How do I pick sizes for people I cannot ask?
For a mixed adult group you cannot ask, order roughly 10 percent small, 30 percent medium, 30 percent large, 20 percent extra large and 10 percent 2XL. That split covers most workplaces and event crowds in the United States, and it errs toward the middle sizes, which are the ones people swap into when their first pick does not fit.
Adjust it when you know the group. A construction crew or a men's sports team skews larger: shift 10 percent from small and medium into extra large and 2XL. A group that is mostly women or teenagers skews smaller: shift toward small and medium, and consider adding extra small. If you can collect sizes, do; even a quick poll beats any formula. Our size guide lists chest and length in inches for every garment so people can measure a shirt they already own.
- Unknown mixed group: S 10, M 30, L 30, XL 20, 2XL 10 (percent).
- Skews larger: S 5, M 25, L 30, XL 25, 2XL 15.
- Skews smaller: XS 5, S 20, M 35, L 25, XL 15.
Should I round my order up to a price break?
Yes, when you are within a few shirts of a break, because the whole order gets the lower price and the total can fall while you get more shirts. Merch to Order prices step down at 12, 24, 50, 100 and 250 shirts, and the biggest drop is at 24, where printing switches from direct-to-garment to screen printing.
Two worked examples on the Classic Cotton Tee with a one-side print. Twenty shirts at $14.95 each is $299.00. Twenty-four shirts at $11.45 each is $274.80: four more shirts and a smaller bill. Forty-five shirts at $11.45 is $515.25; fifty at $9.45 is $472.50. The pattern repeats at 100 ($8.25 a shirt) and 250 ($7.45 at 250+). The studio tells you how far you are from the next break as you type sizes, and the price calculator does the same without an account.
How many spare shirts should I order for new hires?
Order about 10 percent extra, spread across medium, large and extra large, if the team will grow or shirts will be worn regularly. A spare costs the bulk price today ($11.45 at 24) and saves you from placing a one-shirt order at $19.95 the week a new person starts. Spares also cover the person who chose the wrong size, the shirt that meets a coffee on day one, and the visitor you want to send home with something.
Keep spares in the two or three most common sizes rather than one of everything. A medium and a large will fit far more new hires than an extra small and a 4XL, and the sizes you did not stock can be reordered in a batch later.
Do mixed sizes cost the same?
Yes, all sizes from extra small to extra large are the same price, and every size counts toward the same quantity break. Thirty shirts in five sizes is priced like thirty shirts in one size, because the print is the same whatever size it lands on. Sizes 2XL and up cost a little more, shown next to the size box in the studio, because those shirts cost us more. On hoodies and crewnecks the extra is a dollar higher.
This is why a team order should never be limited to two sizes to keep the price down: it does not change the price, and it guarantees some people will not wear the shirt.
How do reorders work when the team grows?
Open your past order in your Merch to Order account, click Reorder, enter the new sizes and check out. The design, garment and colors are copied exactly, so the new shirts match the old ones. The reorder is priced by its own quantity, so a top-up of six shirts is priced at the one-to-eleven tier, which is another argument for spares.
If you expect steady growth, plan the reorder rhythm: one order a quarter of 24 shirts keeps every batch at the screen-print price. Every order, including the reorder, gets a proof within 24 hours and a tracking number, and shipping is free over $150.
What is a good order for a team of 20?
Order 24 shirts, not 20: two small, seven medium, seven large, five extra large and three 2XL, which uses the mixed-group split and rounds up to the screen-print break. That gives four spares in the sizes most likely to be needed, screen-printed color and a lower total than 20 shirts at the smaller-quantity price. Put the logo on the front, the website or team name on the back, and save the design for next quarter.