The term ringspun cotton is not very well known and is infrequently used. But it’s a term we want to familiarize you with, and you may never think about t-shirts the same way ever again.
Ringspun cotton is a whole lot different than what’s called carded open-end cotton. That’s what you consider a regular cotton shirt. Ringspun cotton is put into a special ringed machine when being produced to create a t-shirt. Yarn is rapidly spun around the machine, and it becomes a thinner, finer fabric.
What does that mean? It means the yarn fibers of cotton are wound much tighter and more precisely than carded open-end shirt fiber. What that translates to is a higher-quality tee. When cotton gets processed from its original raw form into rough yarns of smaller and smaller size, it becomes suitable for t-shirts you typically wear. The ring spinning is an extra step. Lacking that extra spin cycle, a carded open-end cotton t-shirt is bulky, fuzzy, and has an uneven knit to it. If you’ve never worn a ringspun cotton shirt, you probably don’t feel like open-end has those characteristics to it. And the fibers of open-end cotton are coarse and loose, and they don’t even go in the same direction.
The ringspun fiber is tight and runs in the same direction. A shirt that’s been ringspun is smoother, finer, lighter, and softer to the touch due to the tension and fine weaving of the yarn. They’re also more durable than their open-end cousin; they last longer and are far less susceptible to tearing.
When you first put on a ringspun cotton tee, you might feel that the garment is so light that the fabric is cheaper. That’s simply not the case. It wouldn’t seem to make sense, as ringspun shirts actually have a higher fabric weight than a shirt made with industry-standard cotton fiber. It’s because the t-shirt fabric has been produced at a higher quality level. The yarn has been, as we said, ring spun. Another benefit, and it pertains to our company and you as our customer…ringspun shirts have fewer impurities than open-end shirts. It means that we have a smoother surface to print on for you. Standard t-shirts also have a 75% greater chance of having the ink for artwork flake and deteriorate.
The process of turning ringspun yarn might sound like a new innovation. But it actually began in the 18th century, grew in popularity during the Industrial Revolution, and is now employed by popular cotton t-shirt brands like Hanes and Gildan. Those companies still regularly crank out thousands of carded open-end tee shirts daily, and we do carry them for sale.
With regard to ring spun cotton fabric vs. carded open-end cotton, the bottom line is:
- Ringspun cotton boasts more softness and is smoother due to its refined production process.
- The composition of its cotton yarn helps to create a stronger, tighter fabric weave that still has a softer feel and has greater durability.
- Because of the tighter knit and sturdiness, ring spun cotton fabric tends to last longer.
It’s a Numbers Game:
In the industry, there is what’s known as “singles.” This term refers to the diameter of yarn that can be woven to make a shirt. This is determined by the number of times the fiber gets twisted. The higher the number equates to the finer, softer, better quality of shirt. High-end shirts that are ringspun hover around 30 to 40. It’s called 30 singles, 40 singles, and so forth. Standard cotton shirts are usually in the 18-20 singles range.
More numbers for you, as we are always forthright with current and future clients. Ringspun shirts, given their higher quality, do come with a higher price tag.
The process of spinning adds production time and labor costs. It costs us more for them, and subsequently it’s necessary to charge a bit more.
In Closing:
You can now know that when your customers are looking to buy shirts, you can confidently speak to them with the knowledge of different quality levels of t-shirts. Just maybe you can pitch them a little into buying the ringspun shirts, adding to your revenue.
Call us at (800) 614-8040 for any questions you may have or when you’re ready to place your order of tees. We’re here for you and look forward to taking care of you.
