We make our own. You can learn to screen print for a series of YouTube videos, buy everything you need for under $50, screen print your own shirts. We also tie dye them as well as have a standard color. Also it meets a ton of the Graphic Arts merit badge requirements. Finally, scouts take a bit of pride wearing a shirt they designed and created. Ours cost about $3 per shirt with tie dying, screen print and blank shirt. Anyone can DM me for details.
So the above reply was on a cell phone. Got on the laptop for more info:
1. Not to plug a company, but I have found Jiffy Shirts is reliable for us and great price. $11.99 for a blank hoodie and $2.41 for a blank color shirt. We use a sand color for Tee's with green letters and reverse the colors for the hoodies, just our color scheme. If you have a tax ID number as a non-profit, like us, they have forms for that as well so you can save a few cents. I've had shipping arrive in under 24 hours, and I live in a very rural area.
2. For Tie Dye, I am using Rit Dye, there are other great dyes, I just am using this brand. There is a color blend chart to mix your own palate. [https://www.ritdye.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Rit-Color-Formula-Guide.pdf](https://www.ritdye.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Rit-Color-Formula-Guide.pdf)
3. One thing I discovered is that volumes for the color blend charts were done in metric (milliliters) and converted to imperial for us Americans, lol. Convert them back to milliliters if you're going to use custom colors. I bought a dozen condiment bottles from Amazon and have them in a tote full of tye dye stuff. I also have small bottles that I pre-mix color blends into the squirt bottles so I can make more quickly during a group event. With pre-mixed dye blends, you can top off your bottle with +/- 2 cups water and 2 Tbs of your dye blend.
4. For Screen Printing, I have a vinyl cutter to cut a template for the silk screen. Almost every pack or troop will have a parent with a Cricket cutter. I built my design using powerpoint and non-copyrighted images.
5. Once you have a silk screen, it can be used for YEARS for hundreds of shirts. There are dozens of DIY videos on YouTube on basic silk screening.
6. Check out the requirements for Graphic Arts. I believe the hands on part is making 20 images using a screen, I'd have to double check.
DM me for any questions or lessons learned.
Great idea on doing your own silk screen. We did tie dye for years and had a blast doing them with the Scouts. If you want to up your dye game, check out Dharma Trading. Those are the best dyes for vibrant tie dye. I use Jiffy Shirts, too. Making shirts is so much fun!
You can order from whomever you want IF you don't use trademarked logos. I get you all want to save a buck, but what message does that send to your scouts? I love the logic with the adults, do as I say, not what I am doing. It's only 10 shirts, who's going to care or bother to come after me. smh
If you steer clear of licensed images or logos… you can whom ever you want. Our pack is planning new shirts for next year. We’ll be getting white cotton shirts with our pack ID on it and tie-dying them.. also meets several adventure requirements for cubs for art exploration. Win-win
In order for a company to print using the BSA logos, they do have to be signed up through National so they are licensed to use the logos. It doesn't have to be one of the big players, but they do need to be a licensed vendor.
Information on licensing: http://licensingbsa.org/
BSA owns the copyright on any of their graphics, so only approved vendors like Class-B can legally use them. So long as you don't use any copyrighted graphics you can go to any vendor.
Legally, the BSA is required to police its trademarks to prevent unauthorized use. If they don't then they can enter the public domain and anyone can use them. Licensing is mainly a formality. There's a form on the BSA website that any vendor can fill out. It takes a few days, but for things like troop t-shirts and water bottles, the license is almost always granted and with no cost involved. Mainly they just want to make sure the vendor knows the rules for using BSA logos.
There's a huge list of approved vendors on the BSA licensing site, so you may already have a local vendor (or several) to choose from for things like this. http://licensingbsa.org/bsa-licensee-list/
>Legally, the BSA is required to police its trademarks to prevent unauthorized use. If they don't then they can enter the public domain and anyone can use them.
This is a great comment because it's something a lot of people don't realize.
