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Gildan 18000 Color Chart 2026: All 38 Sweatshirt Colors with Hex Codes

9 min read

The Gildan 18000 Heavy Blend Crewneck Sweatshirt is the most popular blank sweatshirt in the print-on-demand industry. At 38 colors and a wholesale price that keeps margins healthy, it hits the sweet spot between variety, quality, and affordability that POD sellers need.

But getting the colors right in your mockups is harder than it looks. A "Navy" that renders as bright blue or a "Charcoal" that looks like silver will cost you returns and bad reviews. This guide covers every Gildan 18000 color with manufacturer-accurate hex codes so your mockups match reality.

Gildan 18000: Quick Specs

| Specification | Detail | |--------------|--------| | Style Number | 18000 | | Fabric Weight | 8.0 oz/yd² | | Material | 50% cotton, 50% polyester | | Fit | Classic fit, unisex | | Construction | Set-in sleeves, 1x1 rib with spandex cuffs and waistband | | Sizes | S through 5XL | | Pill Resistance | Air jet yarn for reduced pilling | | Print Compatibility | DTG, screen print, heat press, DTF, embroidery, sublimation (on light colors) | | Total Colors | 38 |

The 50/50 cotton-poly blend means DTG prints may appear slightly more muted compared to 100% cotton blanks like the Gildan 5000. If you sell DTG, consider adjusting your mockup colors slightly warmer to match real-world output.

Understanding Tiers

Gildan divides the 18000 line into two tiers:

  • Tier 1 (Core Colors) — 12 colors. These are the best sellers with the highest stock availability and lowest wholesale pricing. If you are starting out, stock your shop with Tier 1 colors first.
  • Tier 2 (Standard Colors) — 26 colors. Broader selection for niche targeting. Stock availability varies by distributor. Great for seasonal collections and specific audience colors (school colors, holiday themes).

Tier 1: Core Colors (12 Colors)

These are the colors every POD sweatshirt seller should offer. Best availability, best pricing, highest demand.

| Color | Hex | RGB | Fabric Type | |-------|-----|-----|-------------| | White | #ffffff | 255, 255, 255 | Solid | | Black | #25282a | 37, 40, 42 | Solid | | Sport Grey | #97999b | 151, 153, 155 | Heather | | Ash Grey | #c8c9c7 | 200, 201, 199 | Heather | | Sand | #cabfad | 202, 191, 173 | Solid | | Navy | #263147 | 38, 49, 71 | Solid | | Military Green | #535c46 | 83, 92, 70 | Solid | | Dark Heather | #425563 | 66, 85, 99 | Heather | | Maroon | #5b2b42 | 91, 43, 66 | Solid | | Charcoal | #66676c | 102, 103, 108 | Solid | | Royal | #224d8f | 34, 77, 143 | Solid | | Red | #d50032 | 213, 0, 50 | Solid |

Tier 2: Blues (6 Colors)

| Color | Hex | RGB | Fabric Type | |-------|-----|-----|-------------| | Carolina Blue | #7ba4db | 123, 164, 219 | Solid | | Light Blue | #a4c8e1 | 164, 200, 225 | Solid | | Indigo Blue | #486d87 | 72, 109, 135 | Solid | | Sapphire | #0067a5 | 0, 103, 165 | Solid | | Neon Blue | #004ea8 | 0, 78, 168 | Solid |

Tier 2: Greens (4 Colors)

| Color | Hex | RGB | Fabric Type | |-------|-----|-----|-------------| | Forest Green | #1f3a2d | 31, 58, 45 | Solid | | Irish Green | #009e5e | 0, 158, 94 | Solid | | Safety Green | #c6d219 | 198, 210, 25 | Solid |

Tier 2: Reds & Pinks (7 Colors)

| Color | Hex | RGB | Fabric Type | |-------|-----|-----|-------------| | Cardinal Red | #8a1538 | 138, 21, 56 | Solid | | Cherry Red | #ac2b37 | 172, 43, 55 | Solid | | Antique Cherry Red | #971b2f | 151, 27, 47 | Solid | | Garnet | #76232f | 118, 35, 47 | Solid | | Heliconia | #db3e79 | 219, 62, 121 | Solid | | Light Pink | #f0d5dd | 240, 213, 221 | Solid | | Safety Pink | #e16f8f | 225, 111, 143 | Solid |

Tier 2: Yellows, Oranges & Browns (4 Colors)

| Color | Hex | RGB | Fabric Type | |-------|-----|-----|-------------| | Gold | #eead1a | 238, 173, 26 | Solid | | Orange | #f4633a | 244, 99, 58 | Solid | | Safety Orange | #e5801c | 229, 128, 28 | Solid | | Dark Chocolate | #382f2d | 56, 47, 45 | Solid |

Tier 2: Purples (2 Colors)

| Color | Hex | RGB | Fabric Type | |-------|-----|-----|-------------| | Purple | #464e7e | 70, 78, 126 | Solid | | Violet | #8094dd | 128, 148, 221 | Solid |

