Specs at a glance
- Brand
- AS Colour
- Style
- Staple Tee
- Fabric
- 100% cotton (combed); heather colors include 15% viscose
- Weight
- 5.3 oz (mid weight; the US site gives no metric figure)
- Yarn
- Combed cotton, 28 singles
- Fit
- Regular fit
- Sizes
- XS–5XL
- Colors
- About 75 colors on the US site
- Construction
- Rib neck; Side-seamed body; Shoulder-to-shoulder tape; Double-needle hems; Preshrunk to limit shrinkage
- Care
- Machine wash cold with like colors; no bleach, tumble drying or dry cleaning; line dry in shade; do not iron a printed area
Specs per AS Colour Staple Tee 5001 product page (ascolour.com, US), checked 2026-10-04. Makers change colors and details; check the current spec before ordering.
Decorating it
| Method | What to know |
|---|---|
| Screen Printing | Combed 28-singles cotton prints cleanly with plastisol or water-based ink, and 5.3 oz is enough body for full-front prints without the shirt feeling papery. |
| DTG Printing | The solid cotton colors suit DTG. The heathers include viscose, a cellulose fiber that takes DTG ink, but the mottled base changes how colors read, so proof one first. |
| Embroidery | A midweight side-seamed tee handles a small to medium chest logo with a cut-away or mesh backing. Keep fills moderate on jersey. |
| Retail Finishing | Its plain styling suits relabeling with a printed or woven neck label for your own brand, plus hang tags and retail folding. A tear-out label version, 5001T, makes the swap easier. |
AS Colour is a New Zealand brand that also sells wholesale in the US, and the Staple Tee (style 5001) is its core shirt. The maker calls the Staple range its best seller. It has a cleaner, more contemporary look than classic American promo tees, with a regular fit, a neat rib collar and a broad, fashion-minded palette.
Who the Staple Tee suits
It suits brands and businesses that want a midweight shirt that looks considered rather than promotional: independent clothing labels, cafes and restaurants selling retail tees, design studios, agencies and company merch people will actually wear. The palette leans toward muted and earthy tones alongside the basics, which helps when a brand color sits between standard shades. If the job is a giveaway at the lowest cost per shirt, a budget midweight does the job for less.
Fabric, weight and feel
The US site lists the Staple Tee as a mid weight at 5.3 oz, in 100% combed cotton spun at 28 singles; heather colors include 15% viscose. AS Colour's US page does not give a metric weight. 5.3 oz is the same stated weight as several budget midweights, but combing removes short fibers, so the face is smoother and the hand softer. 28 singles is a slightly heavier yarn than the 30 to 32 singles common in lightweight retail tees, which gives the fabric a bit more body. Combed cotton and GSM and fabric weight explain both terms.
Construction details from the maker: a rib neck, side seams, tape across the shoulders, double-needle hems, and a preshrinking step to keep shrinkage down. Side seams help the body hang straight after washing.
One maker note is worth passing on to customers: AS Colour says Army, Charcoal and Coal can fade or vary in color, and that some sunscreens and deodorants combined with strong sun and sweat can bleach the dye in those colors.
Decorating the Staple Tee
Screen printing
The smooth combed face holds detail, and the midweight body supports full-front and back prints without feeling flimsy. Plastisol and water-based ink both work on the cotton colors. For dark colors with a soft feel, discharge ink is worth testing; how cleanly a color discharges varies, and the viscose in heathers will respond differently from cotton.
DTG
The cotton solids give DTG a good surface, and pretreatment on darks follows the usual rules. The heathers mix viscose with cotton; both are cellulose fibers that take DTG ink, but the mottled heather base shifts how printed colors read, so proof a heather before a run.
Embroidery
At 5.3 oz with side seams, the Staple Tee is a reasonable embroidery tee. A small or medium chest logo with a cut-away or mesh backing stays flat; large fills still pull jersey, so keep density moderate.
Relabeling
The plain styling makes the Staple Tee a common base for private label merch. AS Colour also sells a tear-out label version (5001T), which makes swapping in your own printed or woven neck label easier.
Sizing notes
Sizes run XS to 5XL. AS Colour calls the fit regular and publishes measurements and a fit finder on the product page. Compared with a classic American promo tee, expect a slightly neater shoulder and a less boxy body; compared with a slim retail tee, a little more room. Share the flat chest and length numbers on your product page, as covered in T-shirt size charts.
Alternatives
- Lighter and more fitted: the Bella+Canvas 3001, or its close rival from Next Level, the 3600.
- The budget midweight at the same stated weight: the Gildan 5000.
- Heavier and garment-dyed: the Comfort Colors 1717.
- Heavy and boxy for streetwear: the Shaka Wear Max Heavyweight.
Sources
- AS Colour Staple Tee 5001 product page (US), checked 2026-10-04
Useful for: clothing brands, coffee shops, companies, creators.