T-shirts for corporate events: how many to order, which sizes, and which method?

How many T-shirts should you order for an event?

One for each person who will wear it that day, plus a small cushion in the most common sizes. It sounds obvious, but the math gets harder because an event has several groups, and each is counted differently:

• Your staff: the people you know by name. If the event runs two days and they work in the sun, consider two each, one per day.
• Volunteers, brand promoters, or hired staff: get the list, with sizes, from whoever coordinates them before you close the order.
• Participants or attendees: if there is registration, the number comes from there. If not, use last year's attendance.
• Special guests and press: a few pieces, but keep them separate.

The event does not have to be big to be worth it: our median order is 15 units, and half of all orders fall between 4 and 50. The birdseye dry fit T-shirt page shows an estimated minimum of 1 unit; the final minimum is confirmed in your quote.

How do you split sizes when you do not know everyone?

Ask. Staff sizes are collected in writing, person by person. For attendees, the best moment is the registration form: add a size field and the problem goes away.

If there is no way to ask, start from the size list of a past event with a similar crowd and put your cushion in the sizes that came up most. Ordering "all large" is the fastest way to end up with half the T-shirts unworn. Three details from the product page help:

• The birdseye dry fit T-shirt runs from XS to XXL, so it covers petite builds through larger sizes. If you are unsure about the fabric, we compare it in birdseye, dry fit, or piqué.
• The fit is classic and unisex: when in doubt, one sample per size at the registration desk helps people choose well.
• When you hand them out, sort by size and group. A mixed box at check-in creates a line and frustration.

Which color should the event T-shirts be?

One color per role. If staff wear one color and volunteers another, anyone knows who to ask without reading a badge. The birdseye dry fit T-shirt comes in 16 colors, including neon yellow, pink, and orange, which stand out at outdoor events, races, or volunteer days.

Color also decides the method: sublimation only works on light T-shirts. If the event calls for black, navy, or a dark brand color, the logo goes in DTF. And think about photos: a light logo on a dark shirt, or the reverse, stays readable in a phone picture taken from across the room.

DTF or sublimation for an event T-shirt?

On the birdseye dry fit T-shirt, both cost the same: RD$517 before ITBIS tax, as of October 2026. The difference is the T-shirt color and how the design feels.

Both printing methods can put a different name or number on each piece. If you prefer cotton, the Bob Cab cotton T-shirt (180 g) starts at RD$588 with DTF; its page shows an estimated minimum of 24 units and 8 to 12 days of production, so order it earlier. For more on DTF, read DTF printing on uniforms: when it works and how long it lasts.

How far ahead should you order?

With the event date in hand, count back from artwork approval, not from the quote:

Before that, the quote and mockup arrive within 24 to 48 hours. What delays an event is rarely production: it is artwork approved late because a logo or a decision is missing.

How we handle event T-shirts at Lemon

We start with the date and the groups, not the model. That tells us how many T-shirts, in which colors, with which method, and we build the schedule backward.

1. Brief: event date and venue, groups (staff, volunteers, attendees), quantity per size, colors, and logos, sponsors included.
2. Quote within 24 to 48 hours, with a mockup and an itemized price: T-shirt, branding, and packaging.
3. Artwork approval. For a large event, a physical sample before the full run.
4. Production and piece-by-piece quality control against your size list.
5. Packing and delivery: to one location, by group, or per person, so nobody is sorting mixed boxes on event day.

Mistakes we see often: approving the artwork late because a sponsor logo is missing, asking for sublimation on a dark T-shirt, and counting heads without the volunteers. If you are also bringing caps, tumblers, or booth material, see what merchandise to bring to a trade show or conference, and for everyday uniforms, our guide to custom corporate uniforms.

For the full event, see how we handle events and brand activations; T-shirts and caps, with their colors, are in branded T-shirts and textiles.

Request your quote with the event date, the groups, and the quantity per size: we reply within 24 to 48 hours with a mockup and a schedule.