How Do I Run a T-Shirt Presale for a Club, Team, or Fundraiser?

To run a t-shirt presale, pick a design, set the price and a firm close date, collect each buyer's size and payment through one order form, and then place a single bulk order with the exact sizes you sold. Because everyone pays before anything is printed, a presale lets a club, team, school group, or fundraiser offer shirts without guessing sizes, fronting money, or ending up with a box of leftovers.

Presales are how a lot of San Antonio booster clubs, PTAs, church groups, rec league teams, nonprofits, and family reunion organizers handle shirts. This guide walks through the whole process step by step: planning, pricing, building the order form, promoting it, closing it, and turning your list into a clean print order.

Why run a presale instead of ordering shirts up front?

Ordering a stack of shirts and hoping they sell is risky. You have to guess how many people want one and what sizes they wear, and you pay before you know. A presale flips that order around:

• No upfront cost. Buyers pay first, so the money for printing is already collected when you order.
• No leftover inventory. You print exactly what was sold, so there is no closet full of extra smalls and 3XLs.
• Accurate sizes. Each buyer picks their own size, which beats any guess. Our guide on how many of each size to order shows how hard guessing can be.
• Clear fundraising math. You know your profit per shirt before the presale even opens.

The tradeoff is time. Buyers wait until the presale closes and the order is printed and delivered, so a presale works best for events, seasons, and fundraisers you can plan ahead for.

Step 1: Decide what you are selling

Keep the first presale simple. Every extra option adds a column to your spreadsheet and a chance for mistakes.

Pick one design

One design on one shirt style is the easiest presale to run. If you want a front and back print, decide that now so the price covers it. Our post on fonts that stay readable from across the room helps if the shirt has a group name or slogan.

Limit colors and sizes

Offer one or two shirt colors at most. Mixing colors in one order is possible, as explained in whether you can mix shirt colors in one bulk order, but every color multiplies the size options buyers have to choose from. List the full adult size range you plan to offer and note any size that costs more, since larger sizes often cost more.

Decide on personalization

Names and numbers on the back are a big selling point for teams and families, and DTF printing handles a different name on every shirt. If you offer it, plan for a name field on the form and a small extra charge if needed. Read whether each shirt can have a different name or number before you promise it.

Step 2: Set your price

Get a quote for your design and estimated quantity before you set a selling price. Then build the price from four pieces:

1. Printing cost per shirt from your quote.
2. Shipping or delivery divided across the expected number of shirts.
3. Payment fees from your card reader, app, or online store.
4. Your profit if it is a fundraiser.

Round up to an easy number. If larger sizes cost more to print, either charge a little more for them or average the cost into one price for everyone. For a deeper look at fundraising with shirts, see how nonprofits use custom shirts for fundraising.

Also set a minimum. If the presale does not reach a certain number of orders, decide in advance whether you will still print or refund everyone, and say so on the form.

Step 3: Build one order form that collects everything

The order form is the heart of a presale. A good form collects all of this in one place:

• Buyer name, phone, and email
• Shirt size, with a size chart shown right on the form
• Quantity
• Shirt color, if you offer more than one
• Name or number for the back, if offered, with a note to check spelling
• How they will get their shirt, such as handed out at practice or delivered to a classroom
• Payment, collected at the same time as the order

A simple online store page, a form tool with payment built in, or a school or league payment system all work. What matters is that size and payment are linked, so you never have someone who paid but forgot to pick a size, or someone who picked a size but never paid. Our guide on how to collect sizes for a bulk shirt order has more tips on gathering sizes cleanly.

Help buyers choose the right size. Link to how custom t-shirt sizes run and what to do when you are between two sizes so people order with confidence and fewer exchanges come up later.

Step 4: Promote the presale

People cannot buy a shirt they never hear about. A short, focused push works better than one announcement:

• Show the design. Share a clear image of the artwork with the close date in big letters.
• Use every channel your group already has. Team group chats, parent newsletters, church bulletins, social media pages, and email lists.
• Send reminders. One at launch, one in the middle, and a last call a day or two before it closes.
• Make the link easy. Put the order link in every post. A printed flyer with a QR code works well at games, meetings, and events.
• Give a reason. Tell buyers what the money supports, whether it is new uniforms, a trip, or a family in need.

