Family reunion shirts usually share one design with the family name and year, sometimes a photo, in one or more colors by branch; collect sizes and payment early, pick a method that suits photos or few colors, and order a few weeks before the event.

Rule: work backward from wear day. Lock design and blank first, collect sizes with a hard deadline, then place the order with enough production and ship buffer that a late cousin does not sink the group photo.

Part of the business and pricing guides in the DAX Learning Hub. For the general buyer checklist shops hand customers, see How to Order Custom T Shirts. For proofs and mockups, see Customer Artwork Proofs and Mockup Approval. For file specs by method, see Preparing Artwork for T Shirt Printing. For pre-order campaigns that collect money before print, see Fundraiser T Shirts.

Published by DAX (Decorated Apparel Expo) · Last updated: October 2026

Design Options and Print Methods

Match art complexity to method. Few spot colors on dozens of identical shirts usually favor screen. Full color photos and small counts often favor digital or transfer paths. Branch colors use the same art on different blank colors.

Planning a Reunion Shirt Order Step by Step

1. Set the wear date. Use the group photo or kickoff dinner as day zero and count weeks backward.
2. Pick blank and color. Choose a style that exists in youth and adult extended sizes in the same color family when possible.
3. Open a size form. Ask name, size and payment status only. Attach a size chart. Set a deadline earlier than you think you need.
4. Approve a mockup. Proof spelling of the family name with two readers. Follow the shop's artwork and proofing guides linked above.
5. Submit final counts and pay. Include a small middle-size buffer for late arrivals if the budget allows.
6. Sort before the event. Bag by size, then by branch or cabin, and keep a small exchange pile in common adult sizes.

Collecting Sizes and Payments

Sizes take longer than printing for most reunions. Independent organizer guides commonly budget about two weeks just to chase replies, and they set the size deadline before the art is final so a late text does not hold the press.

Two payment patterns work: one organizer pays the shop then collects, or everyone pays before the order submits. Publish one all-in price that includes youth and extended-size upcharges and shipping. Pre-order style collection is covered in more depth in the fundraiser guide.

When you cannot collect every size, use a hedged adult curve centered on medium, large and XL, keep youth on their own list, and offer at least through 2XL by default. Exact percent splits belong on a size-distribution guide once that page is live; until then, use the shop's past reunion jobs or the blank maker's event advice.

Photos on Shirts: What Works

Photos need high-resolution files, not screenshots of last year's tee. Soft, full-color methods fit continuous-tone photos; few-color screen fits simple, identical color runs. Keep the family name large enough to read in a park photo; put long name lists on the back or on a program, not as eight-point type on the chest.

Send print-ready art per the artwork file prep guide, and approve a proof that shows crop, color expectation and size on the actual blank.

Timeline Before the Event

Organizer guides often aim for roughly four weeks of runway for small reunions, about six weeks for mid-size groups, and about eight weeks when headcount climbs past roughly seventy-five, including size collection and a buffer week. Production alone for screen jobs is often quoted in roughly one to two weeks of shop time before shipping, so the long pole is usually the form, not the press.

International guests and late art changes need more buffer. Rush windows vary by shop; ask before you promise a date.

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Reunion Shirts (FAQ)

How far ahead should we order reunion shirts?

Plan in weeks, not days. Small groups often need about four weeks; larger groups commonly need six to eight, mostly for size collection and a safety buffer after production.

Can you print a photo on a reunion shirt?

Yes, with a full-color capable method and a high-resolution file. Screen still fits bold name-and-year art. Match method to art, not the other way around.

How do we collect sizes from family members?

One link, one deadline, name and size only, plus a size chart. Assume some people will not reply and decide their fallback size in advance.

Should each branch have its own color?

Same design on different blank colors is a common photo trick and helps find kids in a crowd. Confirm every color exists in the sizes you need before you lock art.

What method is cheapest for a small reunion order?

There is no universal cheapest method. Few colors at higher identical counts often favor screen after setup; tiny full-color runs often favor digital or transfer paths. Quote both on your real count and art.

Supplier note: figures here are hedged starting points that vary by garment, film, ink, blank, machine and method; confirm every setting against the supplier or manufacturer spec sheet, the garment care label and your own tests. Timeline weeks and production day ranges are hedged organizer norms, not a promise from any one shop.

Browse more guides in the DAX Learning Hub, and check cities and dates on the DAX show schedule when you are ready to see group-order workflows, blanks and reunion-ready print methods with suppliers in person.