Corporate merch print run: how many to order

Running out of swag halfway through a conference hurts. So do three boxes of T-shirts gathering dust. A good merch print run isn’t a guess: it comes from people, events, and how long the batch has to last. Here is how to count, how big a buffer to keep, how to handle T-shirt sizes, and why a sample is worth it.

Start with who gets it and when

An onboarding kit and a trade-show giveaway are different jobs, even if both include a branded pen. Split merch into two buckets. Core merch — notebooks, pens, travel mugs for staff and new hires — is counted from headcount and hiring. Event merch is counted from attendance.

List each group separately: employees (from the HR roster, including remote staff and branches), new hires expected during the period, clients and partners, event guests, and a small internal reserve for replacements and surprise visitors.

Events and the buffer

Go through the calendar for the next six to twelve months. For each event, estimate attendance and the share of guests who will actually take something; past events are a better guide than registrations. Keep dates and campaign slogans off core merch, so leftovers from a spring show can go to an autumn one.

Always keep a buffer. People join after the giveaway, shirts get damaged, a box may contain a defect. Reordering one or two pieces usually costs much more per unit, and a new batch may differ slightly in shade or material. Set the buffer as a percentage based on your own history, and track real usage to refine it next time.

A worked example

The numbers are illustrative, not a rule.

  1. Base and hiring120 employees, a one-year horizon, about 30 planned hires: 150.
  2. EventsTwo conferences of 200 guests each; roughly half usually take a gift: plus 200.
  3. BufferA 10% reserve: (150 + 200) × 0.1 = 35. Total: about 385 pieces.

T-shirts: sizes matter more than the total

The total can be right while the size split is wrong — ten spare XS and no spare XL. Don’t split evenly and don’t guess: collect sizes with a short survey and attach the size chart of the exact model you’re ordering, since an M from one maker can fit like an L from another. For guests with unknown sizes, put the buffer into the most common sizes. Prepare the split before you send the request.

Why quantity changes the unit price

Every run has setup work that doesn’t depend on quantity: preparing print files, making screens or plates, setting up machines, test prints, color matching. That cost is spread across the batch, so the unit price usually drops as the run grows, often in tiers. Still, a cheap unit is no reason to fill a warehouse: a big run means more cash up front, storage, and the risk that your branding changes before the boxes are empty.

Samples and quantity in confeek

A sample answers what a screen can’t: how the cover feels and how the logo looks on the real material. In the confeek configurator, the notebook has a “Sample” switch at the bottom of the panel — one batch copy before the full run. For other products, raise the question in your request.

The quantity field sits at the bottom of the panel, next to the order button. Build the mockup without signing up, email it to your manager, then place the order as a guest or from your account. The minimum run depends on the product and printing method; the manager gives it, along with price and timeline, in reply to your request.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum order quantity?
It depends on the product and printing method, and the manager gives it in reply to your request. You set the quantity at the bottom of the configurator panel.
Can I order a single sample?
The notebook has a “Sample” switch in the panel: one batch copy before the run. For other products, ask when you place the request.
Do I need an account to send a request?
No. You build the mockup in the browser and can order as a guest or from your account.
Why is a small run more expensive per piece?
Setup — files, screens or plates, machine setup — barely depends on quantity and is shared by every item in the batch.

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