# Anyone use Tultex, the 2020 sounds badass!



## kylerogers (Jul 30, 2008)

I just got a call from TSC to welcome me as a new costumer and ask how I liked my first order.

I have been ordering the Anvil 980, lightweight ringspun jersey combed cotton shirts.

I told him I use a lot of Kelly Greens in 980. He said they discontinued that color, but I should check out Tultex 2020.

Tultex 2020 has the same specs. 4.5oz, combed, ringspun jersey. They are say tear-away tag, and dischargeable.

They also come in 3X, which Anvil 980's do not. Plus, there are about twice as many colors.

TSC sells both Tultex 2020 and Anvil 980 for exactly the same price.

It took me a while to find the Tultex website. When I did, I figured out why I had never seen them listed anywhere else. They are exclusively sold by TSC. Probably part owned by TSC or something.

Tultex appears to be designed to match what is in style at stores like Express for Men. They have a lot of subdued earthy colors, which is just what I was looking for.

The women's shirts appear to have a very fitted stylish look. Some of the girl's shirts I've ordered will say stuff like "slightly fitted" or "fem fit." I've given some shirts I've made to girls and they always kinda drape straight down. Not a lot of "fit."

Anyone else use these shirts?


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## mikelmorgan (Nov 1, 2008)

I've printed thousands for one of my contract customers. It's a great shirt.


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## drummerstar (Dec 17, 2007)

yes i agree! i use them. great shirt and price! they also hold up well in the wash. yes, the ladies shirts are fitted to form the body with extra length..


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## TshirtGuru (Jul 9, 2008)

Tultex is ok. It is a great alternative for a ringspun garment, however their quality control lacks.

The shirts are twisted sometimes so when we print, and you wear it, it is slanted or twisted. It is not our printing, lol we did a test on 50 pieces and finally figured out why the prints were coming out slanted. So each time we print on Tultex, we have to measure each side of the neck line, right side and left side differ about 1 to 1.5 inches from each other. The stitches aren't that great either. About there tear away tags, I hope they do those better in the future. They sew the perforated edge out side of the seam, so when you rip it you still see the tag left.


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## mikelmorgan (Nov 1, 2008)

I have seen the problems that Henry is talking about. but as far as the shirt as a whole I think they are a good shirt for what you pay for them. I have seen problems with all the shirts I have printed in the past. I sell my customers the shirt they are looking for, not what I want to sell them. Again I think this is a good shirt but others may have had other problems with them. I don't sell a lot of them myself but one of my contractors sells quite a few of them.


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## kylerogers (Jul 30, 2008)

Well any shirt that cheap probably isn't going to be perfectly made. I'm looking for bang for the buck, and they look like a great deal. I ordered some small quantities in several different colors to try them out.

I'm hoping to use them instead of Anvil 980, because the 980s don't make 3X, the choice of colors is limited, and one of the colors I've been using they are doing away with.

I've also been disappointed with the lack of being fitted enough in the girls shirts I've ordered before and the lack of XS.

I plan to do some Discharge stuff and tagless stuff in the future when I get good at the simple stuff first. lol.

That tear away tag thing. The Anvil Tear Aways have two tags and only one tears off. When you tear it off it leaves like 25% of the tag behind. When I first looked at one, I though "what was the point." It is also a really, really coarse feeling cotton. For like 10 cents more Anvil makes some much better models.


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## TshirtGuru (Jul 9, 2008)

kylerogers said:


> Well any shirt that cheap probably isn't going to be perfectly made. I'm looking for bang for the buck, and they look like a great deal. I ordered some small quantities in several different colors to try them out.
> 
> I'm hoping to use them instead of Anvil 980, because the 980s don't make 3X, the choice of colors is limited, and one of the colors I've been using they are doing away with.
> 
> ...


Cheaper shirts such as Gildan 5000 is actually sewn together better then Tultex. When a customer comes back to you and says that 600 of his shirts were printed crooked, there is a reason to worry. We didn't realize they were crooked and twisted because they "look" straight. Even if you measure the printed graphics up to each side of the neck line, it is a perfect measurement. But once you wear it, it has a twist to it. Very hard to explain, but nonetheless, we had to refund him 500 oversized printed tshirts, and re-printed them. 

I say you might want to check out Gildans ringspun. I forgot the style #, but they are of better quality.


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## kylerogers (Jul 30, 2008)

I checked the TSC website. There is a Gildan 64000 that has the same specs and is only about .20 extra.



TshirtGuru said:


> Cheaper shirts such as Gildan 5000 is actually sewn together better then Tultex. When a customer comes back to you and says that 600 of his shirts were printed crooked, there is a reason to worry. We didn't realize they were crooked and twisted because they "look" straight. Even if you measure the printed graphics up to each side of the neck line, it is a perfect measurement. But once you wear it, it has a twist to it. Very hard to explain, but nonetheless, we had to refund him 500 oversized printed tshirts, and re-printed them.
> 
> I say you might want to check out Gildans ringspun. I forgot the style #, but they are of better quality.


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## kylerogers (Jul 30, 2008)

I just got a box of Tulex shirts. Basically I ordered a big sampling mens and womens in different colors.

The womens shirts are easily my new favorite of any womens shirts I've ordered so far, and they are actually significantly cheaper than some of the others I've ordered. 

As far as the tear-away tags. On the womens, there are two tags, both are perforated, and the perferation is deep under the overhanging fabric for the neck seams.

For the mens shirts, a few have both tags perforated. Most of them have the Tulex tag perforated, but not the general information tag. Also the perforation line is not as buried.

