You’re creating your very own t-shirt design and have spent hours combing through possible color options. The process feels a bit overwhelming. After all, the shirt color can make or break your design, and with so many colors, how do you know which will be the best color?
If the shirt and ink colors are too similar, they may hide certain parts of your design. On the other hand, choosing the right color for your shirt can elevate your design, making it part of your artwork rather than just the canvas. Lucky for you, we’ve had years of experience in t-shirt printing and have compiled our top-selling colors for our most popular shirt, the Premium Unisex Tee, along with the best ink pairings for each color. Use this quick guide below to find the perfect color match for your design.
- Solid Black
- Athletic Heather
- Dark Grey Heather
- Heather Midnight Navy
- Solid White Blend
- Heather True Royal
- Heather Slate
- Heather Ice Blue
- Heather Team Purple
- Heather Sea Green
- Heather Mauve
- Heather Stone
- Neon Blue
- Heather Brown
- Heather Lapis
1. Solid Black: The Iconic T‑Shirt Color for Bold, High‑Contrast Designs
The Solid Black Blend is one of the best shirt color options! Since it’s solid, it’s completely saturated with no heathering. This means it’s consistent throughout and offers a perfect blank canvas for your design. Black goes with almost anything and hides stains better than most colors, making it easy and low-maintenance for your customers.
Color Combinations: Light grey, red, green, and other bright ink colors tend to print best on black garments. To avoid contrast issues, we suggest avoiding colors that will be difficult to see on the black garment, such as dark brown or black.
2. Athletic Heather: The Everyday T‑Shirt Color for Sporty, Casual Designs
Athletic Heather is an iconic and popular t-shirt color. It’s versatile and can jump across fashion lines, including casual wear, streetwear, and athletic fashion. Since it’s a heathered fabric, it offers a more dynamic look than a solid grey would, and it looks great on everyone. Just like a grey sweatshirt, a trendy, grey t-shirt is a must for everyone’s closet!
Color Combinations: The best ink colors that go with Athletic Heather are black, blues, greens, and reds. Avoid light grey ink, which can cause contrast issues.
3. Dark Grey Heather: A Modern T‑Shirt Color for Minimal, Laid‑Back Designs
The Dark Grey Heather tee is a mid-to-deep gray with a slightly mottled or speckled texture. The heathered part of the shirt mixes lighter and darker fibers, giving it a textured or flecked look rather than a flat, solid tone. It’s flattering on everyone and a popular t-shirt color that blends classic style with modern appeal. It creates a clean, laid-back vibe, which is perfect for casual wear.
Color Combinations: Pair this with white or a bright ink for a pop of color. For a more tonal look, go with black, dark grey, navy, or burgundy!
4. Heather Midnight Navy: A Timeless Shirt Color for Simple Designs with Captivating Statements
Heather Midnight Navy is a rich, deep blue color. With a heathered texture, it provides a canvas with depth, versatility, and a modern feel. It blends classic and contemporary vibes, making it a favorite choice for both fashion and branding!
Color Combinations: For high contrast, white is your best choice. For a softer, more vintage look, try a cream, off-white, burnt orange, or a pastel color like powder blue.
5. Solid White Blend: The Clean T‑Shirt Color for Bright, Colorful Artwork
The Solid White Blend tee creates a fresh and subtly textured color. Its clean simplicity meets the speckled effect of heathering, which offers a unique alternative to plain, solid white. It’s both practical and stylish, making it a great addition to any closet!
Color Combinations: If you want your design to pop, high contrast options that go great with this t-shirt color are black, greys, navies, and bold colors like red, green, and blue. Due to its versatility, you can also opt for fun, bright colors like teals, corals, yellows, and purples!
6. Heather True Royal: A Vibrant T‑Shirt Color for Cause-Based Designs
This color is a vibrant and energetic t-shirt color that blends the boldness of royal blue with the softness and texture of a heathered fabric. Bold, but not overwhelming, it’s a standout option that combines visual impact with everyday wearability.
Color Combinations: The best ink pairings for this t-shirt color are white, bright yellow, bright pink, and light grey.
7. Heather Slate: A Sleek T‑Shirt Color for Flexible Branding and Simple Designs
A t-shirt color that sits comfortably between blue and gray, it’s a modern, cool-toned color that’s softened by a heathered texture. It’s sleek, flexible, and subtly stylish—making it a go-to for casual and branded apparel.
Color Combinations: The versatile look of this tee color makes it an excellent canvas for a wide range of ink colors. For bold colors, try white, lime green, turquoise, coral, or bright red. For a more muted tone, ink colors like cream, dusty blue, or muted burgundy will be your go-tos!
8. Heather Ice Blue: A Soft T‑Shirt Color for Calm, Minimalist Designs
A soft, muted shade of blue with gray undertones, this color tee blends cool sophistication with everyday wearability. Its neutral tone pairs effortlessly with jeans, shorts, or jackets, making it suitable for many occasions. It’s also great for layering under sweaters, blazers, or hoodies, adding dimension without overwhelming the outfit.
