If you run a crew in the EU and want printed workwear that actually survives the job, ordering from an international shop is a reasonable move — as long as you go in knowing three things: what shipping really costs, what VAT and customs add on top, and how the sizing translates to your crew. This guide covers all three, plus fabric, print durability, and what to put on the shirt itself.
Shipping to the EU: flat rate, real timelines
The Custom Vibe ships to every EU-27 country at a flat $9.99 per order. Order five or more items and shipping is free — to any country. Since a typical crew order is five shirts or more, most EU crews never pay shipping at all.
Timelines are the part to actually plan around. Every order is made to order: production takes 3–5 business days after you approve your design, and delivery takes 7–15 days after that. From approval to your door, budget two to three weeks. If you need uniforms for a season start, a trade fair, or a new hire's first day, order three weeks out and you are covered.
One detail that catches people: production only starts after you approve the free digital mockup. The mockup lands within 24 hours, but if you sit on it for a week, add that week to your schedule. Approve fast, receive fast.
VAT and customs: what to budget on top
Listed prices do not include your country's import VAT. Where duties or VAT apply, the recipient pays them — usually collected by the carrier before or at delivery. This is standard for goods entering the EU from outside, and it is far better to budget for it than to be surprised by it.
The practical rules of thumb:
- Import VAT is charged at your member state's rate on the value of the goods. Rates differ by country, so check yours before ordering.
- Customs duty generally does not apply to consignments valued under €150. Larger orders may attract duty on top of VAT — something to weigh if you are placing one big order versus two smaller ones.
- Carrier handling fees for customs clearance are sometimes added. Those are set by the carrier, not the shop.
If you run a VAT-registered business, import VAT is generally recoverable as input tax. Keep the order invoice and the customs paperwork and hand both to your accountant — for most registered trades, the VAT is a cash-flow item, not a real cost.
Why dye-sublimation holds up where screen print gives out
Most printed workwear fails the same way: the print goes before the shirt does. Screen printing lays a layer of ink on top of the fabric. Wash it three times a week, stretch it over a shoulder bag strap, splash it with chlorine or degreaser, and that layer cracks, peels, and fades.
Full-garment dye-sublimation works differently. The dye is bonded into the polyester fibers themselves — there is no layer sitting on the surface. The print never cracks, peels, or fades, and it is chemical and bleach resistant, which matters if your crew handles pool chemicals, cleaning agents, or solvents all day. The fabric itself is lightweight, moisture-wicking polyester rated UPF 50+ — relevant for anyone spending eight hours in the sun.
| Factor | Dye-sublimation | Screen print | Embroidery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Print area | Full garment — front, back, sleeves, panels | Limited placement zones | Small areas only |
| Durability | Dye bonded into the fiber; never cracks, peels or fades | Ink layer on top; cracks and fades with heavy washing | Durable, but threads snag on rough work |
| Chemical and bleach exposure | Resistant — survives splashes and wash-downs | Ink can break down | Depends on thread and fabric |
| Feel and weight | Nothing added; shirt stays light and wicking | Heavy, plasticky feel on large prints | Adds stiffness where stitched |
| Best for | Uniforms worn hard and washed often | Occasional-wear event shirts | Small logos on collars and caps |
Care is the other half of durability, and there is not much to it here: wash with the regular load, no inside-out ritual, no fear of the bleach bottle. Polyester dries fast on a line, which is exactly what you want when the same shirts go back out tomorrow morning.
What to put on the front, back and sleeves
A crew uniform is a rolling advertisement, so lay it out like one:
- Front: logo on the left chest, company name across it or under it. Keep it clean — this is what customers see face to face.
- Back: the big billboard. Company name large, phone number readable from across the street, and a short services list — three or four lines a driver behind your van can absorb at a red light.
- Sleeves and panels: because the whole garment is printable, sleeves and side panels cost nothing extra. A website or phone number down one sleeve works hard when your crew is up a ladder or bent over a mower.
You do not need to design any of this yourself. Send your logo — or just your company name, phone number and services — and TCV's designers build the layout free of charge. You get a free digital mockup within 24 hours, with unlimited revisions, and nothing goes to production until you approve it. If your logo file is a blurry photo of a business card, they will work with that too.
Sizing: US athletic fit on EU crews
This is the section to read twice. TCV garments are cut in a US athletic fit, and they run fitted — trimmer through the chest and waist than the boxy cuts common in European workwear catalogues. If your crew is used to roomy EU work shirts, ordering their usual letter size will likely come up snug.
Do it properly instead:
- Take a shirt that fits each crew member well and lay it flat.
- Measure across the chest, pit to pit, and the length from shoulder to hem.
- Compare those numbers against the size chart — match measurements, not letter sizes.
- Between sizes, or layering over a base layer in the cold months? Size up.
Sizes run S through 5XL, so there is room for every build on the crew. And because everything is made to order, returns cover manufacturing defects only — a shirt ordered one size too small is not a defect. Ten minutes with a tape measure is the cheapest insurance in this whole process.
Ordering from the EU, step by step
- Pick your garments. Browse the full catalog — t-shirts, long sleeves, polos, sweatshirts, hoodies, zip hoodies and tank tops, plus matching 20 oz and 40 oz insulated tumblers if you want the van kitted out to match. Mixing garment types in one order is normal: polos for the lead, t-shirts for the crew, hoodies for winter.
- Send your design brief. Upload your logo, or just type out your company name, phone and services. The free design service handles the layout.
- Review the mockup. It arrives within 24 hours. Request changes until it is right — revisions are unlimited and free.
- Approve. Production starts only after your sign-off and takes 3–5 business days.
- Receive. Delivery to the EU takes 7–15 days — $9.99 flat, or free at five items or more.
Crew discounts apply automatically at checkout: 5% off at 5+ items, 10% off at 10+, 15% off at 15+. There is no minimum order, so a one-shirt test run is allowed — more on that below. The full process is documented on the how-to-order page, and the storefront is available in English plus eight EU languages, so the crew member handling the order can do it in their own language.
FAQ for EU buyers
Do I pay VAT on top of the listed price?
Where import VAT applies, yes — the recipient pays it, typically to the carrier before delivery. Consignments under €150 generally clear without customs duty, but VAT at your country's rate still applies. If you are VAT-registered, it is usually recoverable as input tax, so keep the invoice and customs documents.
Does free shipping really apply to EU orders?
Yes. Orders of five or more items ship free to any country, EU included. Under five items, EU shipping is a flat $9.99. Free shipping covers the freight only — import VAT and customs charges are still billed separately.
What if the sizes are wrong when the order arrives?
Every item is made to order, so returns cover defects only — there is a 14-day remake-or-refund window for genuine manufacturing faults. A mis-ordered size does not qualify, which is why measuring against the size chart before ordering matters. When in doubt between two sizes, take the larger one; the athletic fit runs fitted.
Can I order a single shirt to test before outfitting the whole crew?
Yes — there is no minimum order. A single test shirt pays the $9.99 shipping and gets no volume discount, but it lets you confirm fabric, print quality and fit before committing to ten. Once you are happy, the full crew order picks up the automatic discount and free shipping at five items or more.
Ready to put the crew in proper uniforms? Start with a custom uniform in your design — send your logo, get your free mockup within 24 hours, and approve it when it is exactly right. Five items or more ship free to any EU country, crew discounts apply automatically, and the print will still look sharp when the van needs replacing before the shirts do.
