers instead; for simple logos in large runs, screen printing is the cheapest option.

The lighter models can show a little in white, especially the Original T at approx. 145 g/m². For a more opaque white blank, choose the Valueweight T (approx. 165 g/m²) or the Heavy Cotton T (approx. 195 g/m²). White is also the cheapest colour to print with DTG because no white underbase is needed.