How can I manage inventory for different shirt designs without specifying size or color?

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A Shopify merchant seeks to track inventory by design quantity (e.g., 4 designs available) without creating separate inventory counts for each size, color, or shirt type combination. They operate on a print-on-demand model to minimize overhead and want customers to input custom details rather than select from predefined lists.

Proposed Solution:
The EasifyApps representative suggests using the Easify Product Options app to handle this scenario:

  • Create individual products for each of the 4 designs without variants
  • Use the app to add customizable options (size, color, type) that don’t affect inventory tracking
  • Implement flexible input methods: buttons for sizes, color pickers or text boxes for colors, and image swatches for shirt types
  • Customers can manually enter color codes/names instead of selecting from dropdown lists

Status: The original question remains unanswered by the poster, though a third-party app solution has been offered. The discussion appears ongoing with no confirmation whether this approach resolves the inventory management challenge.

Summarized with AI on November 17. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I’ve tried to figure this out but I am either not seeing it or I can’t do it.
So I make shirts and sometimes I allow customers to select their size, shirt color, and shirt type based on a single design. Is there a way I can specify there are 4 designs in inventory, but not have inventory specified for the size, color or type? I order shirts on demand to keep my overhead low, so this works out great especially when I do pre-order stuff.
Does this make sense?

Oh and also, is there a way to put a “comment” field within an item? Like if I just wanted them to input a color instead of selecting from a list?
Thank you in advance for your time!
Shanna

2

Hi @Shannalynn01 ,

It has been a long time since you posted the thread, and I’m curious to know if you managed to find a solution. In case you’re still seeking assistance, I’d like to offer a suggestion that might be helpful, which is using the Easify Product Options app :hugs: .

Here’s a step-by-step guide on setting up your options with the app:

  • Begin by creating individual products for your 4 designs. There’s no need to establish any product options or variants at this stage.

  • Install the Easify Product Options and create your product options (size, color, type) within the app

  • Create a new option set:

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  • Add the first option for selecting the Size, and you can utilize the Button option type or another relevant type.

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  • Add the second option for Color selection. Given your preference not to display a list of colors, you could opt for the Color Picker, enabling customers to choose a color from the provided color table or input a color code. Alternatively, the Text Box can be used for customers to manually enter the color name or code.

Color Picker:

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Text Box:

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  • For the third option, which pertains to selecting the Type, consider using Image Swatches or another fitting option type.

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  • Select the products (i.e., your 4 designs) to which you wish to add the option set. Once done, you’re all set!

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The Easify Product Options app offers a user-friendly interface and ease of use. You should give it a try and see how it works for you :+1: .