When to Order Custom Grad Hoodies

When Should BC Schools Order Custom Grad Hoodies?

The short answer: earlier than you think!

Grad hoodies involve quite a few moving parts. On the school’s side, there is the design, hoodie selection, approvals, sizing, payments and student names. On the production side, there is garment ordering, artwork preparation, digitizing when required, final artwork approval, decoration, packaging and delivery.

To receive an accurate timeline, provide your supplier with the approximate quantity, preferred hoodie, decoration method, artwork and required arrival date.

Starting early gives everyone a little breathing room and helps keep the process enjoyable—rather than turning it into a last-minute graduation emergency.

Start with the date you need the hoodies

Do you want students wearing their hoodies for a class photo, spirit day, school trip or graduation celebration?

Choose that date first, then work backwards. Remember to leave time for school staff to receive and distribute the orders. Even individually packaged hoodies do not magically make their way into students’ hands—although we are working on that feature.

It is also important to distinguish between the shipping date and the arrival date. When requesting a quote, provide your school’s location, postal code and event date so we can recommend a realistic ordering deadline.

Approve the hoodie and design

Before families begin ordering, the school will need to approve:

• The hoodie style and colour
• The decoration method and design
• The final price
• Any names, signatures or other personalization
• The date the online store will close

It helps to choose one person who can provide final approval. Otherwise, a simple hoodie design can quickly become a committee meeting with twelve opinions about which shade of navy is the most “school navy.”

If your design includes student signatures, allow extra time to collect them and review the finished artwork. This is also the time to double-check names and spelling—before anything permanent is stitched or printed.

Set a clear online-store deadline

Parents need to know what they are ordering, how to choose the correct size and when the store will close. Share the ordering link through your school’s usual communication channels, then send at least one reminder before the deadline.

At School Outfitters, families order and pay through a private online store created for their school. Once the store closes, we bring the orders together for bulk decoration.

Leave time for production and delivery

Production can begin once the design has been approved, the online store has closed and the hoodies are in stock.

The decoration method makes a big difference to the production timeline. For example, a basic one-colour screen-printed design is relatively straightforward: one design, one ink colour and one print location.

Twill/appliqué is a much more labor-intensive process. Each layer of fabric must be prepared, carefully positioned and sewn onto the hoodie. A design with large appliqué letters, embroidered details and personalized sleeve names will naturally take much longer than a simple one-colour screen print.

Here are a few examples:

Basic: A one-colour “GRAD 2027” screen print on the front

More detailed: A multi-colour printed design, with names embroidered on every sleeve.

Most time-consuming: Twill or appliqué combined with individual names embroidered on every sleeve, plus screen printed design on the back.

Our decoration timeline generally ranges from two to four weeks, depending on the quantity, and number of decoration techniques involved. More detailed programs should be planned as early as possible.

Changes made after production begins, such as adding another student, correcting a name or changing the artwork may affect the completion date. We will always do our best to help, but decoration is in progress, changes may no longer be possible. 

Delivery times also vary across British Columbia. Schools in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland may require less transit time than schools in rural or remote areas. Always include your postal code when requesting a timeline so shipping time can be included in the plan.

A simple grad hoodie planning checklist

✅ Choose the date the hoodies need to arrive.

✅ Estimate the number of students participating.

✅ Confirm your budget.

✅ Select the hoodie, colour and decoration style.

✅ Approve the final artwork and pricing.

✅ Set and promote the online-store deadline.

✅ Confirm the production and shipping timeline.

✅ Prepare a plan for distributing the orders at school.

⭐ Enjoy the rare satisfaction of finishing a school project ahead of schedule.

Planning Grad 2027 hoodies for your school?

Our Grad Hoodie Program makes the process easier with a selection of print-ready designs, school-approved artwork, private online ordering, bulk decoration and individual packaging. Our goal is to remove as much administration as possible from your staff’s workload.

We are based in Abbotsford and have worked with BC schools for over 30 years. We serve schools throughout the Fraser Valley, Lower Mainland and rural British Columbia.

Send us your school name, approximate number of students, postal code and preferred arrival date, and we will help you plan the next steps.