Color Combinations: White will provide you with the biggest contrast. For a more uniform look, go with a navy blue or a light grey. Soft pastels like peach, coral, and mint also complement Heather Ice Blue. You’ll want to avoid bright yellows and oranges, as these can clash with the cool tone of the shirt color.
9. Heather Team Purple: A Bold T‑Shirt Color for Awareness and Fundraising Designs
A rich yet soft blend of deep purple hues with flecks of lighter tones, the Heather Team Purple option is a bold, yet wearable color. It offers a confident, vibrant look, while still being soft thanks to the heathered effect. It’s also great for graphics as light-colored prints can really pop!
Color Combinations: White ink offers a clean, crisp, and high-contrast pairing, whereas aqua, yellow, and light pink are some fun options that can add a playful pop of color.
10. Heather Sea Green: A Fresh T‑Shirt Color for Nature‑Inspired and Coastal Designs
Heather Sea Green is a soft, refreshing t-shirt color that offers a breezy, coastal vibe. Giving a clean, laid-back energy and a color that lands somewhere between mint and turquoise, it’s easy on the eyes and flattering across a wide range of skin tones.
Color Combinations: Navy blue will stay consistent with the nautical vibes of this tee color. If you want a bolder ink pairing, consider white, dark charcoal grey, peach, coral, yellow, or lavender.
11. Heather Mauve: A Trendy T‑Shirt Color for Soft, Elevated Merch
A soft, muted t-shirt color that blends dusty rose with subtle gray undertones. It’s elegant, yet understated, and is easy to pair, making it the perfect t-shirt for any occasion.
Color Combinations: For a soft, tonal look, go with a warm or cool grey, dusty rose, or a cream color. For more contrast, choose a bright white, black, navy, or deep indigo.
12. Heather Stone: A Neutral T‑Shirt Color for Versatile Everyday Designs
Heather Stone is an earthy gray-beige with a slightly warm undertone. This tee color is effortlessly stylish with a modern appeal, and the textured appearance of the heathered effect hides normal wear and tear well.
Color Combinations: Because it’s so neutral, many ink colors pair well with this t-shirt color! Darker colors like black, charcoal, navy, maroon, and forest green make for a good contrast, whereas white, aqua, and yellow offer a bright pop of color. For a more tonal look, you can go with a dark grey, taupe, or olive shade.
13. Neon Blue: A High‑Energy Shirt Color for Statement Designs
A bold, vibrant, and electrifying color. This t-shirt color brings a high-energy glow that lets the shirt light up your outfit. It’s modern, futuristic, and expressive!
Color Combinations: Consider using a light blue or violet for complementary pairings. White, black, pinks, greens, and yellows will provide a good, vibrant contrast – perfect for those bold statements. Charcoal, light grey, or cream will offer a more muted option.
14. Heather Brown: An Earthy T‑Shirt Color for Bold and Nature-Focused Designs
Heather Brown is an earthy, grounded color that gives off a down-to-earth vibe. The heathering adds depth and character to the shirt, while the color pairs beautifully with denim, white, black, or cream bottoms. The aesthetic is cozy, making it a great option for nature-based or environmental campaigns.
Color Combinations: For a natural, organic look, go with a cream color, burnt orange, or olive. For some balance and pop, consider adding a sky blue, teal, pink, or mint green.
15. Heather Lapis: A Rich T‑Shirt Color for Polished Designs
A rich, slightly muted shade of deep blue with subtle undertones of purple, Heather Lapis is a modern, yet classic t-shirt color that looks good on everyone, and pairs well with many colors/styles. With its versatility, it’s a go-to for anyone looking for a t-shirt color that combines comfort, style, and wearability.
Color Combinations: White, bright yellow, pink, and green offer the greatest contrast. If you’re looking for something more tonal, choose a light lavender, pale grey, or soft cream. For a more minimalist look, consider black, charcoal, or midnight navy.
With so many amazing t-shirt colors to choose from, it can feel overwhelming to find the right one for your design. Save this quick guide as a reference while you narrow down your choices, then head over to our Design Tool to explore these colors and more. There, you can view your design on each t-shirt color, or create your very own design from scratch. Your future masterpiece awaits!
FAQs
Which shirt color should I pick for a charity fundraiser?
Choose colors that reflect your cause’s emotional core—green for environmental work, red for urgent needs, or neutrals for broad appeal.
How does shirt color affect print quality when using POD?
Dark shirts require light inks for contrast, while light shirts pair best with dark or vibrant inks.
Can I offer multiple shirt colors in the same campaign without extra cost?
Yes, Bonfire allows unlimited color options at no additional setup fees.
What if my design doesn’t have enough contrast with the shirt color?
Add outlines, switch ink colors, or choose a higher-contrast shirt color.
How can I track which colors perform best in my store?
Use Bonfire’s sales dashboard to monitor color performance.
Are there extra fees for premium or specialty shirt colors?
No. Bonfire does not charge extra fees for premium or specialty shirt colors.
How do I align my shirt color with a sustainability message?
Select earth tones and highlight eco-friendly stories in your campaign descriptions.
Written by: Katie Davis
Illustrated by: Joe Kelly
