How to Order Merch for a Group with Printful: From Design to Delivery

With the rise of print-on-demand, creating and ordering custom merch has become simple and accessible. The same goes for group orders.

With tools like Printful’s MerchShare, you can forget about managing individual preferences, juggling spreadsheets, and dealing with logistics. All you have to do is create a design, save the template, and share it with recipients through a link. They get to choose their merch colors and sizes, and you don’t have to worry about making a mistake with the order.

But how exactly does MerchShare work? And what are some merch ideas for groups? Let’s go over the details.

1. Create a Printful account

Before you start designing, you’ll need to create a Printful account. It’s free and takes just a few minutes to set up.

2. Select a product

The next step is to choose the right products for your group. Consider the purpose of the merch. Is it to uplift your team’s spirits, spread brand awareness, or make extra income?

While company swag might call for custom polos, mugs, or notebooks, a family event might require comfy sweatshirts or themed socks.

Think of your group’s needs, and consider aspects like practicality and quality.

When you’re ready, head to our product catalog. Choose a product you’d like to design, select the colors and sizes, and click Create product template.

Source: Printful

3. Create a design

Here’s the fun part! Once you’ve picked your product, you can upload your design or create one with our free Design Maker.

Choose from countless free graphics like clipart, text, and other pre-made visuals to make your design just right.

4. Save the template

Once your design is ready, don’t forget to save it. Later, you’ll be able to find it under the Product templates tab in your Dashboard.

Source: Printful

5. Share the link with group members

Go to Dashboard > Product templates to choose the product template you want to share. Hover over the template, click the 3 dots in the upper right corner, and choose Share. Here’s where you can get the shareable MerchShare link for your merch.

In this step, you can also choose who’ll pay for the order—you or the recipient.

When you finish the setup, copy the link and share it with your group.

Group order ideas and examples

Now that you know the steps of creating group orders with MerchShare, let’s look at some merch ideas to get your creative sparks flying. The right merch can uplift any occasion, whether t-shirt printing for your team, gearing up for sports, or adding a personal touch to family events.

Corporate merch and teambuilding

Merch can enhance your brand presence and employee engagement. It’s effective for branding and fostering a strong company culture.

Custom t-shirts or hoodies are great for daily wear or special company events. Tech accessories, such as phone cases or laptop sleeves, are popular too.

For team building, think about custom water bottles or tote bags. These items serve a practical purpose during team activities and can be nice keepsakes after the event. 

Source: Printful

Sports teams

Ordering sportswear and accessories for athletes becomes a breeze with MerchShare. Just design the items you need and share the link with your team. 

And, if you want to fine-tune your design and get your team’s approval before ordering, simply share the template with them. That way, you can ensure your team will wear the uniform with pride.

For sports supporters, merch creates a sense of belonging. Fans wearing custom scarves or caps become more than just spectators—they’re a part of the community. This boosts the team’s morale and strengthens the bond between the team and the fans.

Plus, selling items like custom water bottles or gym bags with the team’s emblem can be an effective way to raise funds for the team.

Source: Printful

Weddings and parties

Custom merch adds a personal touch to parties. For casual events, simple items like custom coasters or magnets can be a pleasant surprise. They are practical, don’t require a significant investment from the host, and can be themed to match the occasion. 

In contrast, milestone events like birthdays or anniversaries can be complemented with custom drinkware, tote bags, or t-shirts.

For weddings, themed t-shirts like “Team Bride” and “Team Groom” are a fun way for each side to show their spirit and make for great photos. Similarly, personalized candles can set a romantic mood at your reception and serve as thoughtful mementos.

Party merch should feel like a thoughtful addition to the occasion, enhancing the experience and giving guests a tangible memory of the event. With MerchShare, the ordering process is simplified.  No matter the occasion, everyone can easily select their preferences. This allows the hosts to focus more on the event itself and less on the logistics of group orders.

Source: Printful

Family events

Custom merch helps create lasting memories at family events. Just think of a family reunion where everyone wears a t-shirt featuring the family name or picture.

Custom merch can also uplift annual holiday get-togethers. Coordinated ugly Christmas sweaters are a fun way to celebrate the family bond, not to mention how Instagrammable they are! Additionally, picture each family member decorating the tree with a personalized Christmas ornament.

For a unique twist, consider puzzles featuring a family photo or a special design.

MerchShare makes it easy for family members to set their preferences, accommodating everyone from the youngest to the oldest.

School clubs

Merch builds a sense of team spirit for school clubs and captures the energy of student life.

Custom hoodies and t-shirts are a popular choice for a reason—they’re an excellent way to promote the club and intrigue potential members. 

But there are other options to consider, especially for fundraising. Items like water bottles, notebooks, or bags are useful for students and staff alike, and with the school or club emblem, they foster a sense of community.

With MerchShare, you can let donors choose and customize the items they want without spending a dime upfront.

Source: Printful

Community groups

Unity is paramount for community groups. And custom merch can visually express this bond. Plus, it spreads awareness and brings attention to your cause.

Besides the usual suspects—t-shirts, hats, and hoodies—a  sticker on a laptop or a mug on an office desk is a subtle yet effective way to spark conversations about your group.

Charity events and fundraising campaigns, too, gain a lot from well-chosen merch. Custom apparel is powerful for raising awareness as it carries your message wherever worn. Banners and flags create an engaging atmosphere at events, drawing attention to your cause.

With MerchShare, you can rest easily, knowing that your group orders not only cater to the diverse needs of community group members but are also handled by customization professionals like Printful.

Source: Printful

Artists and creators

Merch is an efficient way for artists to make an extra buck. 

As a visual artist, you can sell your artwork on custom posters or canvases. Alternatively, consider turning your work into wearable art. This not only showcases your creativity in a new medium but also connects you with a wider audience.

For ​​independent musicians, merchandise can be a key source of income, often more so than ticket sales. When you’re building your fanbase or playing at smaller venues, the number of tickets you can sell is limited. But with merch, you have the potential to earn both at the event and online. Plus, with print-on-demand, there aren’t any upfront costs.

Source: Printful

Streamline your group orders today

With MerchShare, managing merch becomes simple. You don’t have to keep track of orders—they are fulfilled and delivered by Printful.

Whether it’s to boost your brand’s visibility, make a wedding unforgettable, or raise funds for an important cause, MerchShare streamlines the process from design to delivery. In other words, you can focus on what you do best while MerchShare handles the rest. 

Start designing and watch your ideas come to life, one click at a time.