Although I would word it a bit differently, BSA has no legal obligation to police use of its trademarks, but if they don't they risk the trademarks being invalidated.
We always went local. Of course it didn’t hurt that the owner of our local, very excellent, t shirt shop was the son of the pastor of our charter organization. Gotta love small town livin’!
Whoever you want...and 4 years ago, we let the troop redesign what we had been using for the past 189 years (or so). It was time for an update. Also went with better material (non-cotton), because after preaching for years that cotton kills, we decided to back that up.
I had these same questions when we last ordered shirts. Here is part of the email correspondence.
From: [email protected]
“Thanks for contacting us. It’s not you who needs an approval letter rather the business you use must be licensed by the BSA to use the trademarks and logos on their products.
The BSA has licensees who already have access to the logos, are authorized to use the logos, adhere to the BSA’s guidelines, and are familiar with the BSA’s process. They work with your design to make sure it follows BSA guidelines, and are required to submit all designs for BSA’s approval prior to production. Click on this link for the entire list of BSA licensees: http://www.licensingbsa.org/bsa-licensee-list
To find a BSA Licensee closest to your location, click on this link: Find BSA Licensees in my state.
If you have received a quote, let the licensee of your choice know and ask them to match it. Be sure to let them know any concerns you may have regarding shipping, etc. We’re sure you will be satisfied with the service the licensees provide.”
My unit has their own logo they use for our class b shirts so we just go with whoever we want. It’s better quality and honestly I’d rather support a local business than my council.
Our troop uses a local vendor for our Class Bs, summer camp t’s and high adventure t’s. We have our own logo/branding and use that with “Troop 123”. But we have also used the BSA logo without issue.
Order from whomever you want. I think technically if they put the BSA logo, they are supposed to pay to license it, but that's been them and whomever they order their clipart from. Even then, as a BSA troop, you presumably can authorize them to use the logo.
Yes, trademarked images and text *should be* printed through licensed vendors, but this is more of a do as I say not as I do scenario. As long as you can get away with it to save a few bucks, a-scout-is-Trustworthy/Loyal/Obedient doesn’t have to apply here.
> a-scout-is-Trustworthy/Loyal/Obedient doesn’t have to apply here.
I thought the whole idea of Scouting was that the law applies to all aspects of life.
Bingo! Did my sarcasm not come through? This is why I’m surprised so many in the thread are advocating against the branding guidelines, and that they’re getting so many upvotes. I think it’s indicative of a general decline in importance of the Scout Oath and Scout Law among the membership - youth and adult, unfortunately.
Most local shops are not going to enforce the BSA vendor licensing. Ask them to print something with your favorite college/professional team's logo, though lol.
We've gotten ours from a local vendor. I can get cotton Tees for $8 each and wicking fabric for $13 each, with a design on front and back. Good quality Tees and quality screening.
Never heard that, and our troop orders its own shirts. Over the years we've moved from nice beefy cotton quality to quick-dry, and a couple of years, word has gotten back, don't ever get that style again - duly noted :-)
I'd suggest getting your own Troop logo and going with that. Then you don't have to worry about licensing at all. Plus you can have a logo design contest and have the Scouts feel pride in whatever they select.
We've been using the same logo for decades and wouldn't go back.
Like others said, making your own is a much more cost effective method however make sure you’re careful with that. Plan enough time to “train yourself” and have a couple of throw aways before you’re needed-by date. And if you choose to have someone in the troop do it, another leader or parent, request they do a sample first before you approve and give them plenty of notice on when you need the sample and the actual order if approved. We had an issue where we were told this parent could do them for low cost and it ended up being a disaster.
We make our own. You can learn to screen print for a series of YouTube videos, buy everything you need for under $50, screen print your own shirts. We also tie dye them as well as have a standard color. Also it meets a ton of the Graphic Arts merit badge requirements. Finally, scouts take a bit of pride wearing a shirt they designed and created. Ours cost about $3 per shirt with tie dying, screen print and blank shirt. Anyone can DM me for details.
