If you’re ordering shirts for a school, business or event, figuring out how many of each size to get can feel surprisingly overwhelming. You want everyone to feel included, you want the shirts to fit and you want to avoid leftovers (or worse, running out).
The good news is that most groups follow predictable patterns, and planning ahead can make everything smoother. Here’s how to order the right mix without guessing (or guessing wrong).
Most Groups Follow the Same Curve
After printing thousands of orders for schools, small businesses, family reunions, summer camps and every club imaginable, we’ve found that size distribution is shockingly consistent.
If you’re ordering shirts for adults and don’t have size info yet, start here:
- Small: 5–10%
- Medium: 25–30%
- Large: 30–35%
- XL: 20–25%
- 2XL: 8–10%
- 3XL+: 1–3%
This isn’t perfect, but it will get you very close when you’re still in the planning stage. Once you collect actual sizes, you can make small adjustments.
For Schools & Youth Groups
Kids’ sizing can be an adventure. The good news is that schools and youth organizations almost always land in one of two patterns:
Elementary & Early Youth
- YS: 25%
- YM: 35%
- YL: 30%
- YXL: 10%
Middle School & High School
Young adults grow fast and usually bump up into adult sizes earlier than expected. A typical mix looks like:
- YS–YL: 10–15% total
- Adult Small–Large: 60–70%
- XL–2XL: 15–20%
If the group is mixed ages, lean heavier on youth mediums and youth larges (you’ll use them, we promise).
For Businesses
Business orders depend on the work environment:
Office Teams (Designers, Admin, Teachers, Sales, etc.)
A safe starting point:
- S: 10%
- M: 30%
- L: 30%
- XL: 20%
- 2XL+: 10%
Labor, Trades, or Field Teams
These groups typically trend toward larger, roomier fits, especially for outdoor work or layered clothing.
A typical breakdown:
- M: 15%
- L: 30%
- XL: 30%
- 2XL: 15%
- 3XL+: 10%
For Clubs, Festivals and Other Events
If you’re printing shirts to hand out at festivals, volunteer events, camps, open houses or fundraisers, here’s the safest adult mix:
- S: 10%
- M: 28%
- L: 32%
- XL: 20%
- 2XL: 8%
- 3XL: 2%
This protects you from the two biggest surprise shortages:
- Running out of large shirts
- Running out of XL shirts
We see it all the time. People always think they need more smalls. They don’t.
Don’t Forget to Order a Few Extras
Even if your group gives you sizes, we recommend adding:
- +2 of the most common size
- +1 of each size above XL
- +1–2 youth sizes if you’re in a school setting
If You Have Size Data, Use It. If You Don’t, Use This as a Starting Point.
We love a good spreadsheet, but most people don’t have size info for every single participant, and that’s okay. Starting with a realistic distribution makes the whole process easier, calmer and way more accurate than guessing.
And if you need help, we’ll be happy to walk you through it. We’ve done this for schools, teachers, clubs, small businesses, giant corporate events and even family reunions.
Whatever your project looks like, we’ll help you order the right amount.