The short answer: A practical company merch kit for most teams is a cap, a tee, and a polo, with an engraved tumbler as an easy gift add-on. Embroider the caps and polos, and print the tees: digital print for small runs and full-color art (from 6 shirts), screen print for bigger runs with a few solid colors (from 24 shirts). At Seven Clay in Round Rock, caps start at 12 per logo, polos at 6, and tumblers at 12. Every order gets a free digital mockup, and standard turnaround is 10–15 business days after you approve it.
Company merch only pays off if people actually wear it. The shirt that ends up in a drawer and the hat that never leaves the box didn’t build your brand. Here’s how to put together a kit your crew will reach for, which decoration fits each item, and what to order when, especially if you’re planning year-end or holiday gifts.
What should a company merch kit include?
Start with what your team already wears, then add one item people use every day. For most businesses, that’s three or four pieces:
- A cap. The most-worn piece of merch for crews that work outside, at events, or on job sites. It also works for office teams who’d never wear a logo shirt on a weekend.
- A tee. The everyday basic. Good for events, volunteer days, new-hire welcome kits, and casual Fridays.
- A polo. The client-facing uniform for sales teams, front desks, and anyone who meets customers.
- A tumbler (optional). An engraved 20 oz tumbler is a gift people use at their desk or in the car, which makes it a strong pick for employee thank-yous and client gifts.
You don’t need all four. A field crew might want caps and tees. A sales team might want polos and tumblers. Pick the pieces that match where your people actually spend their day.
Which decoration fits each item?
Each item has a decoration method that looks and lasts best on it. Here’s the quick version:
| Item | Best decoration | Why | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | Embroidery (or a patch) | Holds up to sun, sweat, and washing; looks premium | 12 per logo |
| Tee, small run or full-color art | Digital print | Full color with no per-color charges; soft print on any shirt color | 6 shirts |
| Tee, larger run with 1–4 colors | Screen print | Best value at volume; bold ink that holds up wash after wash | 24 shirts |
| Polo | Embroidery | The clean, professional look for client-facing teams | 6 polos |
| 20 oz tumbler | Laser engraving | Permanent; won’t peel or fade | 12 tumblers |
Caps: embroidery or a patch
Direct embroidery is the classic pick for a business hat, and an embroidered front includes one side logo (left or right) at no extra charge. Patches (woven, leather, PVC, and more) add texture and dimension. If you’re torn, our guide to embroidery vs. patches vs. leather walks through each option, and the Caps page shows prices for every logo style. Embroidered caps start at $14 each at 25, cap and embroidery included.
Tees: digital print or screen print
The choice comes down to quantity and colors:
- Digital print is best for small runs, detailed logos, photos, and gradients. It starts at 6 shirts. A $20 art fee applies under 24 pieces and is waived at 24 or more.
- Screen print is the best value for events, teams, and uniforms with 1–4 color designs. It starts at 24 shirts, and the price per shirt drops as quantity goes up. It runs from $7 per shirt on higher-volume, 1-color prints.
Every tee quote includes the shirt and the print. On our T-Shirts page you can pick a shirt and print size and see how the price changes with quantity. Digital print tees with a left-chest logo start at $10.75 each at 24+ on the Gildan 2000, our classic workhorse, with softer Next Level options for a more retail feel.
Polos: embroidery
Polos are embroidered, and the minimum is 6. Options run from the 100% cotton Gildan Hammer polo (from $26.02 each at 25+ with a left-chest logo) up to performance polos from Port Authority, Ogio, and Nike Dri-FIT. A $35 digitizing fee applies to polo orders under 50 pieces, and digitizing is free at 50 or more.
Tumblers: laser engraving
Our 20 oz powder-coated steel tumbler comes with a clear magnetic slider lid that clicks shut. Pricing includes the engraving: $24 each at 12, $19 at 25, $17 at 50, and $15 at 100. Setup is free on laser orders, reorders included. See all colors on the Laser page.
Want to see your logo on the whole kit? Get a free mockup and tell us which pieces you’re considering.
How do I keep my logo consistent across hats, tees, and polos?
Send us the same logo file for every item, and tell us it’s one kit. A few tips:
- Use your best file. Vector art (.ai, .eps, .pdf, or .svg) gives the cleanest result across embroidery, print, and engraving. If you don’t have one, send what you have and we’ll tell you if we need a sharper file.
- Expect small differences by method. Thread, ink, and engraving each render a logo a little differently. Very fine text that prints cleanly on a tee may need to be simplified for embroidery on a cap.
- Approve every mockup. Each item gets its own free digital mockup, and nothing is made until you approve it, so you can check that the kit looks like one brand before production.
How do I handle sizes and shipping for a whole team?
Sizing is the part that slows most team orders down, so collect it early.
- Get a headcount and sizes first. A quick form or spreadsheet with each person’s tee and polo size saves a round of back-and-forth. Caps are simpler, since most styles fit most heads.
- Order a few extras. New hires, lost shirts, and “can I get one too?” happen. A few extra pieces now cost less than a small reorder later.
- Ship to more than one location if you need to. We can split one order and ship it to multiple addresses, which helps companies with several offices or remote staff. We ship anywhere.
When should I order holiday or year-end gifts?
Work backward from the date you need everything in hand:
- Shipping time to your location (or locations).
- 10–15 business days of production after mockup approval.
- A few days for quotes and mockup approval. We usually reply within 15 minutes during business hours, so the main variable is how fast you can approve.
For a December handout, that means getting your logo and quantities to us well before Thanksgiving week, so the business days don’t get squeezed by the holidays. Need it sooner? Ask, and we’ll tell you what’s possible. For more on timing, see our guide to custom hat and shirt minimums and lead times.
Why reorders are easier
Once your kit is set, reordering is simple: reference your previous order and tell us the new quantities. On caps, the $35 setup fee for new orders is waived on reorders, and laser setup is free on reorders too. That makes it easy to stock new-hire kits through the year without starting over.
Ready to build your team’s kit? Get your free mockup. Prefer to talk it through? Call 737-253-8521, or email your logo to create@sevenclay.com.
Seven Clay has been making custom caps, apparel, and laser-engraved gear in Round Rock, Texas since 2019, for businesses across the Austin area and beyond.
FAQ
What should a company merch kit include?
Most teams do well with a cap, a tee, and a polo, plus an engraved tumbler as a gift add-on. Pick the pieces that fit where your team works: caps and tees for field crews and events, polos for client-facing staff.
What’s the minimum order for company merch?
Caps start at 12 per logo, digital print tees at 6, screen printed tees at 24, embroidered polos at 6, and laser-engraved tumblers at 12.
Should I use embroidery or screen printing for company shirts?
Embroidery is the go-to for caps and polos. For tees, screen printing is usually the best value at 24 or more shirts with a few solid colors, and digital print is better for small runs (from 6 shirts) and full-color or detailed art.
Can I see my logo on each item before you make it?
Yes. Every order gets a free digital mockup, and nothing is made until you approve it.
How long does a company merch order take?
Standard turnaround is 10–15 business days after you approve your mockup. If you need it sooner, ask and we’ll tell you what’s possible.
Can you ship one order to multiple locations?
Yes. We can split an order and ship it to multiple addresses, and we ship anywhere.
Is there a setup fee?
It depends on the item. Caps have a one-time $35 setup fee on new orders, waived on reorders. Digital print tees have a $20 art fee under 24 pieces, waived at 24 or more. Polos have a $35 digitizing fee under 50 pieces, free at 50 or more. Laser setup is free.
Have another question? Check our FAQ page or get a free mockup and ask us directly.