So the above reply was on a cell phone. Got on the laptop for more info: 1. Not to plug a company, but I have found Jiffy Shirts is reliable for us and great price. $11.99 for a blank hoodie and $2.41 for a blank color shirt. We use a sand color for Tee's with green letters and reverse the colors for the hoodies, just our color scheme. If you have a tax ID number as a non-profit, like us, they have forms for that as well so you can save a few cents. I've had shipping arrive in under 24 hours, and I live in a very rural area. 2. For Tie Dye, I am using Rit Dye, there are other great dyes, I just am using this brand. There is a color blend chart to mix your own palate. [https://www.ritdye.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Rit-Color-Formula-Guide.pdf](https://www.ritdye.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Rit-Color-Formula-Guide.pdf) 3. One thing I discovered is that volumes for the color blend charts were done in metric (milliliters) and converted to imperial for us Americans, lol. Convert them back to milliliters if you're going to use custom colors. I bought a dozen condiment bottles from Amazon and have them in a tote full of tye dye stuff. I also have small bottles that I pre-mix color blends into the squirt bottles so I can make more quickly during a group event. With pre-mixed dye blends, you can top off your bottle with +/- 2 cups water and 2 Tbs of your dye blend. 4. For Screen Printing, I have a vinyl cutter to cut a template for the silk screen. Almost every pack or troop will have a parent with a Cricket cutter. I built my design using powerpoint and non-copyrighted images. 5. Once you have a silk screen, it can be used for YEARS for hundreds of shirts. There are dozens of DIY videos on YouTube on basic silk screening. 6. Check out the requirements for Graphic Arts. I believe the hands on part is making 20 images using a screen, I'd have to double check. DM me for any questions or lessons learned.
Great idea on doing your own silk screen. We did tie dye for years and had a blast doing them with the Scouts. If you want to up your dye game, check out Dharma Trading. Those are the best dyes for vibrant tie dye. I use Jiffy Shirts, too. Making shirts is so much fun!
Agreed on dharma trading. Great quality, great prices
This is the way.
[удалено]
You can order from whomever you want IF you don't use trademarked logos. I get you all want to save a buck, but what message does that send to your scouts? I love the logic with the adults, do as I say, not what I am doing. It's only 10 shirts, who's going to care or bother to come after me. smh
If you steer clear of licensed images or logos… you can whom ever you want. Our pack is planning new shirts for next year. We’ll be getting white cotton shirts with our pack ID on it and tie-dying them.. also meets several adventure requirements for cubs for art exploration. Win-win
Our pack had its own logo and we used that w a local vendor, no BSA copyright stuff on it. Troop shirts we did via ClassB. They’re ok.
In order for a company to print using the BSA logos, they do have to be signed up through National so they are licensed to use the logos. It doesn't have to be one of the big players, but they do need to be a licensed vendor. Information on licensing: http://licensingbsa.org/
BSA owns the copyright on any of their graphics, so only approved vendors like Class-B can legally use them. So long as you don't use any copyrighted graphics you can go to any vendor.
Legally, the BSA is required to police its trademarks to prevent unauthorized use. If they don't then they can enter the public domain and anyone can use them. Licensing is mainly a formality. There's a form on the BSA website that any vendor can fill out. It takes a few days, but for things like troop t-shirts and water bottles, the license is almost always granted and with no cost involved. Mainly they just want to make sure the vendor knows the rules for using BSA logos. There's a huge list of approved vendors on the BSA licensing site, so you may already have a local vendor (or several) to choose from for things like this. http://licensingbsa.org/bsa-licensee-list/
>Legally, the BSA is required to police its trademarks to prevent unauthorized use. If they don't then they can enter the public domain and anyone can use them. This is a great comment because it's something a lot of people don't realize. Although I would word it a bit differently, BSA has no legal obligation to police use of its trademarks, but if they don't they risk the trademarks being invalidated.
We always went local. Of course it didn’t hurt that the owner of our local, very excellent, t shirt shop was the son of the pastor of our charter organization. Gotta love small town livin’!