Tier 2: Heather Colors (5 Colors)

Heather colors use blended yarns that create a subtly mottled, textured appearance. They photograph differently than solid colors — the texture catches light in ways that flat hex values cannot fully represent.

| Color | Hex | RGB | |-------|-----|-----| | Graphite Heather | #5b6670 | 91, 102, 112 | | Heather Scarlet Red | #ba0c2f | 186, 12, 47 | | Heather Dark Green | #3c5c48 | 60, 92, 72 | | Heather Dark Navy | #374b5c | 55, 75, 92 | | Heather Deep Royal | #2c4a7c | 44, 74, 124 |

Heather colors on the Gildan 18000 use the 50/50 cotton-poly blend to create a natural marled texture. This texture is especially visible in person but can be hard to capture in flat mockup images. Seller Mockups renders heather textures with fabric-aware AI that simulates the mottled appearance.

Best-Selling Gildan 18000 Colors for Etsy

Based on POD seller data and Etsy search volume, these are the top-performing Gildan 18000 sweatshirt colors:

  1. Black — The universal best seller. Works with every design, every niche.
  2. Sport Grey — The #2 seller across all apparel. Neutral enough for any design, light enough for vibrant DTG prints.
  3. Navy — Perennial top performer. Strong in dad humor, nautical, and college-style niches.
  4. Sand — Trending heavily in 2026. The neutral, earthy tone that aesthetic and boho sellers love.
  5. Maroon — Consistently strong in fall/winter. University and vintage-style designs perform well.
  6. Dark Heather — Popular with sellers targeting a modern, understated look. The blue-grey tone reads as sophisticated.
  7. Military Green — Rising in popularity for outdoor, adventure, and nature niches.
  8. White — Essential for bright, colorful DTG designs. Lower demand than darks for sweatshirts specifically.

For maximum coverage with minimum inventory, start with Black, Sport Grey, Navy, Sand, and Maroon. These five colors cover the majority of sweatshirt sales across Etsy niches.

Gildan 18000 vs Other Sweatshirt Blanks

| Feature | Gildan 18000 | Comfort Colors 1566 | Champion S600 | |---------|-------------|---------------------|---------------| | Weight | 8.0 oz | 9.5 oz | 9.0 oz | | Material | 50/50 cotton-poly | 100% ring-spun cotton | 50/50 cotton-poly | | Colors | 38 | 36 | 24 | | Finish | Standard | Garment-dyed (vintage) | Retail quality | | Price Point | Budget | Mid-range | Premium | | Best For | Volume sellers | Premium/boho aesthetic | Brand-conscious buyers | | Shrinkage | Minimal (preshrunk) | Moderate (garment-dyed) | Minimal (preshrunk) |

The Gildan 18000 wins on price-per-unit and color variety. If your business model depends on offering many color options at competitive prices, it is the right blank. If you are positioning as a premium brand with a vintage aesthetic, consider the Comfort Colors 1566 instead.

DTG Printing on the Gildan 18000

The 50/50 cotton-polyester blend affects print quality in specific ways:

  • White ink adhesion — Slightly less vibrant than on 100% cotton. The polyester fibers do not absorb ink the same way cotton does, which can make white underbase layers appear slightly translucent on dark garments.
  • Color vibrancy — CMYK colors may appear 5-10% more muted compared to the Gildan 5000 (100% cotton). Adjust your design files accordingly.
  • Wash durability — The polyester content actually helps prints last longer through washes compared to 100% cotton blanks.
  • Pretreatment — Standard DTG pretreatment works well. The poly content means faster drying during pretreatment.

When creating mockups for DTG-printed Gildan 18000 sweatshirts, slightly reduce the brightness of your design overlay to simulate how ink absorbs into the 50/50 blend. This prevents the "too perfect" mockup problem where buyers receive a product that looks slightly different from the listing image.

Seasonal Color Strategies

Fall/Winter (Peak Sweatshirt Season):

  • Lead with Dark Heather, Maroon, Military Green, Forest Green, Navy
  • Add Cardinal Red and Garnet for holiday collections
  • Sand and Dark Chocolate for earthy autumn vibes

Spring:

  • Light Pink, Light Blue, Carolina Blue for lighter seasonal designs
  • Safety Green for St. Patrick's Day collections

Year-Round Staples:

  • Black, Sport Grey, Navy, White — these sell consistently regardless of season

How to Use These Hex Codes in Your Mockups

If you are creating mockups manually in Photoshop or Canva, copy the hex code from the table above and use it as your garment color layer. Keep in mind that hex codes represent the average color — real fabric has texture, lighting variation, and depth that a flat color cannot capture.

Seller Mockups uses these exact hex values from the Gildan 18000 color database to generate AI mockups with fabric-accurate colors. The AI adds realistic fabric texture, lighting, and shadow so your mockups look like actual product photography rather than colored rectangles.

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