Back-to-school custom shirts start ordering in July. Whether you are a PTA coordinator, a school administrator, or a booster club president, the process is the same: pick a design, collect sizes, place the order, and have shirts in hand before the first day of school. Here is how to make it happen without the last-minute panic.
The Back-to-School Shirt Timeline
| When | What to Do |
|---|---|
| July (6-8 weeks before school) | Finalize design, get quotes from your printer |
| Late July | Send size collection forms home with families (digital form or paper) |
| First week of August | Close size collection, submit final order |
| Mid-August | Approve mockup and pay invoice |
| Last week of August | Receive shirts, sort and bag by classroom |
| First week of school | Distribute |
The critical deadline is size collection. This is where every school order either runs smoothly or falls apart. You need 100% of families to respond before you can submit the order, and some families will not respond until you chase them. Build 2 weeks into the timeline just for that step.
Size Distribution by Grade Level
If you cannot collect individual sizes from every family (it happens), here are the standard distributions that work for most schools. These are based on hundreds of school orders we have processed:
| Grade Level | YXS | YS | YM | YL | YXL | AS | AM | AL | AXL+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-K / K | 50% | 40% | 10% | ||||||
| 1st-2nd | 20% | 50% | 25% | 5% | |||||
| 3rd-4th | 5% | 20% | 45% | 25% | 5% | ||||
| 5th-6th | 5% | 20% | 40% | 25% | 10% | ||||
| 7th-8th | 5% | 15% | 30% | 30% | 15% | 5% | |||
| 9th-12th | 5% | 10% | 20% | 30% | 20% | 15% | |||
| Staff | 15% | 30% | 30% | 25% |
For detailed sizing by age, see our guides for 6 year olds, 8 year olds, 10 year olds, and 12 year olds. For the full school sizing methodology, see our custom t-shirt sizing for schools guide.
Best Blank Shirts for School Spirit Wear
Budget-friendly (large orders, 100+ shirts): Gildan 5000B or Hanes 5450. Reliable, consistent sizing, wide color selection, and the lowest per-unit cost. These are the standard for school orders where budget is the primary concern.
Premium feel (smaller orders, boutique schools, fundraiser shirts parents will pay for): Bella+Canvas 3001Y. Softer fabric, modern fit, looks and feels like a retail shirt. Costs $1-2 more per unit but parents are more likely to buy extras as gifts.
Vintage/trendy look (spirit wear that kids actually want to wear): Comfort Colors 9018. The garment-dyed, washed look is popular with middle and high schoolers. Heavier fabric, premium feel, limited but curated color palette. Note that Comfort Colors can shrink slightly after the first wash, so size up for the younger grades.
Design Tips for School Shirts
Keep the mascot clean and bold. Mascots with fine detail lose definition on a screen print. Simplify the artwork so it reads well from across a gym or field.
One to two colors saves money. Every additional ink color adds to the setup cost. A one-color print on a colored shirt looks professional and keeps the per-unit price low for large orders.
Include the school year. "Class of 2027" or "2026-2027" on the shirt makes it a keepsake, not just a shirt. Parents save these.
Think about all the sizes. Your design needs to look good on a youth XS for a kindergartner and an adult 2XL for a teacher. That means the artwork cannot be too large (it will overwhelm a small shirt) or too small (it will look like a postage stamp on a large shirt). Your printer should scale the design appropriately for each size range.
Common Mistakes That Delay School Orders
Starting too late. If you start collecting sizes the week before school, you will not have shirts for the first month. Begin in July.
Not collecting sizes from staff. Teachers, aides, administrators, and custodians all want shirts. Budget for 15-20% additional shirts beyond student count for staff.
Using self-reported sizes for kids. Parents are wrong about their kid's shirt size about 30% of the time. Send a size chart with actual measurements and ask them to measure their child's chest. Our chest measuring guide shows them how in 30 seconds.
Not ordering extras. New students enroll mid-year. Shirts get lost. Have 10% extras in the most common sizes for each grade band.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should schools order custom shirts for the fall?
Start in July, 6-8 weeks before school begins. Size collection takes the longest (allow 2 weeks for families to respond). Production is 2-3 weeks after final approval. The goal is shirts in hand before the first day of school.
How much do custom school shirts cost?
Typically $10-20 per shirt depending on the blank, the number of print colors, and the quantity. Larger orders get better per-unit pricing. A school of 500 students ordering a 1-color print on Gildan can expect $10-12 per shirt. A boutique school of 50 ordering full-color DTF on Bella+Canvas will be $18-25 per shirt.
What sizes should a school order?
Collect individual sizes when possible. When not possible, use grade-level distribution tables: Pre-K is mostly YXS and YS, 3rd-4th is mostly YM and YL, 7th-8th is YXL and Adult S, high school is Adult S through Adult XL. Always include staff sizes (Adult M through Adult 2XL). See our school sizing guide for the full breakdown.
What is the best blank shirt for school spirit wear?
For budget: Gildan 5000B or Hanes 5450. For premium: Bella+Canvas 3001Y. For trendy vintage look: Comfort Colors 9018. The right choice depends on budget, aesthetic, and whether the shirts are for everyday wear or a special event.
Related Guides
- Custom T-Shirt Sizing for Schools
- Custom Shirts for Fall Sports Teams
- How Many Shirts to Order for a Team
- Custom Team Shirt Sizing for Coaches
- Gildan Youth Sizing Guide
- Bella Canvas Youth Sizing Guide
- Comfort Colors Youth Sizing Guide
- Youth Size to Kids Size Conversion Chart
Need School Spirit Wear for This Fall?
We handle school orders from 50 shirts to 2,000+. Tell us your school, enrollment, and grade range, and we will build the size breakdown, recommend the right blank, and get you a quote within one business day. Start your order here.