Why AS Colour Blanks Are Worth the Investment
If you’ve been shopping for premium blank T-shirts, you’ve probably come across AS Colour blanks. The New Zealand-born apparel company has developed a strong following among screen printers, clothing brands, businesses and creators who want something beyond the traditional promotional T-shirt.
We’ve noticed the same thing at Breaking Free Industries: more customers are looking at AS Colour when they want the blank garment itself to be part of the finished product.
So, why has AS Colour become so popular for custom printing—and is the extra cost worth it?
What Is AS Colour?
AS Colour was established in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2005 with a focus on producing premium blank apparel for artists, decorators and creators. Today the company operates internationally, including U.S. distribution facilities in California and North Carolina.
What makes its approach interesting is that the blank isn’t an afterthought. It’s the product.
AS Colour describes its design philosophy around three things: fit, fabric and finish.
That makes the brand particularly interesting when you’re producing company apparel, merchandise or uniforms where people will care about how the shirt feels and fits—not just what’s printed on it.
Why Are AS Colour Shirts Good for Screen Printing?
A great print starts with the garment underneath it.
AS Colour puts considerable emphasis on creating a consistent printing surface. The company specifically cites the finish of its garments and its quality-control process as helping produce a smooth surface for printing.
One good example is the AS Colour Staple Tee 5001.
It’s a 5.3 oz mid-weight, regular-fit shirt made primarily from 100% combed cotton, with heather compositions varying. AS Colour lists the Staple as its bestselling T-shirt and currently offers it in 80+ colors.
AS Colour also identifies applicable garments in the Staple family as suitable for decoration methods including screen printing, DTG and embroidery.
From a decorator’s perspective, that’s important. The better the blank, the better starting point we have for the finished piece.
AS Colour vs. Traditional Promotional T-Shirts
This is probably the easiest way to understand AS Colour.
There are jobs where the primary objective is getting the lowest possible garment cost. A basic event shirt, giveaway or very large promotional run doesn’t necessarily need a premium blank.
That’s not really where AS Colour shines.
AS Colour becomes more compelling when you want the finished shirt to feel closer to retail merchandise than promotional merchandise.
We’d consider it for things like branded merchandise, restaurants and hospitality, employee apparel, fitness and lifestyle brands, breweries, creative businesses, bands, artists and company merch people are actually expected to wear outside of work.
The question shouldn’t always be:
“What’s the cheapest blank?”
Sometimes the better question is:
“What do I want someone to think when they put this shirt on?”
If the goal is for someone to say, I’d wear this even without the logo, then AS Colour deserves serious consideration.
AS Colour Has More Than 100 Colors
Color is another area where AS Colour separates itself from many traditional blank-apparel lines.
AS Colour’s current range includes more than 100 colors across its product family.
Beyond standards like Black, White and Navy, you’ll find colors such as Bone, Ecru, Butter, Eucalyptus, Mushroom, Walnut, Pistachio and a wide range of washed and faded tones.
For custom apparel, that’s more important than it might sound.
Choosing an interesting garment color can sometimes do more for a design than adding another ink color. A great blank color with relatively simple artwork can create a remarkably polished finished shirt.
What Are the Newest AS Colour Colors?
As of September 2026, AS Colour identifies Ink Blue and Shadow as the latest additions to its U.S. color range.
Ink Blue gives brands another deep blue option beyond traditional Navy, while Shadow expands the dark-neutral palette.
If you’re developing merchandise rather than simply ordering uniforms, these subtler color choices give you considerably more room to create something distinctive.
Which AS Colour T-Shirt Is Best?
There isn’t one best AS Colour shirt. The right choice depends on the fit, weight and finished product you’re trying to create.
For example, AS Colour’s current men’s range includes the lightweight Basic Tee, the bestselling mid-weight Staple Tee, the heavier Classic Tee, and relaxed heavyweight silhouettes such as the Box Tee and Heavy Tee.
AS Colour Staple Tee 5001
This is where we’d start for many custom-printing projects.
The Staple is a 5.3 oz mid-weight regular-fit tee and AS Colour’s bestselling T-shirt.
It’s a strong candidate when you want a premium-feeling everyday shirt without moving into heavyweight territory.
AS Colour Classic Tee 5026
Want something more substantial?
The Classic moves into 6.5 oz heavyweight fabric and provides a more substantial feel than the Staple.
It’s worth considering when the weight and structure of the garment are part of the aesthetic you’re after.
AS Colour Basic Tee 5051
The Basic sits at the other end of the range at 4.7 oz and is positioned by AS Colour as a value-oriented lightweight option for promotional and merchandise applications.
That can make it a useful entry point when you like the AS Colour aesthetic but need to keep garment cost under tighter control.
Are AS Colour Blanks Worth the Money?
For the right project, yes.
But we wouldn’t recommend AS Colour for every custom apparel order.
If price is overwhelmingly the most important factor, there are excellent blanks from Gildan, Bella+Canvas, A4 and other manufacturers that may make more sense.
AS Colour is worth considering when fit, fabric weight, color selection and the perceived quality of the finished garment matter enough to justify spending more on the blank.
That’s particularly relevant for merchandise you’re selling or apparel you expect employees and customers to genuinely enjoy wearing.
The BFI Take on AS Colour
Choose AS Colour when the blank itself is part of your design.
We especially like the brand for companies, restaurants, creators and organizations trying to make apparel that doesn’t immediately feel like traditional promotional merchandise.
We wouldn’t automatically put every project on AS Colour. Garment availability, budget, fit, color, intended use and decoration method all matter.
But when someone tells us:
“I want a really good shirt.”
AS Colour is one of the brands we’re going to discuss.
They’ve spent more than two decades focusing on the blank.
Our job is to make sure what we put on it doesn’t screw that up.
Frequently Asked Questions About AS Colour Blanks
What are AS Colour blanks?
AS Colour blanks are undecorated T-shirts, sweatshirts, polos, headwear and other garments designed for printing, embroidery, branding and retail use. AS Colour was established in New Zealand in 2005 and specializes in premium blank apparel.
Are AS Colour shirts good for screen printing?
Yes. AS Colour specifically emphasizes garment finish and a smooth printing surface as part of its design philosophy, and identifies styles in its range as suitable for screen printing and other decoration methods.
What is the most popular AS Colour T-shirt?
AS Colour identifies the Staple Tee 5001 as its bestselling T-shirt. It’s a regular-fit, mid-weight 5.3 oz tee and is currently offered in 80+ colors.
What’s the difference between the AS Colour Staple and Classic tees?
The Staple 5001 is a 5.3 oz mid-weight regular-fit shirt. The Classic 5026 uses heavier 6.5 oz fabric, making it a better option when you want a more substantial garment.
Does AS Colour have a lot of colors?
Yes. AS Colour’s overall current range contains more than 100 colors. The exact number available varies by garment style.
Can Breaking Free Industries print on AS Colour blanks?
Yes. We can help select an AS Colour garment and determine an appropriate decoration method based on your artwork, quantity and intended use. If you don’t know which style you need, that’s fine—we can help narrow it down.
Ready to Customize AS Colour?
You don’t need to memorize AS Colour style numbers before starting a project.
Tell Breaking Free Industries what you’re making, who it’s for, your approximate quantity and what you want the finished garment to feel like.
We’ll help you choose the blank and decoration approach from there.