Edinburgh student groups plan around two calendars at once: the academic one, and the August one, when the city fills with the Festival Fringe and the university's own buildings turn into performance venues. FabricForge is a UK custom printer, based in Enfield with an East London collection point, that prints hoodies, T-shirts and polos by DTF transfer. We work by message, with no minimum order and a personal reply to each quote request. This page is for Edinburgh society committees, sports club captains and Fringe companies, and it begins with the points that are particular to Scotland before getting to practical ordering.
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What is different about studying in Scotland
Scottish undergraduate degrees follow a different pattern from most of England. An honours degree takes four years, with an ordinary or general degree as the alternative route, and the first two years are shared between the two. For printing, this changes the cohort-hoodie question. A year group can be in its fourth year, not its third, when people start talking about graduation, so check with your course rep which year the hoodie is meant to commemorate before you put a date on it.
Edinburgh was founded under a royal charter of 1582 and opened in 1583, and in 2024/25 it had around 39,000 students. Its graduation ceremonies are held in the McEwan Hall. Because the university is spread across several areas of the city, a group will often have members in different places, as the next section explains.
Where the groups are: the Association's buildings
At Edinburgh the body that runs student activity is the Edinburgh University Students' Association, and members tend to say "the Association" rather than a union. Its buildings are worth knowing because each has its own character.
- Teviot Row House on Bristo Square opened on 19 October 1889 and is described as the oldest purpose-built student union building in the world. It is Scottish baronial in style and contains several bars.
- Potterrow, also on Bristo Square, is known for its dome and houses the Activities Office and the Association's main offices.
- The Pleasance is next to the Centre for Sport and Exercise and gives societies meeting space during term.
- King's Buildings, to the south of the city, serve most of the College of Science and Engineering.
- Pollock Halls, next to Holyrood Park, are the largest residence for first-year undergraduates, with over 2,000 students in term time.
The university's own student-life page cites more than 300 societies, which can be joined at the Activities Fair in Welcome Week or at any time of year, and a Sports Union with 70 sports clubs. It also runs what it describes as Scotland's largest intramural sports programme. Whichever group you belong to, it is likely to meet in one of the buildings above.
The Fringe: a different kind of order
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes place every August. The 2025 edition ran for 25 days and featured 3,893 shows in 301 venues. Students have been involved for a long time: University of Edinburgh students opened a drop-in centre for performers in 1951. Several Association buildings become Fringe venues, with Teviot used by Gilded Balloon, and the Pleasance and Potterrow operating as Pleasance Courtyard and Pleasance Dome. The Bedlam Theatre, run by the Edinburgh University Theatre Company, is described as the oldest student-run theatre in Britain.
For a company bringing a show, clothing has three jobs.
1. Cast and crew tees in a consistent colour, so the company is recognisable backstage and on the street.
2. Flyering tees with the show title large and a short line about what the show is, since people see them for seconds on the Royal Mile.
3. Keepsake hoodies for the end of the run, with the names of everyone involved.
Companies flyer and perform scenes on the High Street near St Giles' Cathedral, and some outdoor spaces require registration, so check the Fringe Society's current rules rather than assuming. The key printing detail is the date. Give your opening night when you request a quote, because we do not promise turnaround times in advance, and we would rather tell you plainly what is possible than let a Fringe run begin without its shirts. Order early, well before you travel into the city.
A brief that works
A strong Fringe or society brief is short and specific. Try this order:
- Name of the show or group and the venue.
- Number of items, split between cast, crew and spares.
- A list of names and roles, one per line.
- The colours you prefer, and an example of the artwork, even if rough.
- The date of the first performance or event.
Once it arrives, we reply with a quote and then a proof for approval. A discount applies on 5+ items. For help preparing your design files, see the artwork preparation guide.
Welcome Week and the Activities Fair
Societies recruit at the Activities Fair in Welcome Week, when hundreds of groups compete for the attention of new arrivals. Stall volunteers do best in matching tops that carry the society name at chest height, where people look when they approach a table. A lanyard or badge is not a substitute, because a visitor sees the shirt first. Because the fair comes at the very start of the year, agree the design with your incoming committee before term begins and ask for a quote with plenty of room.
Science, art and vets: the other campuses
Edinburgh is not only the Old Town. King's Buildings in the south hosts most science and engineering, the Edinburgh College of Art is part of the university's student life, and the university also has a veterinary base at Easter Bush. Groups from these places often feel slightly separate from the central area, and they sometimes want their own identity, not the generic university one. A departmental hoodie with a small emblem of the discipline and the cohort year is a good model. If your group is small and wants a few extra items for staff or visiting speakers, say so in your first message and we can quote those with the main order.
Sports clubs and travel
Edinburgh's clubs play other universities as well as each other, and they spend a lot of time travelling. For a club trip, a hoodie with the club name and each member's surname on the back is the classic choice. For intramural teams, which play for fun inside the university, a plain coloured tee with a team name often gives more character than the club crest does. See also the festival and event guide for outdoor and crowd settings.
Charity and campaign groups
Student fundraising in Edinburgh often takes the form of sponsored challenges, quiz nights and balls. A fundraising tee should lead with the cause. Put the charity on the front and individual names on the back, so supporters recognise who is who. If you plan to use a charity's own logo, ask the charity first.
Branding, independence and official marks
FabricForge has no relationship with the University of Edinburgh or the Association: we are not approved by, affiliated with or a supplier to either. Society officers should check the Association's rules on branding and the university's guidance on its coat of arms and logo before putting them on a garment, as these can limit where official marks are used. The other route is simpler: invent a mark of your own for the society or show.
We print by DTF only. If you need embroidery, vinyl lettering or screen printing, those are different processes that we do not offer.
Edinburgh FAQs
Can a Scottish society order from you?
Yes. Send your request through WhatsApp, phone or email, and tell us where the order should end up and by when. We discuss the arrangements with you in the quote.
Do you have to order a minimum number for a show?
No. Ordering four cast shirts or forty is fine, and the discount only applies from five items.
Can crew and cast have different designs?
Yes. Tell us which group each line on your list belongs to, and we will set up each design separately on the proof.
What happens if someone drops out?
Tell us before approving the proof. After approval the order is produced as shown, so a name change is easiest at proof stage.
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