What is GSM in T-shirt fabric?
GSM tells you how heavy a fabric is per square metre. Here is what the number means on a tee listing, what it leaves out, and how to use it when you choose a shirt to print.
GSM in one line
GSM stands for grams per square metre. It describes the mass of one square metre of fabric, rather than the total weight of a finished shirt. Fabric suppliers such as Kennard & Kennard use the same definition: the more grams in each square metre, the heavier that fabric.
It is not the weight of the shirt
A 180 GSM label does not mean the shirt weighs 180 grams. The number describes a square metre of cloth, and a shirt uses more or less cloth depending on its size and cut. As a rough illustration only: if a shirt used half a square metre of 180 GSM fabric, that fabric alone would weigh about 90 grams. The collar rib, tape, stitching and label add to it, and a 3XL uses more fabric than an XS in the same model, so two shirts can weigh different amounts.
| Fabric weight | One square metre | Half a square metre |
|---|---|---|
| 150 GSM | 150 g | 75 g |
| 180 GSM | 180 g | 90 g |
| 200 GSM | 200 g | 100 g |
These figures are multiplication, not the weight of any shirt we sell.
What GSM does not tell you
- What the fabric is made of. Cotton, polyester and blends can share the same number. Read the composition on the listing.
- Size and fit. GSM says nothing about chest width or body length. Check the size chart for that exact model.
- Quality on its own. A higher number means greater fabric mass per square metre. By itself it does not prove a shirt is better made, will last longer, or will feel cooler or warmer.
Two tees from our catalogue
Two of our cotton tees show how GSM appears in a listing title:
- Gildan Premium 76000: the title lists 180 gsm, and the listing describes it as thicker than the Softstyle 63000.
- Gildan Softstyle 63000: the title lists 150 gsm, and the listing describes it as softer and thinner than the Premium tee.
Both listings say the fibre content varies by colour, so check the colour you want. The Softstyle 63000 has a chart on our size charts page. That page does not include the Premium 76000, so ask about its measurements before you collect sizes.
Choosing a tee: a buyer checklist
- The exact model and colour, not only a GSM number
- The composition for that colour, since it can vary
- The size chart for that model, checked against your group
- Your artwork, prepared with our artwork checklist
- Quantity per size and the date you need the shirts
- The decoration: ask us to confirm that the print or embroidery suits the model, and compare options on printing methods
Browse more blanks on custom T-shirts, then send your list on the quote form or on WhatsApp.
GSM FAQ
Fabric weight questions
still comparing?
Send the two models you are weighing up, your quantity and your artwork. Compare all tees on custom T-shirts.
Ask on WhatsApp Quote formWhat does GSM mean on a T-shirt?
GSM means grams per square metre. It describes the mass of one square metre of the fabric, rather than the total weight of the finished shirt.
Is a 180 GSM shirt 180 grams?
No. 180 GSM describes one square metre of fabric. The finished shirt weighs more or less depending on how much fabric its size and cut use, plus the collar, tape, stitching and label.
Is a higher GSM always better?
Not automatically. A higher GSM means more fabric weight per square metre. On its own it does not tell you the fibre, the fit, how long the shirt will last or how cool it will feel, so compare the full listing.
How do I choose between two tee models?
Compare the exact models side by side: the GSM in the title, the composition for your colour and the size chart. Then send us your artwork, quantity and date, and we will confirm the decoration suits the model.
ready when your list is
Picked your tee?
Send the model, colour, quantity per size and artwork. We will confirm the method and quote per piece.