Step 5: Close the presale and clean up the list

Close the presale on the date you announced. Late orders are tempting to accept, but they slow everything down and make the totals change after you thought they were final. If many people ask, you can run a second, smaller presale later.

Then export your orders and check them carefully:

1. Match every order to a payment.
2. Total the quantity for each size and color.
3. Review every name and number for spelling and duplicates.
4. Add any shirts the group needs for coaches, volunteers, or giveaways.
5. Sort the list by how shirts will be handed out, such as by team, class, or family.

Step 6: Place the order and review the proof

Send your printer the final design, the size and color breakdown, the full name and number list if you have one, and where the shirts need to go. LuxPort Print Co sends a proof on every custom order. Check it slowly, especially names, dates, and spelling. Our proof checklist covers what to look for before you approve.

If your group is a business or staff team rather than a fundraiser, a set pack can be simpler than a presale. Browse our crew shirt packages, like the 12-shirt starter pack. For a one-off shirt for a single buyer, the design-your-own custom t-shirt is the quickest route.

Step 7: Hand out the shirts without mix-ups

When the shirts arrive, sort them by your distribution list before anyone picks one up. Bag or bundle each buyer's order with their name on it, and check names off as shirts go out. For a full system, read how to label and hand out group shirts without mix-ups. Keep a few notes about what sold best, because it makes the next presale even easier.

Common presale mistakes to avoid

• No close date. An open-ended presale never really ends.
• Taking orders without payment. Unpaid orders are the biggest cause of extra shirts.
• Too many options. Five colors and three styles turns a simple order into a puzzle.
• Forgetting fees. Card and app fees can eat into fundraising profit if they are not in the price.
• Skipping the spelling check. A misspelled name on a shirt is the mistake buyers remember.
• Promising a delivery date you do not control. Tell buyers shirts will be handed out after the order is printed and delivered, and confirm timing with your printer before you announce a date.

Who uses shirt presales in San Antonio?

Presales fit almost any group that wants matching shirts without the risk of buying inventory: school booster clubs and PTAs selling spirit shirts, rec league and travel teams, church youth groups and ministries, nonprofits and charity walks, family reunions spread across several cities, and clubs of every kind. If your shirt is for an event, our post on ordering custom shirts for a San Antonio event or fundraiser is a helpful next read, and teams can see how school team shirt orders handle rosters, names, numbers, and sponsor logos.

Frequently asked questions

What is a t-shirt presale?

A t-shirt presale is when a group collects orders, sizes, and payment from buyers before the shirts are printed. Once the order window closes, the organizer places one bulk order with the exact sizes and quantities that were sold, so nobody is stuck holding extra shirts.

How long should a shirt presale stay open?

Most groups keep a presale open for about one to two weeks. That is long enough for people to see the announcement and pay, but short enough that it does not drag on. Pick a firm close date and share it in every reminder.

Should buyers pay up front in a presale?

Yes. Collecting payment when someone places their order is the main thing that makes a presale work. It covers the printing cost before you spend anything and keeps the size count accurate, because people who have paid rarely back out.

How do I collect sizes for a presale?

Use one order form or online store that asks for name, size, quantity, and contact info in the same place as payment. Show a size chart on the form and lock the sizes when the presale closes, then export the list and double-check totals before ordering.

Can each presale shirt have a different name or number?

Yes. DTF printing makes it simple to put a different name or number on each shirt in the same order. Add a name field to your form, and keep the spelling exactly as the buyer typed it so the final list matches what gets printed.

Can LuxPort Print Co print shirts for my presale?

Yes. When your presale closes, request a quote or call (844) 589-7678 with your design, the size breakdown, and any names or numbers. LuxPort Print Co is in San Antonio, ships across the U.S., and sends a proof to review before anything prints.

LuxPort Print Co, 10730 Potranco Rd Suite 122-507, San Antonio, TX 78251.