Custom Ink Alternative for Student Council Apparel

Custom Ink works for councils with the time, the budget, and the appetite to run a bulk order: collect sizes from every member, prepay $800 to $2,000 upfront, wait two to three weeks, and absorb whatever leftover sizes do not get claimed. Bear Grips Pro Shops replaces every one of those steps. Below is the side-by-side and the exact reasons councils switch.

The Two Models, Side by Side

Step	Custom Ink	Bear Grips Pro Shops
Sizing	Advisor collects sizes from every member	Each member picks their size at checkout
Payment	Council prepays $800-$2,000 upfront	Members pay retail at order. Council collects margin.
Minimum order	Typically 6 to 12 shirts per design	One shirt
Leftover stock	Stuck with unsold sizes	Zero. Each order is printed on demand.
Lead time	10 to 14 days	~7 days
Add a member mid-year	Run a second bulk order	They order through the existing store

Why Bulk Pre-Orders Hurt Small Councils

A 25-member council that prepays $1,200 for a bulk shirt order needs to collect $48 from every single member to break even. Even at 90 percent participation, the council is short. The remaining 10 percent of unsold shirts sit in the advisor's closet for the rest of the year.

With Pro Shops, the council pays nothing upfront. Each member who orders pays retail at checkout. The council earns margin only on orders that actually happen.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

When Custom Ink Still Wins

Custom Ink can be cheaper per unit on very large bulk orders (100+ identical tees of the same design and color) where every shirt is guaranteed to sell. For councils running a 200-shirt school-wide spirit week drop with full pre-payment, Custom Ink's per-unit price beats most no-minimum vendors.

Council apparel rarely fits that profile. Councils are 8 to 40 members, with multiple officer titles, multiple shirt designs per year, and unpredictable family-side ordering.

How Councils Switch in One Week

1. The advisor signs up for a Bear Grips Pro Shops free account.
2. Upload the school logo and the council mark.
3. Add the five core council products (tee, polo, sweatshirt, hoodie, quarter-zip).
4. Set retail prices with a council margin built in.
5. Share the store link in the next council meeting and the next parent email.

From decision to live store: about 30 minutes of advisor time.

Other Comparisons to Consider

For councils evaluating other vendors:

• Local print shop: Best for specific custom prints with minimums of 12 to 24. Cannot run the always-on no-minimum store model.
• Bonfire and similar fundraiser platforms: Free to set up but the council does not control product selection, pricing, or fulfillment quality.
• Squadlocker: Athletic-team focused. Similar no-minimum model but priced higher per unit than Pro Shops on most cotton and polo blanks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Pro Shops match Custom Ink pricing without bulk orders?

We print on demand using a US partner network. The base price covers blank, print, packing, and free shipping. Because there is no inventory and no warehouse holding cost, single-unit pricing stays competitive with small bulk orders.

Can we still run a large bulk drop occasionally?

Yes. The shop handles bulk orders the same way it handles single orders. A 60-shirt spirit week drop is just 60 individual orders that ship together.

What happens to our existing Custom Ink design files?

Upload the same logo and design files to your Pro Shops account. The shop accepts standard PNG, JPG, SVG, and PDF formats.

Will members notice the switch?

The shopping experience improves. Members no longer wait for a bulk order; they order when they want and the shirt arrives at home in about a week.