Custom Ink Alternative for Debate Programs

Custom Ink is a great fit for one-time bulk apparel orders at 24 shirts or more. For debate programs the model breaks down at three points: novice squads cannot meet the minimum without overpaying, mid-season reorders restart the full setup process, and personalized back-prints add per-shirt fees that compound across the team. Bear Grips Pro Shops is the no-minimum alternative built specifically for the small-program use case.

Where Custom Ink Wins

Custom Ink wins on one specific job: a single bulk order of 36 to 100+ matching shirts in one design, one print run, delivered together to one address. For that exact use case, the price-per-shirt at 50+ units drops below $15 and the per-shirt cost stays competitive. Large programs with a coordinator willing to run the size-collection process get a fair deal.

Where Custom Ink Struggles for Debate Programs

• Small program minimums. A 10-debater squad cannot order 10 shirts at the same per-unit price as a 50-shirt order. The math forces over-ordering or skipping the apparel entirely.
• Mid-season reorders. A debater who joins in February restarts the whole setup process. Coach goes back to Custom Ink, places a new minimum order, and pays setup again.
• Personalization fees. Custom Ink charges extra per shirt for personalized back-prints (names, numbers, positions). On a 40-shirt team order with personalized backs, the per-shirt cost climbs significantly.
• Coach handles size collection. The coach or captain runs the Google form, collects sizes, follows up with the parents who never respond, and absorbs the cost of the two debaters who never picked up.
• Coach handles money collection. The bulk order requires upfront payment. The coach collects checks or runs a Venmo group. The two debaters who never paid back? Coach eats it.

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

How Pro Shops Solves These Specific Problems

Issue	Custom Ink	Bear Grips Pro Shops
Small program minimum	12 to 24 shirts	1 shirt
Mid-season reorder	New minimum order	Store always open
Personalization fee	Extra per shirt	Included
Size collection	Coach runs Google form	Debater picks at checkout
Money collection	Coach collects checks	Debater pays at checkout
Lead time	2 to 4 weeks	About 1 week

How to Switch From Custom Ink to Pro Shops

1. Open a free Pro Shops account. Upload the same logo file used at Custom Ink.
2. Configure the same shirt style and colors the program used last year.
3. Set retail prices with the program margin built in.
4. Share the store link in the same channel where the Custom Ink order would have gone in. Subject line: "Program apparel store is live - order your own."
5. The Custom Ink bulk order goes away. Debaters individually order their own pieces.

Most coaches who switch report that the first year takes a season of debater education ("you order it yourself") and the second year runs entirely in the background.

When Custom Ink Still Makes Sense

Custom Ink still wins for one-time event apparel that needs to arrive in a single box to one address. Examples: a one-time guest-speaker shirt for the program, a tournament-host venue shirt for the volunteers, or a tournament-bid champion shirt for a championship team. For those one-batch use cases, Custom Ink stays a reasonable choice. For everything else year-round, the no-minimum store is the better fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pro Shops cheaper than Custom Ink for debate programs?

For small programs (under 24 debaters), yes. The per-shirt cost on Pro Shops is identical at 1 shirt or 100, so a 10-debater squad gets the same unit cost a 100-debater program gets. Custom Ink charges more per shirt below their minimum thresholds.

Does Pro Shops handle personalized name and number back-prints?

Yes, with no extra fee per shirt. Each debater customizes their own back-print at checkout. The program sets up the personalization template once.

How does shipping work compared to Custom Ink?

Custom Ink ships the bulk order to one address. Pro Shops ships each debater their order directly with free shipping. The program never sorts boxes.

Can the program use the same logo file from Custom Ink?

Yes. Any vector file (SVG, AI, EPS) or high-resolution PNG used at Custom Ink uploads cleanly to Pro Shops with no rework.