So apparently Tulex has recently improved their tear away tags. I'm not printing my own labels yet, but plan to in the future. So by the time I get around to doing it, all the Tultex's will probably have the improved tear away tags.

At any rate, the only other tear away tags I've seen are the really cheap Anvil Tear-Away series. Their tear away tags are a joke, and of all the shirts I've ordered they had the worst feeling material and looked the most misshapen (in part because the fabric has no integrity and doesn't hold it's shape well.). 

As far as the consistancy of dimensions, being twisted, what not. They do not seem any more are less than any other shirts I've ordered. The womens have seams down the side, the mens do not (the anvil 980 does).

I like them. However, I don't don't that the Gilden light ringspun shirts are the best, because among other stuff I've ordered the Gildens seemed superior to the other brands.

The Gilden ringspun have a better color selection than the Anvil 980.

Tultex still has the benefit of having mens, womens, and childrens shirt that all match. Makes it convenient.


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## kylerogers (Jul 30, 2008)

I've been printing on my Tultex shirts. Now that I have spent a lot of time looking at them closely, I will say that the Anvil 980s are better quality. The Anvil 980s are softer. If you hold them up to the light side by side, the Anvil 980 fabric is a lot more even and consistent looking. Since the fabric is more even and smooth, the color looks better to.

My next order will be for the Guilden 64000. I'm anxious to see how they look.


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## Roly (Jan 12, 2008)

TshirtGuru said:


> Cheaper shirts such as Gildan 5000 is actually sewn together better then Tultex. When a customer comes back to you and says that 600 of his shirts were printed crooked, there is a reason to worry. We didn't realize they were crooked and twisted because they "look" straight. Even if you measure the printed graphics up to each side of the neck line, it is a perfect measurement. But once you wear it, it has a twist to it. Very hard to explain, but nonetheless, we had to refund him 500 oversized printed tshirts, and re-printed them.
> 
> I say you might want to check out Gildans ringspun. I forgot the style #, but they are of better quality.


YES! I had the exact same problem. Good to know I'm not alone. I'm not the screener, I'm the customer, and 2 dozen of my shirts came out way, way, way crooked. Not even close. Exactly what you are describing, lines up nice on the palette, but you put the shirt on and the graphic is way off. They're not quarter-turned shirts. My guy is reprinting them for me on Gildan's 64000 right now. I don't know how that's going to work out until I see them. STAY AWAY from these. I love TSC and spend lots of my money there, but these Tultex 0202 shirts are terrible. They are NOT straight.


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## mikelmorgan (Nov 1, 2008)

Roly said:


> YES! I had the exact same problem. Good to know I'm not alone. I'm not the screener, I'm the customer, and 2 dozen of my shirts came out way, way, way crooked. Not even close. Exactly what you are describing, lines up nice on the palette, but you put the shirt on and the graphic is way off. They're not quarter-turned shirts. My guy is reprinting them for me on Gildan's 64000 right now. I don't know how that's going to work out until I see them. STAY AWAY from these. I love TSC and spend lots of my money there, but these Tultex 0202 shirts are terrible. They are NOT straight.


This is really funny. i printed the gildan brand (4.5 oz ringspun) for a golf tournament I helped sponsor. I generally don't wear t-shirts but I wore one of these. My graphic guy has one also, both of our shirts shrunk so bad we could not wear them. I'm selling more of the tultex now and no one has complained yet. Go figure.


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## StarlightTshirts (Dec 24, 2010)

I am replying to this old post to ask if the Tultex shirts have gotten any better. I have a customer who is specifically requesting them. Should I try to talk him into another brand?


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## savagecat45 (Jun 17, 2008)

We've dabbled in all these fashion fit brands and seem to enjoy the anvil 980s the best. They are consistent and do great through a wash unlike the tultex. They have a weird texture after the first wash and shrinks weirdly. Use to be a fan but not anymore. Anyone who is looking for an American apparel equiv the 980 is where it's at. 

What is also good is if you're doing large orders of whites, the 980 has a great price while the tultex maintains a smaller margin between their white and colors.


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## RespecttheCraft (Feb 19, 2010)

my personal favorites in terms of quality, discharge performance, fit and price are as follows:

Amer Apparel
Next Level
Gildan 64000 (softsyle)
Anvil ringspun (softer fabric than gildan but it is less fitted for men)
tultex (still better than port and co's super shrinking t shirts!!)


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

Tultex is wholesale priced right and we sell it as an upgrade with an additional markup. We like them.


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## Biverson (Oct 20, 2014)

I'm reviving this old, old thread. I'm doing some shirts for a Baksetball Tshirt night. Sports around here have their players go get sponsors and they get their logo on the back of a shirt, and a design on the front, and hand them out at a game to the tune of 600 shirts or so. I usually do a Gildan 2000, 5000, 8000, or similar Port & Company Shirt as they're the cheapest. I just logged into TSC and checked out the Tutlex and the 202 is the exact same price as the Gildan 2000 which blew my mind. I haven't gotten Tultex in before. I usually use B+C, Next Level, American Apparel, or higher end Ring Spun Port & Company. For a giveaway shirt I think getting a Tultex over a 2000 for the same price is definitely worth a shot?!


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## Industryps (Aug 9, 2016)

Tultex is good, it's a softer, fashion fit tee similar to what you may be using from Bella+Canvas but haven't used them in a few years now. 
It's a decent tee, but I personally don't like using them for customers that are geared towards retail-quality. 
There is definite quality control issues when you order them in large quantities; lots of loose threads and shrinkage after repeated washings, that sort of thing. But I will say that they discharge well, and overall first impression when you have it in your hand is good, but again, they don't hold up well over time.


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