Embroidered Polo Shirt Buying Guide – Choosing the best Polo for ...

25 Aug.,2025

 

Embroidered Polo Shirt Buying Guide – Choosing the best Polo for ...

Tip 1:  Start with the fabric and use

There are so many fabrics available on the market to choose from and this is also true of promotional polo shirts available for branding.  To start, its best to determine who and what the polo shirts are to be used for – this will help determine what fabric to choose.  Common fabrics for embroidered polo shirts include 100% cotton, cotton/lycra/elastine blends, cotton/poly blends,  100% polyester.

Please visit our website for more information on this topic.

Let’s look at each in order:

100% Cotton: Cotton is loved by many and cursed by others. Cotton is a natural material and a staple of the embroidered polo shirt market for years.  Cotton is breathable, soft, comfortable and wears well.  As cotton is a natural fibre, darker fabrics tend not to hold their colour as well over time and it can show wrinkles more easily.  Cotton polos can sometimes shrink with incorrect laundering. That said cotton polos remain a very popular option.

Best use: Traditional classic look and great as a higher end Corporate Gift for clients

Cotton/Lycra/ Elastine Blends:  Lycra and elastine are exceptionally stretchy synthetic fibres with increased elasticity. They are often added to cotton to improve elasticity and longevity.  Cotton lycra fabrics have the advantage of being soft, comfortable and breathable similar to cotton, but are less likely to fade or pill than 100% Cotton garments.  These fabrics are best chosen for a modern fitted polo designed to be worn close to the body.

Best use: close fitting, wrinkle free smooth look

Cotton/ Polyester Blends: These fabrics are a blend of polyester and cotton in any ratio.  Cotton/poly Polos are often marketed as Moisture Wicking and can have brand names attached to them.  These Polos can be cotton backed which allow for comfort of cotton against the skin, but the durability and performance of polyester. This fabric is easy to care for, can be machine washed, needs minimal ironing and has great colour retention.

Best use: General Use, Workwear, Corporate uniforms, Promotional golf days

100% Polyester: Polyester is very easy to care for and needs minimal ironing.  It is ideal for high Visibility garments, garments with high UV exposure and where colour retention over multiple washes is important. All sublimated garments use 100% polyester materials.  Many new fabrics also have moisture wicking qualities and are can be branded under names such as Drywear, Trudry etc.

Best use: High visibility workwear, fully sublimated garments, team wear, promotional golf days

Tip 2 : Choose the right base colour for your embroidered polo shirt

Polo shirts mostly come in plain colours or as a base colour with a trim on collars, piping or sleeve.  The most common base colour for polo shirts is black, navy or white with accent trim colour options. Consider the colour of the logo as a polo shirt with a vibrant colour can really stand out when paired with tonal embroidery to match. Block colour polo shirts that have a colour trim that matches your logo can also help your logo stand out in a crowd.  Logos which have large number of colours  generally look better on a block colour.

Many people may not consider how a polo colour will wear. Outdoor workers exposed to the sun prefer lighter colours to keep cool, but can find white a difficult colour to keep clean. A great alternative to white is a grey marle which is light enough to keep cool on hot days and still looks good even with light soiling.

Custom T-Shirts | Printed Garments | Buyers Guide - ClassB

Custom Printed T-Shirts Buyers Guide

New to buying t-shirts? Be a and read the: first time t-shirt buyers guide

You will look great in your new custom t-shirts!

Easy As:    1. Choose a Design    2. Pick Garments    3. Place Order



Time Saving T-Shirt Design Ideas

Save Time with Design Ideas!

View many great design ideas in over 50 categories. All design ideas can be customized for your group with the online t-shirt designer

Licensed Categories

Our New Design Explorer makes it easy!

All T-Shirt Design Idea Categories

(click to show)


Edit your T-Shirt Design Online

All design ideas can be customized using our easy Online Designer. Click on the design you like. When the page loads, click on the green “Start Designing” button to take you to our Custom T-Shirt Designer page. To add a back design, click “Add Art” and type in the SP number for the 2nd design you like. Sharing your designs with your group is simple. Want to start from scratch? Visit the Online Custom T-Shirt Designer Now!

Custom T-Shirt Designs

We can do a fully custom design for your group. From a drawing, a previous shirt, or just an idea, our talented artists can do anything! No additional charges for custom artwork!

