Most print-on-demand catalogs default to one long sleeve tee and call it a day, and that one tee is usually either the Bella Canvas 3501 or the Comfort Colors 6014. Sellers who already run a Bella Canvas 3001 or Comfort Colors 1717 storefront often just grab the long sleeve version from the same brand without comparing the two directly. That's a reasonable shortcut, but it's worth understanding what you're actually choosing between, because these are not two versions of the same shirt with different sleeve lengths.
We make mockup software, not shirts, so we have nothing to sell you here either way.
The short answer
The Bella Canvas 3501 and Comfort Colors 6014 sit in different weight classes and different fits. The 3501 is a 4.2 oz lightweight long sleeve tee with a retail fit and side seams. The 6014 is a 6.1 oz garment dyed heavyweight with a relaxed, seamless body.
For most print-on-demand sellers, choose the Bella Canvas 3501 for everyday, modern long sleeve listings where cost and a clean fitted silhouette matter most; pick the Comfort Colors 6014 instead when the garment dyed, lived-in look is part of the design and you don't mind the higher per-unit cost.
Specs, side by side
| Bella Canvas 3501 | Comfort Colors 6014 | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 4.2 oz/yd² | 6.1 oz/yd² |
| Fabric | 100% Airlume combed and ring spun cotton, 32 singles (Ash: 99% cotton, 1% polyester) | 100% ring spun cotton |
| Dye process | Piece dyed | Garment dyed |
| Fit | Retail fit, side seamed, pre-shrunk | Relaxed fit, seamless (tubular) body |
| Collar | Cover stitched collar | Rib knit collar, double needle stitched |
| Cuffs | 2" ribbed cuffs | Rib knit cuffs |
| Neck/shoulder | Taped | Twill taped |
| Label | Tear away | Sewn twill label |
| Colorways | Smaller, standard color range | Large, seasonally rotating catalog |
| Relative cost | Lower | Higher |
Is the Bella Canvas 3501 good for print on demand?
Yes, and it's the safer first long sleeve tee to add to a catalog. The Bella Canvas 3501 is a 4.2 oz per square yard, 100% Airlume combed and ring spun cotton long sleeve tee (Ash runs 99% cotton, 1% polyester), spun to 32 singles for a smooth, fine print surface. It has a retail fit, side seams, a cover stitched collar, 2 inch ribbed cuffs, and a tear away label, and it's pre-shrunk before it ships.
That's the same fabric family as the Bella Canvas 3001 short sleeve tee, just with sleeves added, so if you already print on the 3001 there's no surprise in how ink sits on this one. It's a standard catalog item at nearly every print on demand provider, which keeps sourcing simple and cost low.
Is the Comfort Colors 6014 good for print on demand?
Yes, and it's the long sleeve version of the shirt vintage and streetwear brands already build around. The Comfort Colors 6014 is a 6.1 oz, 100% ring spun cotton heavyweight long sleeve tee, garment dyed and soft washed after construction. It has a relaxed, seamless (tubular) body with no side seams, a rib knit collar with double needle stitching at the collar and bottom hem, twill taped neck and shoulders, and a sewn twill label.
It's the same fabric and dye process as the Comfort Colors 1717 short sleeve tee, so anyone already selling that shirt knows exactly what they're getting: a thicker, softer, more textured cotton with the slightly irregular, lived-in color that comes from dyeing the garment after it's sewn rather than before.
Which long sleeve is heavier, the 3501 or the 6014?
The Comfort Colors 6014, at 6.1 oz/yd², is roughly 45% heavier than the Bella Canvas 3501's 4.2 oz/yd². That's not a marginal spec gap. Pick up both shirts and the 6014 immediately reads as the thicker, more substantial garment, while the 3501 feels closer to a standard retail long sleeve tee you'd already own several of.
Neither weight is objectively better for every listing. A lighter long sleeve layers more easily under a jacket or hoodie and costs less per unit. A heavier one reads as a considered, premium product the moment a customer pulls it out of the package, which matters more for a $38 graphic tee than a $22 one.