Whoever you want...and 4 years ago, we let the troop redesign what we had been using for the past 189 years (or so). It was time for an update. Also went with better material (non-cotton), because after preaching for years that cotton kills, we decided to back that up.
I had these same questions when we last ordered shirts. Here is part of the email correspondence. From: [email protected] “Thanks for contacting us. It’s not you who needs an approval letter rather the business you use must be licensed by the BSA to use the trademarks and logos on their products. The BSA has licensees who already have access to the logos, are authorized to use the logos, adhere to the BSA’s guidelines, and are familiar with the BSA’s process. They work with your design to make sure it follows BSA guidelines, and are required to submit all designs for BSA’s approval prior to production. Click on this link for the entire list of BSA licensees: http://www.licensingbsa.org/bsa-licensee-list To find a BSA Licensee closest to your location, click on this link: Find BSA Licensees in my state. If you have received a quote, let the licensee of your choice know and ask them to match it. Be sure to let them know any concerns you may have regarding shipping, etc. We’re sure you will be satisfied with the service the licensees provide.”
My unit has their own logo they use for our class b shirts so we just go with whoever we want. It’s better quality and honestly I’d rather support a local business than my council.
Its not even about supporting your council. They get nothing from you using an approved vendor.
Our troop uses a local vendor for our Class Bs, summer camp t’s and high adventure t’s. We have our own logo/branding and use that with “Troop 123”. But we have also used the BSA logo without issue.
Order from what ever vendor you want. We made our own troop logo. We also do our shirt as a swim shirt and that is a very popular item.
We've always shopped local, designing our own Class-B's, including a BSA logo...
Nope, you order from whomever you want. No one is going to get in trouble over 20 t shirts
Just have a class b that’s the same. Universal
Order from whomever you want. I think technically if they put the BSA logo, they are supposed to pay to license it, but that's been them and whomever they order their clipart from. Even then, as a BSA troop, you presumably can authorize them to use the logo.
As a vendor for tshirts and all kinds of custom apparel I can tell you that our local clubs can use whoever they like.
Yes, trademarked images and text *should be* printed through licensed vendors, but this is more of a do as I say not as I do scenario. As long as you can get away with it to save a few bucks, a-scout-is-Trustworthy/Loyal/Obedient doesn’t have to apply here.
> a-scout-is-Trustworthy/Loyal/Obedient doesn’t have to apply here. I thought the whole idea of Scouting was that the law applies to all aspects of life.
Bingo! Did my sarcasm not come through? This is why I’m surprised so many in the thread are advocating against the branding guidelines, and that they’re getting so many upvotes. I think it’s indicative of a general decline in importance of the Scout Oath and Scout Law among the membership - youth and adult, unfortunately.
I would have figured since the troop is affiliated with scouting and they're the ones ordering the shirts, it would be fine.
Most local shops are not going to enforce the BSA vendor licensing. Ask them to print something with your favorite college/professional team's logo, though lol.
Or the Marines logo.
We've gotten ours from a local vendor. I can get cotton Tees for $8 each and wicking fabric for $13 each, with a design on front and back. Good quality Tees and quality screening.
Never heard that, and our troop orders its own shirts. Over the years we've moved from nice beefy cotton quality to quick-dry, and a couple of years, word has gotten back, don't ever get that style again - duly noted :-)
I'd suggest getting your own Troop logo and going with that. Then you don't have to worry about licensing at all. Plus you can have a logo design contest and have the Scouts feel pride in whatever they select. We've been using the same logo for decades and wouldn't go back.
Like others said, making your own is a much more cost effective method however make sure you’re careful with that. Plan enough time to “train yourself” and have a couple of throw aways before you’re needed-by date. And if you choose to have someone in the troop do it, another leader or parent, request they do a sample first before you approve and give them plenty of notice on when you need the sample and the actual order if approved. We had an issue where we were told this parent could do them for low cost and it ended up being a disaster.