Top Custom T-Shirt Colors for 2017

“Your best t-shirt should be like your bed; it just feels like home when you are in it.” ~ Ashton Kutcher

Finding the right t-shirt for your order of custom printed t-shirts is a HUGE deal.

The pressure is on. Nobody wants a shirt that they will wear one time and then throw away, and you don’t want that either… what a waste of time and resources! A lot of time can be spent narrowing down not only the t-shirt style, but the t-shirt color. So if you need a certain color for the shirt we are happy to make the best recommendation, but if you are unsure about what t-shirt color you would like are trying to achieve a certain look then this blog is for you!  We want to help you pick the right color for your Custom T-Shirts in 2017, so read on…

Here are the 6 different color categories:

  1. Subtle Colors
  2. Bold Colors
  3. Basic Colors
  4. Solid Colors
  5. Heather Colors
  6. The Surprise Custom T-Shirt Color of 2017

To make it simple, this list is comprised of the top shirt colors that 1) get ordered, and 2) we recommend for printing and wearing into these 6 different categories. Obviously, the shirt colors listed aren’t the only ones that are available, but we feel they are some of the top shirt colors to know about for 2017.

Soft tone t-shirt colors

If your artwork has bright color(s) in it, or bold words/fonts that you want to be the focal point of the product; you’ll likely want a more subtle t-shirt color to print on. A couple of great options are the Athletic Gray and Oatmeal Triblend Custom Canvas 50/25/25 T-Shirts (Style 3413). The colors of these shirts are very mild and neutral, allowing for your design to really jump off the shirt and stand out. The shirts are still our favorite 50/25/25 triblend material, so they will feel incredibly soft and have a much longer lifespan than a 100% Ringspun Cotton or even a Poly/Cotton blend t-shirt.

Bold t-shirt colors

Just as there are projects that call for a subtle t-shirt color, there are just as many projects that call for a bold t-shirt color – and we have just the ones for you! Sticking with the same shirt style recommendation as above – the Custom Canvas 50/25/25 T-Shirt (Style 3413) – there are several more brightly and unique shirt color choices in that product line. Two of our favorites are the Clay Triblend and Maroon Triblend colors. These colors are easy to pair with white ink (either Vintage or Standard both look great!) and are a fun way to get a bold look across without having to utilize lots of ink colors or complicated designs.

Wondering t-shirt might be right for you but feeling overwhelmed by the choices?  One of our Soft T-Shirt Sample Packs might help, or speak to a Foxtrot Custom Order Rep about a custom arranged T-Shirt Sample Pack too (1-877-T-Shirt-1)

Basic t-shirt colors

It’s no secret that Charcoal, Black, and Gray are staples in custom apparel printing. Well maybe it was a secret… but it’s not anymore. And rightly so! There’s so much that can be done with these colors from a design, ink color, and print process standpoint. Better yet, nearly every brand, style, and material offer some variation of these three colors to choose from… so you can get these shirt colors whether you have a tight budget or want the best shirt available. Again, sticking with our favorite shirt material, check out the Solid Black TriblendCharcoal Black Triblend, and Grey Triblend Canvas 50/25/25 T-Shirt!

Solid T-shirt colors

OK, so what if you don’t want a heathered shirt for your project? In all of the samples above, we showed shirts that are a 50/25/25 triblend material because it is our favorite one. But, solid colors are hard to come by in a 50/25/25 triblend since natural heathering occurs when weaving together the three different materials. That said, the best recommendation for solid t-shirt colors is the American Apparel 50/50 Blend T-Shirt (Style BB401). This shirt is incredibly soft, comes in a wide variety of colors (including a handful of neons!), fits great, and works well with any complimentary ink color. The top solid-color shirts in this style are Black, Navy, and Red… check them out and let us know what you think!

Heathered t-shirt colors

The heathered look on t-shirts can look really, really cool. With blended fabrics (which is what nearly 100% of heathered shirts are made of) no two shirts are going to be the exact same. The heathered pattern will differ from shirt to shirt, making every piece individual and unique. With that being the case, we LOVE to utilize our Vintage Ink process on heathered shirts; resulting in each shirt being completely unique in its own way. The heathered material interacting with Vintage Ink will result in each shirt turning out a little different than the last, even if they appear the same from afar – like a dazzle of Zebras.

Since the majority of the shirts we prefer printing on are heathered (because of the nicer material composition), we could really point out any number of shirt styles to choose from. But, that said, this post is about TOP heather-color shirts… and the top option in our mind is the King of the Tees: the American Apparel 50/25/25 Unisex T-Shirt (Style TR401W) in Tri-Black, Tri-Athletic Grey or Tri-Athletic Blue. You simply can’t find a nicer 50/25/25 t-shirt in our opinion. The color selection in this style isn’t vast, but all of the staples are present, and pairing these shirts with your design will always be the right choice.

Surprising t-shirt colors

6- The Surprise Color:

Finally, you might be wondering what some unique color options are out there. There are a fair amount of colors that are a little more obscure, but one really stands out as unique… so check out the top unexpected shirt color to consider for 2017! The Camo Alternative Apparel Triblend (Style 1973) is simply awesome, and completely unexpected when we see this shirt color come through for an order. With this shirt style and color you’ll want to stick with a 1 color print, and Vintage White ink tends to look pretty great against the camo backdrop. We see a lot of gyms utilizing this option, and as a hidden bonus – this shirt color, in particular, ends up being so buttery-soft that it feels like you are wrapped in a cloud. We have since taken this shirt style off of our site due to availability inconsistency, but still have access to this style if interested!


Whether you decide to order one of the styles and colors mentioned above or not, we are excited to see what you envision for your order! Please feel free to give us a phone call (1-877-T-Shirt-1), Contact Message, or Live Chat, with any questions, because we’d love to help you pick the right shirt style and color for your next custom t-shirt project.