How to order school club & student-org merch

Step 1: Set the budget and collect sizes early

Most club merch orders go sideways at this step, not at the printer. Before you look at a single hoodie, decide the per-member price, whether the club is subsidizing any of it, and how money gets collected. Then open a size form immediately, with a hard deadline, because size collection always takes longer than anyone expects. Point members at a size guide so you don't end up swapping pieces after delivery, and order a couple of extras in M and L for late joiners.

Step 2: Pick your blanks and decoration

Pick one style and one color for your first run, it keeps production simple. Our minimum is just 3 pieces per style and color, blank or decorated, which any club clears easily. Browse blank styles to compare weights and fits.

For decoration, the short version: screen printing for bold logos at club quantities, embroidery for a premium left-chest look on fleece, and DTG for complex full-color art or smaller runs. If you're not sure, send the design and we'll recommend the method on your quote.

Step 3: Get the artwork production-ready

The single biggest cause of delay on club orders is artwork that isn't print-ready. What works:

• Vector files (AI, EPS, SVG, vector PDF): ideal, scale cleanly, separate by color.
• High-resolution PNG at 300 DPI at the actual print size, workable for most methods.
• Screenshots, Instagram pulls, and tiny web logos, not printable as-is and will need rebuilding, which adds days.

Sort this out before you request pricing and your whole timeline gets easier.

Step 4: Work the timeline back from your event

Standard decorated production runs 2-5 weeks. Add time for quoting, artwork approval, and delivery, and the safe rule is simple: start your order 4-6 weeks before the event. A realistic sequence looks like this:

• 6 weeks out: sizes collected, design locked, quote requested.
• 5 weeks out: written quote approved, artwork proof signed off.
• 2-5 weeks: production.
• Final days: delivery and distribution to members.

Behind schedule? With in-stock blanks and print-ready art, simple runs are possible in 5-7 business days on a rush basis, but tell us the deadline up front so we can confirm it in writing rather than hope for it.

Step 5: Approve, produce, distribute

Once you approve the written quote and the artwork proof, production starts and the specs are locked, quantity, sizes, placement, colors. Resist last-minute additions; adding five pieces after the run starts is far more expensive than padding the original order. When the merch lands, distribute against your size form so nothing goes missing at the club meeting.

We work with school clubs and student orgs regularly, see school club merch for how those orders run, or custom merch in Berkeley if you're local. When your sizes and design are ready, send everything through the quote form and we'll reply with written pricing and a production plan.

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