Not every blank in a catalog holds a full-color, photo-quality design the same way. Fabric content, weave, and color all change how vivid the final print looks. This is a practical, product-by-product guide to which pieces in the Bear Grips Pro Shops catalog are the strongest match for a bright, all-over-feeling design, and which pieces are better suited to a simpler logo or one-color print instead.
A design printed on 100 percent polyester tends to look brighter and sharper than the identical design printed on cotton or a cotton-heavy blend, because polyester fibers hold color at the surface with less absorption and dulling than natural fiber does. This is true across print methods, not just sublimation specifically. A poly-cotton blend lands in between: better color pop than pure cotton, softer hand-feel than 100 percent polyester.
| Piece | Brand | Fabric | VIP base | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airlume cotton athletic tee | Bear Grips | 100% cotton | $19.88 | Soft hand-feel, everyday wear, solid color designs |
| Men's moisture-wicking tee | Sport-Tek | Performance polyester | $23.86 | Bright, sharp full-color graphics, active wear |
| Performance workout tank | Bella+Canvas | Polyester blend | $19.88 | Vivid color at a lower base price |
| Ladies racerback tank | Next Level | Poly-cotton blend | $19.88 | Balanced color pop and softness |
| Women's premium triblend racerback tank | Next Level | Triblend | $25.88 | Heathered look, softer color, vintage feel |
| Piece | Brand | Fabric | VIP base | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's performance polo | Sport-Tek | Performance polyester | $34.88 | Team and club polos, vivid crest or logo designs |
| Men's premium cotton pique polo | Gildan | Cotton pique | $34.88 | Classic look, simpler single-color designs |
| Signature seamless leggings | Bear Grips | Poly-spandex | $54.88 | Full-length graphics, dance and cheer teams |
| Women's high-waist pocket leggings | Bear Grips | Poly-spandex | $54.88 | Bold patterns, high-contrast designs |
Performance polyester polos and poly-spandex leggings are consistently the strongest match in the catalog for a bright, edge-to-edge feeling design. A cotton pique polo still prints cleanly, but reads better with a simpler crest or wordmark than with a busy, photo-style graphic.
If the design is a photo, a gradient, or has more than four colors blending into each other, choose a performance polyester piece in white or a light color. If the design is a one or two-color logo, cotton in any shirt color works cleanly. This one rule solves most of the second-guessing that happens when a design comes back looking different than expected.
Performance polyester, cotton, and blends, all in one catalog. No minimum, ships free.
Start Free100 percent polyester or a high-polyester blend in white or a light color holds the brightest, sharpest full-color result.
Yes. Cotton prints cleanly with a standard full-color process, it just reads slightly softer than performance polyester at the same placement. Cotton works well for simpler logo and wordmark designs in any shirt color.
Yes. The poly-spandex leggings in the catalog hold bold, high-contrast patterns and full-length graphics well, which is why dance, cheer, and fitness teams gravitate toward them for statement designs.
Less so. A simple one or two-color logo design holds up on any base color, since it prints with a white underbase rather than relying on the fabric to reflect color.
Bear Grips Pro Shops