Picking shirt blanks for your custom design might sound as simple as just getting a T-shirt and calling it a day. However, there’s a lot more you need to keep in mind when ordering custom apparel, and your choice can impact (and be impacted by) your budget, the print, and whether people will actually wear it after the event is long over.
The weather is the most obvious factor; no one wants to be stuck in a sweatshirt for long if the weather isn’t brisk. But you’ll also need to keep in mind where the event is, how active people will be, and a few other things that might actually make your choice for you.
So let’s go over some guiding rules of thumb for picking the right kind of shirt.
At a Glance
| Best Approximate Temperature Range | Best For | Relative Cost | |
| Short-sleeve tee | 75°F and above | Summer events, active days, giveaways, big orders with limited budgets | $$ |
| Long-sleeve tee | 55°F to 74°F | Spring and fall, relaxed outdoor events, mornings | $$$ |
| Sweatshirt | 54°F and below | Cold weather, evening events, keepsake merch | $$$$ |
Start with the Weather
The single most useful question is also the most obvious one: What will the temperature be on the day of your event?
- 75°F and warmer: A short-sleeve tee is almost always the right answer here. People can easily run hot at events (especially outdoors and/or in a crowd), so anything heavier will get taken off and tied around the waist by noon.
- 55°F to 74°F: A long-sleeve tee is a strong choice here, though you might consider something shorter near the top end of this range. This is the late spring and early fall sweet spot — comfortable enough that it’s less likely someone will get too warm but with enough coverage that people stay happy if the temperature dips.
- 54°F and below: Here, a sweatshirt is probably best. Crewnecks and hoodies are the natural pick for cold-weather events, and they double as the kind of apparel people keep wearing long after the event is over.
These temperature ranges are a good starting point and are more accurate than trying to group shirts by season. After all, a summer in the Pacific Northwest isn’t the same thing as a summer in Florida.
Also, remember that high humidity makes warm temperatures feel hotter! If your area runs humid, a 74°F afternoon can feel much warmer than the number suggests, which pushes you further toward a light, breathable short-sleeve tee. Wind does the opposite on a cool day, making a 60°F morning feel like you should have ordered the long sleeves.
If you want to see how those colder-weather options stack up against each other, we broke down crewnecks vs. hoodies in another article.
Consider Indoor vs. Outdoor Events
Where the event happens can matter just as much as when it happens. An outdoor event will demand a very close eye on the forecast and the time of year to get the shirt selection right, whereas an indoor event is usually climate-controlled and much easier to predict. Of course, a packed conference, banquet, or gym full of people can suddenly make the building run warmer than it really should.
But as a good rule of thumb, a short-sleeve tee is usually the comfortable choice for an indoor event; handing out sweatshirts for an indoor gathering often means people carry them more than they wear them.
The trickier case is when the event moves between the indoors and outdoors. For example, a festival with indoor vendor halls and outdoor stages asks people to deal with both at once. In that case, a long-sleeve tee might be a smart middle ground, depending on the weather. It’s comfortable inside without being too warm, and it takes the edge off when people step outside.
Factor In How the Shirt Will Be Used
Aside from the weather, what people will be doing at the event also naturally influences what kind of shirt makes the most sense.
- High-energy events: If your event is something like a 5K, a short-sleeve tee usually wins regardless of the season. Even in cooler weather, active bodies heat up fast, and a heavier garment turns into dead weight.
- More relaxed gatherings: Here, you have room to follow the weather more closely. A daytime food festival or an outdoor concert where people are mostly standing, sitting, and browsing can support a long-sleeve tee comfortably, depending on the time of year.
- Early mornings and after-dark events: These events lean cooler than the daytime forecast suggests. A bonfire that runs past sunset can justify a long-sleeve shirt (or even a sweatshirt) even when the afternoon high would say otherwise.
Keep in Mind Budget Considerations
Cost tends to track directly with the type of garment. In general, short-sleeve tees are the most affordable, while sweatshirts and hoodies will have you spending more per unit.
Of course, it still helps to think about how long you want the shirt to be worn. After all, a giveaway tee at a one-day event has a different job than a sweatshirt meant to be worn all winter.
When the shirt’s job is volume and visibility on a single day, cost and practicality come first. You want to order enough to go around without straining the budget, and you want something nobody has to think twice about putting on. Short sleeves are the versatile default here, since they work in nearly any setting and keep the per-unit cost low.
When the goal is premium merch or a keepsake that people will wear again, a heavier garment that holds up over time is worth the extra cost. Sweatshirts can feel more valuable in attendees’ hands, which raises the odds they keep reaching for them. That matters for you too: the longer people wear it, the longer your branding stays in circulation long after the event is over.
For a sense of where your specific order would land, the Quick Price Tool on our product pages gives you an estimate based on garment, quantity, print locations, and colors — which are the factors that move the number most.
Buy the Right Shirt for Your Design
The shirt you pick can change how your design looks — both in terms of the fabric and the overall look — so it’s worth a quick thought before you commit.
Short-sleeve and long-sleeve tees tend to be the easiest to print on. They give you a flat, open front with nothing breaking up the design, and the print sits cleanly across a wide range of sizes without much adjustment. Crewnecks especially tend to print cleaner across a mixed-size order than V-necks. For most events, this is the predictable, no-surprises option.
Sweatshirts can give you more print real estate, but they can have their own quirks. For example, if you don’t go full hoodie but want a hooded sweatshirt, the hood can interfere with the visibility of back prints. Front pockets further eat into the usable space on the front, especially on smaller sizes. If you just want a normal sweatshirt without a hood or pockets, the printing logistics aren’t all that different from a short- or long-sleeve shirt.
The garment also sets the tone your design is working with, so it helps to pair the two intentionally:
- Casual graphic tees: Short-sleeve tees carry busy, colorful, high-energy artwork well. They’re the natural home for bold event graphics, mascots, and designs that are meant to be fun and eye-catching.
- Premium minimalist sweatshirts: Heavier sweatshirts tend to look best with cleaner, simpler designs. A small chest logo or a restrained front print leans into the elevated feel and is part of why people keep wearing them.
- Event branding considerations: If the shirt needs to put a sponsor logo or event name front and center for photos, weigh print visibility into the choice. Again, there’s not too much difference unless you’re considering a hooded sweatshirt, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
As far as the fabrics go, this is largely the subject of another article entirely. However, the short version is that most event apparel tends to be screen printed with plastisol ink, which reads clean and crisp on smooth, lighter fabrics. On heavier or rougher surfaces, it can look a little thicker. Performance fabrics are worth a special mention for active events —a polyester athletic tee holds its shape through movement and sweat in a way that cotton doesn’t, which keeps both the shirt and the print looking consistent from the starting line to the finish.
How to Choose a Shirt Type Given These Factors
If you want a quick list of questions to ask before you pick the shirt type, here’s what we’d recommend factoring into your decision:
- What will the weather feel like?
- Is the event indoors or outdoors?
- How active will the attendees be?
- What time of day is the event?
- Is the shirt a giveaway or a merch item?
- What is the budget per attendee?
- Do you want attendees wearing it long after the event?
If you’ve weighed all of this and still aren’t sure, the short-sleeve tee is the safe default. It’s the least expensive option, it works in nearly any setting, and people can layer their own clothes over it when the weather turns. It’s hard to go truly wrong with a tee. Meanwhile, a long-sleeve tee can be exactly right for a crisp fall morning, and a sweatshirt can be the thing people genuinely treasure from a cold-weather event.
The best choice is the one that fits your weather, your venue, and what your attendees would actually want to wear. Run through those, and you’ll land in the right place.