Blank comparison
Bella+Canvas 3001 vs Comfort Colors 1717
The two blanks most print on demand shops choose between. They are not competitors so much as different products — one is a light retail-fit tee that lets the design do the work, the other is a heavy garment-dyed shirt people buy partly for the shirt.
Side by side
What actually differs
Color counts are measured from the photographs in this catalogue. Everything else is the character of the blank.
| Bella+Canvas 3001 | Comfort Colors 1717 | What it means for you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 4.2 oz | 6.1 oz | The 1717 is noticeably heavier in the hand |
| Fabric | Airlume combed ring-spun cotton | Ring-spun cotton, garment-dyed | Garment dyeing is what gives the 1717 its faded look |
| Fit | Retail — fitted, side-seamed | Relaxed and boxy, runs large | Buyers size down on the 1717 more often than up |
| Feel | Light and soft straight away | Heavier, softens with washing | Different promises to make in a listing |
| Color consistency | Consistent between units | Slight variation between units | Pigment dye is the trade for the vintage look |
| Colorways here | 169 | 75 | Measured from this catalogue, not a supplier sheet |
The color gap
This is the part nobody mentions
The 3001 carries 169 colorwayshere against the 1717’s 75. Most of that gap is heathers, marbles and triblend shades that garment dyeing cannot produce. It cuts both ways: the 3001 gives you far more room to match a design to a shade, while the 1717’s smaller range is more distinctive, and its colors are the reason a certain buyer is shopping in the first place.
It also decides how much work a listing is. Every color you enable is a color the buyer expects to see a photo of, so the blank with more colors is the blank that costs you more mockups — unless you generate them all at once.
Light and versatile
Bella+Canvas 3001
169
colorways in this catalogue
- Pick it when the design is the product
- Best range of heathers and muted shades
- Fitted cut that photographs well worn
- Usually the lower base cost
Heavy and garment-dyed
Comfort Colors 1717
75
colorways in this catalogue
- Pick it when the shirt is part of the appeal
- Faded, vintage colors that buyers search by name
- Relaxed boxy fit, sized up by most buyers
- Carries a higher price without argument
Choosing
A shortcut, if you want one
Sell the 1717 if
Your niche is vintage, coastal, college, teacher, concert or anything where the buyer already knows the words “comfort colors” and searches for them. They will pay more for the garment, and the color name is part of what they are choosing.
Sell the 3001 if
Your design carries the listing, you are competing on price, or you want a shade the 1717 does not make. It is the safer default for a shop that sells a lot of different designs rather than one aesthetic.
Plenty of shops sell both, and there is no penalty for it — until you have to photograph both. That is the point at which the color counts above stop being trivia.
FAQ
Common questions
- Which sells better on Etsy, Bella+Canvas 3001 or Comfort Colors 1717?
- Neither wins outright — they sell to different buyers. The 1717 dominates listings where the garment itself is part of the aesthetic: vintage, coastal, teacher and college designs where a soft faded color is the point. The 3001 does better where the design is the product and the shirt just has to be comfortable and cheap enough to price competitively.
- Why does Bella+Canvas come in so many more colors?
- This catalogue carries 169 3001 colorways against 75 for the 1717, and the gap is mostly heathers, marbles and triblend shades. Garment dyeing limits what the 1717 can do, so its range is smaller but each color is more distinctive.
- Which is cheaper to print on?
- The 3001 is usually the lower base cost, which matters most if you are competing on price or selling at a low margin. Check the current figure in Printify for your print provider — base costs move, and they differ between providers for the same blank.
- Does the 1717 shrink?
- Garment-dyed heavyweight cotton shrinks more than a lighter retail-fit tee, which is one reason buyers are told to size up on it. It is worth saying so in the listing rather than handling it in returns.
- How many mockups do I need for each?
- One per color you actually enable. At full range that is 210 files for the 3001 and 428 for the 1717 across every style here, which is exactly the work this tool exists to remove.
Both blanks, every color, in one batch. Browse the catalog