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Bulk custom shirts sorted for an event
DreamToMerch Blog · 6 min read

Bulk Custom Shirts: When to Order and How Far Ahead

Order bulk shirts about two weeks before you need them: production and shipping run five to nine business days, and the remainder covers checking the first piece and distributing sizes. Ready to start? custom shirts.

Where do people actually lose days?

Not in production - in decisions. Waiting on a final design, chasing sizes from people who have not replied, and re-approving artwork after a small change all happen before the order is placed and all take longer than anyone plans. The five to nine day window is the predictable part; everything before it is not.

Does a bigger order take longer?

No. Made-to-order production runs the same window for one piece and for two hundred, because there is no screen setup or batch scheduling to wait behind. That is genuinely different from screen printing, where larger runs are often scheduled further out.

What is the safe sequence for an event?

Design finalised three weeks out, sizes collected with a hard cutoff, order placed two weeks out. That leaves a week of slack, which is roughly the amount most groups end up using without expecting to.

A two-week runway

  • 3 weeks out - design finalised, sizes opened
  • 2 weeks out - hard cutoff on sizes, order placed
  • 1 week out - arrives, sorted and distributed
  • Any time - single reorders for late additions, no minimum

How does bulk pricing work?

It applies itself in the cart. Twenty or more of the same item takes 20% off, fifty takes 25%, and two hundred takes 30%. There is no quote form, no promo code and no sales call - the cart is the quote, so you can see the final per-piece number before anyone pays. Because these are print-on-demand costs rather than screen-printing setup, the discount is an honest reduction on the listed price instead of a marked-up retail figure being walked back.

How long does it take to arrive?

Every order is made to order and ships in five to nine business days, and that window covers a single piece and a two-hundred-piece run alike - there is no separate multi-week queue for larger orders. Our fastest verified US delivery was three days on real carrier tracking, and our fastest verified international delivery was Latvia to New York in five days. For an event, order about two weeks ahead so there is room to check the first piece and distribute sizes.

Where to go next

Bulk tiers apply automatically at twenty or more of the same item, so check which tier your total lands in before finalising the budget. See the full cost breakdown.

See the merch in real life

Real garments, printed and embroidered to order.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead should I order bulk shirts?

About two weeks. Production and shipping run 5-9 business days, plus buffer for sorting.

Does a bigger order take longer?

No. Made-to-order runs the same window for one piece or two hundred.

Where do people lose time?

In decisions - final design approval and chasing sizes, both before the order is placed.

When do bulk discounts apply?

Automatically at 20+ of the same item - 20%, 25% at 50, 30% at 200.

Can I add more shirts after ordering?

Yes, as a separate order with no minimum. It will match the original.

Is there a rush option?

Production is already 5-9 days. The reliable way to move faster is to decide sooner.

Pay-in-4 may be available for eligible US orders at checkout.

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