Does Cotton Shrink? How Much and How to Prevent It

Short answer: yes, cotton shrinks. A 100% cotton tee does most of its shrinking the first few times it goes through the washer and a hot dryer. Pre-shrunk shirts shrink less, but not zero. Wash cold, dry low or hang dry, and pull it out before it is bone dry, and a cotton shirt will stay close to the size you bought.

We print and stitch on cotton every day, and "will it shrink?" is one of the first things people ask. Here is what actually happens, how much to plan for, and what it means for a shirt with your logo on it.

Why Cotton Shrinks

Cotton yarn gets pulled and stretched while it is spun, knit, dyed and finished. The fabric leaves the mill a little longer than it wants to be. When it gets wet, the fibers swell, the knit loops relax and round out, and the fabric pulls back toward its natural size. That is shrinkage.

T-shirts are knits, and knits move more than woven fabric. Cotton Incorporated's shrinkage guide says it plainly: woven fabrics are much more stable than knitted fabrics. The same guide makes two points that matter for your laundry room (source: Cotton Incorporated, Guide to Improved Shrinkage Performance of Cotton Fabrics):

• If a garment is line dried, mostly the easy, elastic shrinkage shows up. If it is tumble dried, all of the leftover shrinkage comes out.
• Most of the shrinking happens late in the dry cycle, once the fabric drops below about 20% moisture. In their testing, the shrink came out the same at three different dryer temperatures. The tumbling to bone dry did the work.

So the dryer is the real culprit, not just hot water. A cold wash followed by a long, hot tumble dry will still shrink a cotton tee.

How Much Does Cotton Shrink?

There is no single number. It depends on the fiber, the yarn, the knit, how the fabric was finished and how you wash it. As a reference point, the test examples in that Cotton Incorporated guide show finished cotton knits still shrinking roughly 3.5% to 7% after laundering, depending on the finishing method. On a 29 inch long tee, 4% is a little over an inch.

Polyester is a different animal. See does polyester shrink for how heat-setting keeps it stable, and cotton vs polyester shirts for the full comparison.

What "Pre-Shrunk" Actually Means

Pre-shrunk means the mill ran the fabric through a finishing step to take out some of the shrink before the shirt was cut. Cotton Incorporated describes compaction as pushing the fabric together lengthwise to shorten it and cut down length shrinkage. Relaxation drying and chemical finishes are other tools.

None of these get shrink to zero. A pre-shrunk tee is more predictable, not shrink-proof. Plan for a little movement in the first few washes, mostly if it goes in a hot dryer.

Ring-Spun vs Open-End: Does the Yarn Matter?

A lot of people assume softer ring-spun tees shrink less. Cotton Incorporated lists yarn as only one factor next to the knit, wet processing, finishing, cut and sew, and home care. So "ring-spun" on the tag does not promise less shrink.

What yarn does change is feel and print surface. A combed ring-spun tee like the Bella+Canvas 3001 is lighter, smoother and softer. A heavier basic tee like the Gildan 5000 is thicker and drier in the hand. Our guide to ring-spun cotton explains the difference, and t-shirt fabric weight covers what the ounces on a spec sheet mean.

Garment-Dyed Shirts Like Comfort Colors

Comfort Colors shirts are garment-dyed: the shirt is sewn from undyed fabric and then dyed as a finished garment. That wet process happens before you ever get it. S&S Activewear's listing for the Comfort Colors 1717 describes it as 6.1 oz, 100% ring-spun cotton with minimal shrinkage (source: S&S Activewear, Comfort Colors 1717).

The 1717 has a relaxed, boxy cut, so most people order their normal size. Check the real measurements on our Comfort Colors size chart before you order a team's worth.

How to Keep Cotton Shirts From Shrinking

• Wash cold, inside out. It is easier on the fabric and on the print.
• Dry low, or hang dry. Tumbling to bone dry is what pulls out the last of the shrink.
• Pull it out while slightly damp. Then lay it flat or hang it. Remember, most shrink happens in that last dry stretch.
• Skip the sanitize and high-heat cycles for cotton tees.
• Tug it back into shape while damp if a seam or hem pulled a bit.

For printed and embroidered gear, see how to care for screen printed and embroidered apparel.

Should You Size Up in Cotton?

If the wearer dries everything on high and is between sizes in a 100% cotton tee, sizing up is reasonable. If they hang dry or dry low, order true to size. The safest move is to compare real chest and length measurements: our size charts hub has every blank we print, including the Gildan size chart.

If shrink is a deal breaker, pick a cotton-rich blend like the Next Level 6210 CVC, or a tri-blend for a softer drape.

What Cotton Means for Your Print

Cotton is the easiest fabric to decorate, and it opens up options polyester does not have:

• Screen printing. Plastisol cures well on cotton with no dye migration worries. Ink moves with the fabric, so normal shrink does not wreck a well-cured print.
• Water-based and discharge. Discharge pulls the dye out of reactive-dyed cotton for a soft, bright print on dark shirts. It needs high cotton content. Garment-dyed shirts vary by dye, so we test first. See water-based and discharge printing.
• Embroidery. Heavier cotton tees hold stitches better than thin ones. Washing a shirt hot after it is embroidered can pucker the fabric around the design, so wash cold and dry low.
• DTF. Transfers press cleanly on cotton. See custom DTF transfers.

New to picking fabrics? Start with choosing the best t-shirt material for your design.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 100% cotton shrink every time you wash it?
Most of the shrink shows up in the first few wash and dry cycles. After that, changes are small as long as you keep drying the same way.

Does cotton shrink in cold water?
Less, but cold water alone does not stop it. Tumble drying to bone dry is what pulls out most of the leftover shrink, so dry low or hang dry too.

Do pre-shrunk shirts still shrink?
A little. Pre-shrinking takes some shrink out at the mill, but it does not get it to zero. Expect a small change in the first few hot dries.

Do Comfort Colors shirts shrink?
Not much. They are garment-dyed after sewing, and S&S Activewear lists the 1717 as having minimal shrinkage. Wash cold and dry low to keep it that way.

Do cotton blends shrink less than 100% cotton?
Yes. The polyester in a CVC or 50/50 blend holds its size, so the shirt shrinks less overall.

Will shrinking ruin a screen print?
Not if the print was cured correctly. The ink moves with the fabric. Over-drying on high heat is harder on the print than normal shrink.

More Blank Fabric Guides

• What is ring-spun cotton?
• What is a tri-blend shirt?
• Cotton vs polyester shirts
• T-shirt fabric weight and GSM
• Choosing the best t-shirt material (start here)
• Does polyester shrink?

Ready to print? Tell us who is wearing the shirts and how they will be washed, and we will point you to the right blank. Send us the garment, colors and quantity on our request a quote page, or see pricing for custom screen printed t-shirts in bulk. Want the softest print on cotton? Ask about water-based and discharge printing.