Learn More about Custom Designs

Shirt and Ink colors for Custom T-Shirts

Picking Colors

It can be challenging to pick colors on your device because of monitor variables, lighting, and glare. Some color combinations can strain your eyes to look at. Contact one of our expert customer representatives if you’re concerned about your ink and shirt color combination.

Popular Ink Colors

See all screen printing ink colors

Color Swatch Cards

Have up to four swatch cards mailed to you for FREE! Just register (if you aren’t already) and sign in to choose your colors.

Choose Garments for your Design Idea

Keep everyone happy! Offer a mix of items to your group. You can add a single sweatshirt to your order if you’d like – no problem!

See All Printable Garments

About 50% of customers order the B110 100% cotton T-Shirts. The B110 is used as the base pricing you see in our ads and on stock design idea pages. The popular B110 100% Cotton Short Sleeve T-shirt is made by Gildan®. Gildan is known for quality, large color selection, and maintaining very good stock availability. View B110 details Some groups opt for the 50% Cotton / 50% Polyester 5.5 oz Short Sleeve T-Shirt from Gildan. Colors are limited when compared to the B110. The 50/50 dries faster than 100% cotton but not as fast as a wicking t-shirt. View B120 50/50 details Planning outdoor activities? The B474 100% Polyester Wicking T-Shirts are an excellent option to stay cool and dry. The B474 is becoming our most popular wicking shirt. View B474 Men’s Wicking details View B475 Women’s Wicking details View B476 Long Sleeve Wicking details The B576 is a cotton touch-wicking t-shirt. It has all the same great wicking properties but with a soft cotton finish! This style is available in both Men’s and Women’s cuts! View B576 Mens’ T-Shirt details View B577 Women’s T-Shirt details Keep warm in winter! Hoodies are a great item to offer to your group. The ‘hoodies’ are made by Gildan, so the colors will match your t-shirts. Hoodies are very popular for everyday wear. This mid-weight hoodie keeps the cold out without making the wearer too hot. View the B176 Hoodies details Many prefer a long sleeve t-shirt for sun protection or to help fend off pesky bugs. View B111 T-shirt details Zip hoodies can be worn open or closed which makes changing into the hoodie effortless. No ‘oops’ everyone just saw my tummy as my t-shirt rode up with the hoodie. View B177 Zip Hoodie details The Gildan 6.1oz 100% Cotton Ladies T-Shirt features a feminine cut. Sizing is between the men’s t-shirt and juniors’ size. View B108 Ladies T-Shirt details

View All Ladies T-Shirt Styles

Baby & Toddler Shirts

We offer baby and toddler t-shirts and bodysuits for your group. We print these with a digital process so they are priced differently. You get to take advantage of the quantity pricing of the regular t-shirts in your order, but the base price of the baby and toddler shirts is higher due to the decoration process. Learn more about baby and toddler shirts. See the available types: Baby Bodysuits, Baby T-shirts*, Baby T-shirt Bodysuits, and Toddler T-shirts*.

* Most Popular

Personalization

Add names to the back of some of your t-shirts! We can also add personalized numbers to the back of your shirts! View all information about adding Personalization to your T-shirt order.

Wicking T-Shirt Printing

We now can mix most wicking and performance shirts with your 100% cotton t-shirts and hoodies! Below are our most popular wicking t-shirts:

View B474 Men’s Wicking details
View B475 Women’s Wicking details

See All Wicking Garments

Link to Dreamfox

Choosing the Correct Garment Size

It’s a Challenge

“What shirt size do you want to order?” Best advice we have is ask them! Guessing sizes is a minefield. Every group is different.

Size Sample Kit

For the B110 100% Cotton Short Sleeve T-shirt we have a size sample kit you can order. It comes with a coupon you can apply to your custom t-shirt order.

Size Variation

Not all medium-sized shirts are the same. Garment types (even the same vendor!) are often cut differently. In general all garments are cut differently. Please review the garment detail pages for sizing information. Smaller shirts and features like zippers, v-necks and scoop necks can affect the overall imprint size for all your shirts.

Order Extras

Ordering extra shirts is the best thing you can do to solve size issues. After the shirts arrive, some people change the size they need. Having a few backup shirts enables you to keep those people happy. As new people join the group, it’s a great idea to welcome them with a t-shirt.