Piece dyed vs. garment dyed: where the real difference comes from
The Bella Canvas 3501 is piece dyed, meaning the yarn or fabric is colored before the shirt is cut and sewn. That produces consistent, even color from shirt to shirt and keeps the fabric smoother and more uniform in hand.
The Comfort Colors 6014 is garment dyed, meaning the entire finished shirt goes into the dye bath after it's already sewn together. That process is why Comfort Colors color names (Blue Jean, Crunchberry, Yam) look and feel different from a standard piece dyed color chart, and why there's normal shade variance between dye lots. It's also why the fabric develops that soft, slightly worn hand feel straight out of the bag instead of after a dozen washes.
If your brand's whole visual identity leans on a broken-in, vintage look, garment dyeing isn't a compromise, it's the entire point. If you're printing a clean modern graphic and want every unit to match exactly, piece dyeing is the safer bet.
Fit: fitted retail cut vs. relaxed and seamless
The Bella Canvas 3501 has side seams and a fitted retail cut, the same silhouette as a standard modern tee, just with long sleeves. It sits close to the body and reads as contemporary streetwear or basics.
The Comfort Colors 6014 has a relaxed, seamless (tubular) body, meaning the shirt is knitted as a continuous tube with no side seams at all. That construction is part of why Comfort Colors garments have their characteristic boxy, slightly oversized drape, and it's a deliberate choice, not a cost-cutting shortcut. Tubular knits use less fabric waste in cutting, but the resulting fit is genuinely different on the body, not just cheaper to produce.
Neither fit is wrong. A fitted long sleeve photographs cleaner on a flat lay or model shot. A relaxed, seamless one is what a lot of buyers now specifically search for when they want an oversized, worn-in look.
Print surface
The 3501's 32-singles combed cotton gives a fine, smooth surface that holds detailed line work and small text cleanly, the same as its 3001 sibling. The 6014's heavier, less processed ring spun cotton has more visible texture, which suits bold graphics and larger type better than fine detail. Neither is a bad DTG surface. They just favor different kinds of artwork.
Price and positioning
The Bella Canvas 3501 costs less per unit at most print on demand providers, a direct result of using roughly a third less fabric and skipping the extra garment-dyeing step. The Comfort Colors 6014 costs more for the opposite reasons: more fabric per shirt and a more labor intensive dye process.
That price gap buys positioning, not just fabric. A $24 long sleeve tee on the 3501 reads as a normal, well made basic. A $38 long sleeve tee on the 6014 reads as a considered, premium piece, because the extra weight and garment-dyed texture visibly back up the price the moment it's in a customer's hands.
Which should you choose?
Choose the Bella Canvas 3501 when:
- You're optimizing for cost and a fitted, modern silhouette
- You already print on the Bella Canvas 3001 and want a matching long sleeve
- Your designs use fine line work or small text
- You want the safest, most-documented long sleeve blank
Choose the Comfort Colors 6014 when:
- Your brand is built on a vintage, streetwear, or lived-in aesthetic
- You already sell the Comfort Colors 1717 and want a matching long sleeve
- You're pricing long sleeve tees at $35 or more and want the fabric to earn it
- Bold, simple graphics are doing the visual work, not fine detail
Show the actual long sleeve
A long sleeve tee's weight, drape, and dye character are exactly the kind of thing a flat mockup template flattens out. Whether a shirt hangs fitted or relaxed, and whether the color looks flat or has that garment-dyed depth, is part of what a buyer is deciding to pay for.
Drop Studio generates photoreal mockups on the exact blank and color you sell, with your design printed into the fabric, following the real drape of that specific garment.
Related reading:
- Comfort Colors 1717 vs. Bella Canvas 3001: Which Should You Sell?
- T-Shirt Print Placement and Sizing: A Guide for Print on Demand Sellers
Sources: manufacturer and distributor spec sheets for the Bella Canvas 3501 and Comfort Colors 6014. Fabric content, available colors, and pricing vary by provider and season, always confirm current specs with your print provider before listing.