AS Colour vs BELLA+CANVAS: Which Blank Is Right For Your Brand?
AS Colour vs BELLA+CANVAS: Which Blank Is Right For Your Brand?
A decorator’s honest breakdown — not a vendor pitch. Which blank prints better, holds up longer, and actually fits your customer.
This question comes up every week. A brand, a nonprofit, a restaurant owner, a travel agent — someone needs custom apparel, they’ve done a little research, and they’ve narrowed it down to AS Colour or BELLA+CANVAS. They want to know which one to use.
The honest answer is: it depends on what you’re making, who’s wearing it, and how much you care about the blank being noticed. Both brands make quality garments. They serve somewhat different customers. And the difference between them is real — not marketing language.
We print on both every week at our shop in Santa Ana. Here’s what we’ve actually learned.
The Quick Read
BELLA+CANVAS is the dominant blank brand in the US decorated apparel industry. It’s extremely widely distributed, runs consistent sizing, and is available in more colors than almost anyone else. The 3001 Jersey Tee is arguably the most screen-printed garment in America right now. It’s a great blank for volume runs, promotional apparel, events, nonprofits, and groups that want quality without paying premium retail prices.
AS Colour is a New Zealand-based brand with a stronger retail footprint — you’ll find it in boutiques and lifestyle brands that care about the garment as much as the print. The fabric weight and construction quality is noticeably better than comparable B+C styles. It’s priced higher at wholesale and that premium passes through to the customer. It’s the right choice for brands that sell the blank as part of the story.
B+C is the go-to for volume and color selection. AS Colour is the go-to when the garment itself needs to hold its own before you put a design on it.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | BELLA+CANVAS | AS Colour |
|---|---|---|
| Core tee weight | 3001: 4.2 oz (lightweight, drapey). 3001CVC: slightly heavier with a softer hand. | 5001 Staple Tee: 5.3 oz. Noticeably heavier, slightly structured, holds shape wash after wash. |
| Fabric quality | Airlume combed & ring-spun cotton. Excellent for printing — smooth surface, low pilling. Very consistent lot to lot. | 100% combed cotton, tighter weave. Feels premium in hand. The weight and finish are comparable to retail brands selling at $40-55. |
| Color selection | 3001 comes in 100+ colors. Industry-standard for color matching. Updated seasonally. | More curated palette — typically 30-50 colors per style. Colors are more editorial and trend-forward, fewer basics in large runs. |
| Sizing consistency | Very consistent. Easy to reorder. Fits true to size for most body types. | Consistent but cut slightly differently — slim fit on some styles. Recommend sizing up for customers used to B+C fits. |
| Pricing (wholesale) | Lower. 3001 is one of the most cost-competitive blanks at this quality level. | Higher. Typically 40-60% more than equivalent B+C styles at wholesale. Premium blank pricing reflects the product. |
| Print surface | Excellent for water-based and plastisol. Very print-friendly, consistent ink absorption. | Also excellent. The heavier weight means less bleed-through risk on light garments. Slightly more luxurious feel post-print. |
| Retail presence | Primarily distributor/decorator channel. Recognized by industry buyers, less so by retail consumers. | Strong retail boutique presence. Customers who shop at lifestyle stores may already recognize and associate with quality. |
| Availability | Widely stocked by SS Activewear, S&S, Alphabroder. Fast restocks. | Available via SS Activewear and AS Colour direct. Slightly longer lead times on some colors. |
Decision Matrix: Which Should You Use?
Staff shirts, 5K shirts, nonprofit events, school fundraisers
BELLA+CANVAS
Coffee shops, lifestyle brands, creative agencies, restaurants
AS Colour
$25-40 retail, community identity, mission-forward brands
BELLA+CANVAS
When the blank itself needs to justify a $65-90 retail tag
AS Colour
Embroidery-first jobs, polos, longsleeves for teams
Either works
Small runs (12-48 pieces) to validate before committing
BELLA+CANVAS
When the garment is part of an experience
AS Colour
Volume is key, margin pressure is real
BELLA+CANVAS
The Print & Decoration Angle
From a printer’s perspective, both blanks work well. The difference shows up in a few specific scenarios.
Water-based ink and discharge printing — AS Colour’s heavier natural cotton content performs slightly better for discharge and water-based techniques. The denser weave holds the activated ink more cleanly. For boutique runs where you want an ultra-soft, vintage hand feel on a premium garment, AS Colour is the better substrate.
Traditional plastisol — BELLA+CANVAS is excellent for plastisol. The Airlume cotton is consistent enough lot to lot that ink deposit and color matching are predictable. For high-volume jobs where a shop needs reliable results across 500 pieces, B+C is the right call.
Embroidery — Both take embroidery well. The AS Colour heavier construction makes it slightly more forgiving for dense embroidery on chest logos. B+C lightweight tees can pucker on larger embroidery designs without proper backing; heavier B+C styles like the 3413 perform better.
DTF (direct-to-film) transfer — The smoother hand of BELLA+CANVAS blanks gives DTF transfers a cleaner lay. Slightly better adhesion than on rougher-surface garments.
What Customers Actually Ask Us
I want the highest quality tee I can get. Which one?
AS Colour 5001 Staple Tee, no question. The 5.3 oz weight and construction quality is noticeably above BELLA+CANVAS’s entry-level tees. It’s a better garment. But you’ll pay for it — budget accordingly.
My nonprofit needs 200 shirts for our annual 5K at a competitive price. Which one?
BELLA+CANVAS 3001. The cost-per-unit difference across 200 pieces is meaningful, the quality is excellent, and your attendees will be happy with what they receive. Reserve AS Colour for donor appreciation gifts or staff pieces.
I’m building a brand and want to sell shirts at $45. Which blank works?
At $45 retail, BELLA+CANVAS gives you better margin. If you’re selling at $60 or above, AS Colour is more defensible — customers can feel the quality difference and the premium price makes sense.
AS Colour sizing seems off compared to other brands. What should I tell customers?
AS Colour cuts slightly slimmer on most styles. For customers used to BELLA+CANVAS’s relaxed fit on the 3001, recommend sizing up one in AS Colour. Their size chart is accurate — it just reflects a different silhouette.
Which brand is better for screen printing color vibrancy?
Both are excellent. BELLA+CANVAS has a slight edge on bright, saturated colors on light garments due to the smooth Airlume cotton surface. AS Colour’s premium cotton handles multicolor work beautifully. The difference is subtle — your artwork and the printer’s skill matter more than which brand blank you choose.
Can I mix both brands in one order?
Yes, but keep sizing and color expectations in mind — they fit differently. For a team order where everyone needs to look consistent, stick to one brand. For mixed-use orders (some are staff shirts, some are retail merch) mixing is fine.
The Bottom Line
Neither brand is universally better. They serve different ends of the same market.
If you’re building a decorated apparel program for a cause, an event, or an organization that needs quality at volume — BELLA+CANVAS is the right workhorse. The 3001 is the most printed blank in America for a reason. It works, it’s consistent, and the value is hard to beat.
If you’re building a brand where the blank is part of the product — where someone buying your merch is paying for the garment as much as the design — AS Colour is worth the premium. It’s what boutiques stock because customers can feel the difference before they even look at the tag.
We stock and print on both at our shop in Santa Ana. If you’re not sure which is right for your order, tell us what you’re trying to do and we’ll point you in the right direction before you commit to anything.
Ready to Order? Let’s Talk.
Tell us what you’re building — we’ll recommend the right blank and get you a quote. No minimums pressure, no upsell. Just a straight answer.
Made in Orange County. By people who earned their second chance.
