Custom Ink is the most-named legacy custom apparel platform for rec leagues. The Custom Ink model: a team captain places a batch order, Custom Ink prints, the box ships to the captain, the captain redistributes to players. Pro Shops removes the batch order entirely. Each player buys what they need in their size, and the shirt ships to their home. The captain earns margin without ever touching inventory.
| Feature | Custom Ink | Bear Grips Pro Shops |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum order | 6 to 12 shirts typical | None |
| Order model | Group order, one ship-to | Individual orders, ships to each player |
| Coordinator hours | 5 to 12 per fundraiser | 0 after setup |
| Inventory risk | Locked at order time | Never |
| Fulfillment time | 10 to 14 business days | About 1 week |
| Sizing risk | High (captain estimates) | None (each player picks) |
| Revenue model | One-time markup per order | Ongoing margin, full season |
| Standalone storefront | No | Yes, free |
Custom Ink fits a one-time event with a known headcount. Examples:
For ongoing rec league seasons with changing rosters, mid-season additions, and unknown apparel demand, Pro Shops is the better fit. The store stays live and earns margin for the full season instead of generating revenue from one batch order.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.The switch process:
For a typical rec league team batch order of 12 tees at $34 retail through Custom Ink with the markup option, the captain earned $5 to $7 per shirt for a total of $60 to $84 from that order.
The same 12 tees sold individually through Pro Shops at $34 retail with $10 margin per shirt earns $120 across the same set of buyers. That is roughly 2x the per-shirt margin and the store stays live to keep selling after the initial wave.
For captains running stores across spring and fall seasons (24 to 28 weeks of active store time per year), the lifetime revenue difference between batch-order and Pro Shops typically lands at $400 to $1,200 in additional captain margin per year.
No minimum, no coordinator hours, no inventory. Run an ongoing team store instead of one-off batches.
Start FreeFor a single batch of identical shirts at the lowest possible per-shirt cost, Custom Ink can come in lower per unit. For ongoing rec league apparel sales across a season, Pro Shops generates more total revenue because the store stays live all season and earns margin on every order, not just one batch.
No. Many rec league captains run both. Custom Ink for one-time tournament or charity events with locked rosters. Pro Shops for the ongoing team store across the regular season.
Yes. Pro Shops uses the same blank brands (Bella+Canvas, Sport-Tek, Next Level, Champion, Gildan, Hanes) that Custom Ink uses. Premium brands like Bear Grips and AS Colour are also in catalog. Print quality is comparable to Custom Ink screen printing.
Pro Shops uses direct-to-garment and DTF printing methods that produce clean, durable prints comparable to traditional screen printing. For most rec league shirts, the output is visually indistinguishable from a screen-printed Custom Ink shirt.
Bear Grips Pro Shops