Low Custom T-Shirt Pricing

Mixing Garments Types

Does everyone want something different? We can help with that! As long as they can all be printed with the same design & ink color(s), you can mix garment types like sweatshirts, ladies’ shirts, and hoodies with your T-Shirts. Price will vary per garment type, but the total quantity determines the price break!

Reorders

Reorders are priced based on quantity. It’s a good idea to get some extras at the better price break. If you need a smaller number of shirts after your first order, they will cost significantly more.

How is pricing determined?

Quantity of garments • Type of garments • Number of ink colors • Sides printed

Prices vary. View pricing info in the design idea viewer.

Tips for Ordering Custom Printed T-Shirts

First Time Buying T-Shirts?

Read our First Time Buyers Guide

  • Decide on the design: In-house Design Idea or Custom?
  • Pick your t-shirts and other garments.
  • Round up the cost and take pre-orders.
  • Order 20% extra shirts for new people.
  • Place your order and make changes to the provided proof.
  • Wait a short time for your new t-shirts to arrive!

Downloadable order form for faxed or emailed orders:

To place a reorder:

Sign in, find the order in “Current Orders” then click the “Reorder” button (If it says the order cannot be reordered online, you can simply call us with your 6 digit work order number and we’ll be able to help!). We have new reorder discounts! Within 60 days and After 60 days

Want to get everyone involved? Have a design contest!

Use our customizable design contest flyer.

Frequently asked questions about placing an order

Click here and be sure to visit older entries at the bottom too.

Turnaround

Screen Printed Garments


Standard Service

12 business days
About 2 1/2 weeks

Priority Service

9 business days
+15%
Just under 2 weeks!

Rush Service

6 business days
+25%
Just over a week!

See Exact Delivery Dates

Decoration Methods

Different decoration methods

We carefully select the most suitable and cost-effective decoration method for your order, ensuring the best results for your apparel. Please note that if you place a reorder, the decoration method may change depending on the garment type and order quantity. If you have a preference for a specific decoration method, let us know—this may affect the pricing.

Decoration colors – Inks and threads

Some inks require specific processes. Inks like Glow in the Dark, Metallic Gold and Silver, Fluorescent Pink, Neons, and Glitters all require Screen printing. These inks require a minimum order of around 20-40 garments. Additional charges of .50-1.00 per shirt may apply. We will reach out to you to discuss this since our online ordering system does not deal with this.

Screen printing is the Best Choice for larger custom t-shirt orders since larger orders usually cost significantly less when screen printed. A screen-printed design will last as long as the garment—even when worn by an active person. Read our article on the screen vs digital printing See the extensive charts and description of the decoration process. Learn all about Halftones and how we use them in screen printing.

Digital Printing is good for shirt orders under 10 pcs. It is a computer-controlled printing process that applies special ink to the fabric. While not as durable as screen printing, digital print has an advantage: it costs the same regardless of the number of ink colors used in a design. This process is perfect for small quantity orders and single shirt orders. Digital printing cannot reproduce some specialty inks like Glow or Glitter.

Benefits of Custom T-Shirts for Your Group

Everyone Can Wear a Custom Printed T-Shirt

Custom T-Shirts are a great way to build pride and a sense of association in your group. Custom T-Shirts can cut through the the social status many people convey with clothing. A custom T-shirt with your groups identification or message puts that message first! You’ll quickly see how new people feel right at home when they get their group t-shirts.

Uses for Custom T-Shirts

Some ways your organization can use custom t-shirts:
  • T-Shirts for a community service project
  • Use a T-Shirt for Fundraising
  • Company or group Anniversary T-Shirts
  • Group Identification
  • Sales goals or Safety Award T-Shirts
  • Trip or Event T-Shirts
  • Really Casual Friday T-Shirts
  • Employee Uniform T-Shirts
  • T-Shirts to promote a product

Recruiting

Start the conversation about your group! Whether you’re a church group or a business, all organizations need to spread the word about how great they are. Let future customers, employees or members see the great things your people are doing by wearing a custom t-shirt for a volunteer activity or service project.

Call 1-800-851- Today!

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Custom Sublimated Golf Shirts. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

The ClassB Difference

ClassB® has earned the Boy Scouts of America® Quality Licensee award every year it has been available - more than any other BSA® licensee! Our high regard for quality is another reason why ClassB® is the best choice to make

Your Custom T-shirts

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No Hidden Charges If you’re not happy with your order, no problem! Satisfaction is guaranteed or your money back!
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